When senior in computer science Julie Hix brings her 1991 740GL Volvo up to the gas pump, she’s faced with a tough choice.
“It’s either buy premium gas or buy a new engine,” Hix said.
And with even unleaded ranging from $2.79 to $2.99 in Raleigh, according to Raleighgasprices.com, gas is never the easy choice.
Raleighgasprices.com is a new Web site that helps residents in Raleigh choose the cheapest gas by making prices available at the click of a mouse. The only catch is that the Web site requires user input to garner its information.
The site includes breakdowns of the highest and lowest gas prices in the Raleigh area for the last 60 hours and also has a toggle feature that allows the user to examine low-, mid-, and premium-grade prices, as well as diesel.
It allows the user to e-mail prices, as well as pick an area directly outside of Raleigh, such as Angier or Zebulon.
The Web site also offers recent news on the petroleum industry and the average price for Raleigh and the United States. In addition to this, it gives a trend statement as to whether prices are rising or falling.
Hix said she drives approximately 144 miles a week, and those miles can rack up in cash.
She said it costs about $40 to fill up her 12- to 13-gallon tank, and she usually fills up twice a month, bringing the total to $80.
Hix said she has money that she specifically sets aside for rent, bills and food and lately the gas has started taking over the rent.
Pamela Saha, a junior in electrical and computer engineering, said the price of gas doesn’t affect her directly because she doesn’t have a car on campus.
“I can usually bum rides off of friends if we are going the same place, and I might have to fork over gas money if it’s a long trip,” Saha said.
When she was paying for gas last summer, Saha said she was living at home, so the expense wasn’t felt as much because “I just had to budget for shopping, gas, trips, stuff for me.”