WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – It’s gas price whiplash.
After finally getting some relief, drivers are once again feeling pain at the pump.
The average price of gas in Florida jumped eight cents overnight. It went from $4.31 to $4.39. While this still doesn’t beat Florida’s all-time $4.89 a gallon, it is still draining some drivers.
“There are some bills you cannot cut to survive,” Rinaldo Santos is having to adjust to his new normal, which includes searching for gas he can actually afford.
He went to a Wawa in Winter Garden that was significantly cheaper than the rest of the gas in the area. He was filling up his tank for $4.19 a gallon. When News 6 drove through Winter Garden, most gas prices seemed to be over the state average, at a staggering $4.59 a gallon.
“This affects everything,” said Santos, pointing out that the high cost of gas also impacts how much people are able to spend on groceries.
Gina Capoverde has had to completely redo her budget.
“Grocery store money, fun money that we used to have a little extra to do whatever, now it’s just going toward gas,” she explained.
With Memorial Day coming up, travel is on the top of mind for many.
“Rising fuel prices definitely add to the expense, but it’s not causing people to cancel their plans – in many cases, people are just making adjustments," said AAA’s Mark Jenkins.
“I’m actually heading to get my RV out of storage, and it’s diesel and do a 2,500-mile trip,” said Steve Amburgey. When it comes to Steve, he says gas is worth the expense.
“I’m willing to pay the sacrifice,” said Amburgey.