BEAUMONT, Texas — Despite a decline in fuel prices across the nation, those who traveled for the Labor Day weekend said their wallets still felt the pain at the pumps.
Experts predicted that the 2022 Labor Day weekend would be the busiest travel weekend in three years, with most traveling by car.
While gas prices are declining across the country and lower in Texas than other parts of the US, travelers still felt unhappy with what they paid.
"We're trying to survive,” Elizabeth Baxter, Houston resident, said. “We're trying to take care of our families and still go to work and back. The gas, going to work and back, is just hurting a lot of people."
Baxter was heading home to Houston after visiting her family in Alabama. While gas prices are lower than what they were previously, Baxter said she would not describe them as cheap.
"I think they just play on our psychology,” Baxter said. “They raise it up so high, and then they bring it down some for everybody to think, 'Oh, gas is getting cheaper or whatever,' but it's still not cheap. It's still ridiculous."
Trevor Reimer is from Deer Park. He feels he it is still expensive to fill up his diesel truck at work.
"It's about 110 to fill it every two days,” Reimer said. “That's still around $5 a gallon."
High fuel prices are not just affecting Trevor Reimer's work. He and his wife, Kristin Reimer, had to adjust their travel plans to Disney World due to high gas prices.
"We were considering driving to Florida, but we didn't because the gas prices were so high, so we just flew,” Kristin Reimer said. “It was cheaper to fly."
While gas prices have declined since hitting an all-time high in June, they are still 18% higher from what we were paying a year ago today.
Baxter said the impact was visible on the road this weekend.
"The traffic's not as heavy as it normally is on a holiday weekend,” Baxter said. “So, I'm assuming a lot of people can't afford it anymore."
Baxter's hope is that one day she will see gas prices below $2.50 per gallon.