TYLER, TX (EAST TEXAS NEWS) – Most workers in East Texas are on tight budgets, but what effect is the rise in fuel prices having on those trying to stretch their dollars?
Many East Texas residents are adjusting their budgets for both essential and nonessential expenses.
For grocery shoppers, every dollar needs to be spent wisely. But rising gas prices are now making them even more careful with their spending.
“We’re stockpiling a few things that won’t spoil,” says Dawn Shugart, a shopper in Gladewater.
“One wonders at what point we’ll hit the limits that exist. It’s a little scary,” says Darla Ferguson, a resident of Hawkins.
Having to allocate more of their budget to fuel now, many are reconsidering what they classify as nonessential expenditures.
Essentials include food, rent or mortgage, utilities, and fuel—bills that must be paid.
But some say that as belts tighten, things like dining out and entertainment are being cut from the list.
“Fewer shopping trips. Probably won’t eat out as much,” says Darla.
“You have to have electricity, so now I’m looking into solar energy,” says Shugart.
Even volunteering could be affected.
“Gas costs are definitely a problem. Driving, using more gasoline, etc. Everything goes up. It makes a big difference how much budget you have for it,” says Barbara Casburn, a volunteer at an animal rescue center.
And, of course, it will reduce travel.
“We were planning a trip to Florida, towing an RV with a pickup, and that’s not going to happen because gas prices would be astronomical,” says Shugart.
And other concerns are also surfacing.
“Older people on a fixed budget. That’s scary,” says Ferguson.
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