Gas
The price of gas can be quite volatile, as most of us know. Thirty years ago, in 1989, the average price of a gallon of gas was about $1.06. As of late July, the national average price per gallon was $2.74, representing a 158% increase. It has been much higher than that, though, hitting a peak average of $4.11 back in the summer of 2008.
The price of gas varies widely by location, too. While the recent national average was $2.74, it was $3.16 in Alaska at the same time, and $2.36 in Mississippi.
