Today's number
+27.4%
rise in gasoline prices over twelve months to August 2026, according to the BLS. All prices: +3.4%.
Mr Deal: “Your inflation is not the national one. If you drive a lot, it is well above it: work out yours.”
Ask Mr Deal · your money, in numbers
Boost your savings
How much you can keep this year, and exactly where.
Every week, the prices that matter to a household, and the calculation that says what to do about them. Gas, groceries, repairs, services: every expense is broken down with public data, down to the point where the purchase meant to cut it pays for itself. When it never does, that is written too.
In the news · September 17, 2026
AAA put the national average for regular at $4.43 a gallon on September 17, up 16 cents in a week and more than a dollar above a year earlier, with crude oil averaging around $100 a barrel amid volatility in the Strait of Hormuz. Source: AAA.
Written by Baptiste S., an ordinary household that runs the numbers instead of recycling tips, with public sources cited.
Mr Deal's calculator
What gas costs in your state this week
Pick your state. You get this week's official average for regular and diesel, what a fill-up costs, and what your own driving costs per month at that price.
Every region and state the EIA publishes
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, weekly retail prices, all taxes included.
Gas is only one expense among others. Groceries, repairs, services, the holidays: every expense has its calculator, run with your own numbers. See all calculators
The five expenses
Where a household's money goes, and what keeps it
Five everyday expenses, five guides. Home heating and insulation are left out on purpose: they are fixed by renovation work, not by a purchase, and that is not what this site is about.
Driving for less
How to Save Money on Gas: Every Lever, Ranked
Gas is the part of driving you see every week, but not the biggest. Here is every lever that lowers what a car costs you, ranked in dollars, from the free habits to the choice of car.
Groceries & food
How to Save Money on Groceries: What Actually Works
Before hunting for a cheaper store, look at the two leaks that cost most households more: food thrown away and meals bought ready-made. Then check which purchases really pay back.
Repair & make it last
How to Make Appliances Last Longer, and When to Stop
An appliance that lasts its full life is the cheapest one you will ever own. Here is the maintenance that matters, how to see what an old machine costs to run, and when to stop repairing.
Do it yourself
DIY Ways to Save Money: Which Services to Take Back
Coffee, haircuts, the gym, the car wash: what you pay for without thinking, the object that replaces it, and how many uses until it pays for itself. Ranked, with the cases where the answer is no.
Seasonal spending
Seasonal Expenses Budget: Plan the Costly Months
The holidays, back to school, summer travel, the insurance renewal: they land on the same dates every year. Paid for in advance, a little each month, none of them has to touch a credit card.
The method
Four steps, in this order, in every article
It is the only thing that separates this site from a list of tips: no article ends without a number, and no number is given without its assumptions.
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01
The expense that hurts
We start from what you already pay without thinking: the fill-up, the grocery run, the subscription, the repair you turned down because it cost nearly as much as new.
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02
What is really going on
The true cost, broken down, with the public data that confirms it. Often the expense you think is big is not the one that costs the most.
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03
The object that cuts it
Just one, the one that acts on the line you found. Not a roundup of twelve models: the type of product, the criterion that matters, and nothing else.
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04
The break-even, and the verdict
How long until it pays for itself, at your own usage. And when the answer is "never", the article says so and offers nothing.
Latest calculations
Just run through the numbers
Groceries & food
Is a Chest Freezer Worth It? The Payback Math
Is a chest freezer worth it? What you save stocking up on sales, what the electricity costs in your state, and the one habit that decides whether it ever pays.
Do it yourself
Is a Coffee Maker Worth It? The Break-Even in Cups
Is a coffee maker worth it? The price of a home cup at the government's average for ground coffee, the cups until the machine pays back, and when it never does.
Driving for less
Cost Per Mile of a Car: What One Mile Really Costs
Cost per mile of a car: AAA's 2025 breakdown adjusted to today's gas price, what depreciation and insurance add, and a calculator for your own car's true cost.
Driving for less
Is an Electric Car Worth It? The Monthly Math
Is an electric car worth it against the car you already own? Gas vs charging at your state's prices, upkeep, the monthly payment, and the mileage where it pays.
Do it yourself
Are Hair Clippers Worth It? Haircuts to Break Even
Are hair clippers worth it? How many haircuts until they pay for themselves, what you keep each year after, and the cuts that should stay with your barber.
Seasonal spending
Holiday Budget Calculator: What to Spend on Gifts
Holiday budget calculator: split your holiday spending before shopping starts, see what each gift can cost, and what to set aside each week until December 24.