Poll: Gas Prices Hurting Families

WASHINGTON (AP) - Most of us are feeling the budget squeeze
because of soaring gasoline prices.
Nine in 10 people in a new Associated Press-Yahoo News poll
expect the ballooning costs to bite them financially over the next
six months. Nearly half think the hardship will be serious.
To cope, most are driving less, easing off the air conditioning
and heating at home and cutting corners elsewhere. Half are scaling
back vacation plans; nearly as many are considering buying cars
that burn less gas.
Two-thirds now consider gas prices an extremely important issue,
edging the economy and outpacing health care and Iraq as the
country's most distressing problem. In November, when gas cost
about $1 a gallon less than today, just under half rated it
extremely important.
AAA says the average price today is $4.09 a gallon. Oil has hit
another record.