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Here is a pie chart that factors in gas prices back to the late 70s with inflation rates into today's dollars. Notice that mid 2008 has the highest prices but not significantly more than early 1980. With some small exceptions the years 1986 to 2003 gas prices generally ranged between $1.80 to $2.20 per gallon in today's dollars. So in otherwords we may be paying high gas prices right now but nowhere near a record.
Basically what is really happening is that your money isn't going as far as it used to. Consider that the a salary of $13,658 dollars in 1980 is the equivilant of $40,000 dollars today as an illustrator. The prices of everything; homes, cars, food, education and gas all go up with time. Its a fact of life that you have keep up with inflation usually through switching jobs or career advancement. Now I don't like paying more gas like anyone else but the difference of $1 dollar per gallon won't break the bank for most people if they plan a budget. Consider some stuff that you don't need that would offset the price of gas like not eatting fast food, top of the line cable or internet service, car insurance items you don't need, cell phone plans you don't need. Most people can offset the price of gas increasing or more with a little bit of planning. Unfortuatly in the US at least we have an attitude that we have to spend every single dollar we make and the price of everything will stay stable....
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