Recently, gas prices across the U.S. have risen dramatically, with average costs in Oregon as high as $5.29. Oregon already had higher-than-average gas prices due to tax regulations, figures that have been exacerbated by the tensions in Iran. 

At La Salle, many students who rely on their vehicles every day have been changing their routines to account for the increasing costs.

Senior Abby Maulding had to cut back on driving and was “shocked” when she had to spend $95 to fill her tank.

Aside from driving to school and tennis tournaments, Maulding has been limiting where she goes. 

“I hang out with my friends less, and I can’t really go anywhere far or deep in Portland, because it’s so far and it takes so much gas,” she said. “It’s just a lot of extra money.”

Senior Emma Washburn, who lives in Vancouver, Washington, said she has been cutting down on coffee trips to save extra money for gas. 

According to Washburn, the last time she filled up her gas tank, she was surprised at the cost.

To save on gas, instead of taking multiple vehicles, the Washburn family has been carpooling together despite often having to arrive at different times.  

“We’ll just choose the earliest time and all go together,” she said. 

Junior Dexter Harland used to pay $60 and now pays around $95, a price increase of nearly 60%. The highest price per gallon he’s paid was $5.29, and in regard to gas, he said it has become “too expensive.”

Junior Aidan Moore said that since the increase in gas prices, he has been more “conservative” with the places he chooses to go. 

Moore said he has cut back a lot on recreational driving but still typically gets gas once a week, paying around $109 to fill his tank. 

Sophomore Madalyn Bamberger has been using the train and avoids driving to friends’ houses because she doesn’t want to “waste gas,” she said. 

The most recent price per gallon she has paid was $5.15. For a full tank, Bamberger used to pay $65 and now pays $80.

For sophomore Alex Savanh, the price increases were surprising as someone who drives frequently. 

“I was so shocked and just devastated,” Savanh said. 

To save money on gas, Savanh has been using an app called GasBuddy, which offers gas prices and cash-back rewards when purchasing gas with brand partners. 

For families, the outcome of rising gas prices is a greater share of wealth spent on vehicles. According to the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, gas prices are the most noticeable and obvious expense in a household.  

Junior Brinley Rydquist has been noticing “a lot of more money coming out of my bank,” she said.

“Usually I go on road trips during the summer, but I don’t know if I’ll be making many road trips,” she said, as the cost of gas makes it harder to justify the journey. “I feel like gas shouldn’t be that much.”