Current gas prices are out of control, and with the American dollar not holding up well against foreign currencies like the Canadian dollar and the Euro, current gas prices will likely go higher before they come back down. The economic impact of current gas prices and the meltdown in the mortgage markets are all factors which are weakening the American consumer's ability to save and exercise discretionary spending. With more and more money going into people's gas tanks instead of their shopping carts, a broad economic recession may be in store for this country.
The price of everything will increase as oil nears $100 a barrel. Nearly everything is trucked from somewhere else, and the latest trend is to buy locally produced items, like fruits and vegetables, or grow your own. Food will continue to go up in price, and being able to produce food in the yard will help offset some of the family's grocery bill. Freshly grown food is also much more nutritious and tastes so much better than food shipped from thousands of miles away. Current gas prices may bring back the family garden, much as shortages during World War II brought these gardens back during and after the war.
