But what about diesel fuel? I’m devoting this post to diesel and its impact on our economy because I’ll be honest, until now, I never knew how important it was.

First the basics— diesel prices have been on the rise for 11 consecutive weeks. The current price per gallon is $0.78 cents higher than it was at this time last year, averaging $3.53 today.

Now, consider a few of the industries that use diesel. Starbucks gets coffee to its 16,000 locations by truck, FedEx Ground delivers an average of 3.5 million packages of mail per day, and ambulances in every city rush people to hospitals every hour.

In short, our day-to-day lives literally depend on industries fueled by diesel. The trucking industry has been around for decades, and over time, the phrase “If you bought it, a truck brought it” has been given more clout.

Today’s escalating oil prices, however, are changing the scope of the trucking industry. With the average diesel truck getting just about 7 miles per gallon, visits to the gas pump are becoming more difficult. So much that one driver estimated he’s spending upwards of $1,600 a week to get his shipments from point A to point B.

And what’s affecting drivers the most is that the independent trucking companies, who’ve already contracted a set amount for their services, are feeling the most crunch when gas prices suddenly go through the roof.

It means that drivers are paying for diesel out of their own pocket to get us our Mocha Frappucinos.

So while the industry moves forward with its own initiatives to become more efficient, such as training truck drivers on how to save gas and improve truck routes, it’s important for us, as consumers, to be aware of what the industry is facing.

When truck companies spend more to get us our goods, the cost will inevitably make its way down to our own pocketbooks. My hope is that you’ll consider this perspective when you think the cost of your unleaded gasoline is excessive.

As the cost of oil skyrockets, musicians are venting their frustration.

Take Canadian musician Dennis Leclair’s song “Gaz Guzzling SUV.”  The tune was inspired after a visit to his neighborhood grocery store, where Leclair saw a woman’s SUV taking up three parking spots. When he saw her come back to her massive vehicle with just three bags of groceries, he poked some fun and came up with the following lyrics:

“Price of gas is killing me… Just filled up my SUV, now I can’t buy groceries,
Can’t pay the mortgage on my house.
Bail outs for the big 3, no one’s bailing out me,
Gotta loose this big SUV.”

Leclair’s fun, comical vent is certainly easy for an independent artist like himself to record; however, don’t be fooled– gas prices might have made their way into mainstream music without us ever realizing it.

Blogger Bill Peters did an investigative study on the influence cars and gas have had on Bruce Springsteen’s career. He points out that “of the 163 songs in Springsteen’s discography, 70 are either directly about cars and driving, or contain car/road imagery.”

Peters’ conclusion was that as unleaded fuel came on the market, Springsteen started writing more and more about fuel-consuming cars and highway trips. BUT, as gas prices started going up, his songs started to “supplant driving metaphors with walking.”

And so, that’s where we are at today: people are making adjustments to their lifestyles to curb their fuel-consuming habits. Maybe it’s for monetary purposes. Or maybe they do genuinely want to help save our planet.

My favorite I-Hate-How-Gas-Is-So-Expensive-Song came from YouTube celebrities Rhett and Link, who talk about the aftermath of using alternative modes of transportation. Cheerfully, they sang:

“I tried riding my bike to work but I wound up smelling like exercise.”

Their words are on the minds of millions as gas prices go up. It’s just neat to see how music is helping make these discussions happen.

My mom went on to explain how the evening before she had filled up at the nearby Chevron. But now, she only had about a quarter tank left. We, of course, were both shocked that something like that had happened. At what point did people start stealing gas from people’s front yards?

Despite being shocked at what had happened, my my mom and I promptly moved on with our lives. No police report was filed. We didn’t think much could have been done to trace the crime back to whoever siphoned our gas.

What I now know is that not only is gas stealing common, but high gas prices have affected people so much that they’re even being linked to the early symptoms of depression or anxiety among some individuals.

The more I read about the effects of fuel costs on average working people, the more I think about whether my mental health is stable. I’m pretty sure it is. However, what about those times when I close my eyes as I put the gas nozzle back on the pump to avoid seeing the total price? What about when I promptly press “no” when the debit machine on the pump asks if I want a receipt of my transaction? Uh, hello, why would I want a reminder of the $42.49 I just spent on gas?

In the last four weeks, it’s been speculated that gas prices will reach up to $5 per gallon in 2012. Will this mean more people will be going to see their doctors for depression? Urban Dictionary seems to think the term “gas prices” is just another “source of panic attacks, high stress, and sudden interest, used by various media sources to get people’s attention.” Time will tell if they are right.

Whatever the case, at the core of my own anxiety, I believe, is a reluctance to budget my money and scale back on my spending. I can keep on filling up my tank the way I do now but 1) my college textbooks have nearly depleted my bank account and 2) spending close to a hundred dollars a week just on gas won’t do me any good. It’s time for a change.