Gas Prices...

We're told the price of gasoline is climbing due to the cost of oil and speculators, basically. 

Does it seem to you if someone in a refinery sneezes, it's enough to drive up the cost?  Anymore it doesn't take much.

For years I remember the price was stable enough it really didn't figure into a family's budget, but with the world as it is today, it's as mercurial as any stock.  It's become a fact of life in the 21st century and people are again beginning to answer yes to polls that ask if you're driving less because of the cost.

If it's any consolation, our cousins in the UK are paying, on average, $9.85 per gallon!  Ouch!  One station is selling high octane for the equivalent of $11.52 per gallon.  Imagine filling your RV there!

The UK has no sympathy for us, and one writer says our average of $4 will have to double before people decide to park their SUV's and buy something smaller. 

Have you or are you considering such a move?  Do you, like me, combine trips to save gas...or will it take $8 a gallon before you make changes?