Bay Area gas prices near $4: The mental toll on drivers and financial strain on small businesses

Gas prices reach $4 in Bay Area

The rising cost of gas isn’t just hurting your commute because the cost to transport inventory and the cost of goods goes right up with it. FOX 13’s Ariel Plasencia reports

TAMPA, Fla. - According to new data from AAA, average gas prices in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, and Sarasota Counties are currently sitting just pennies below $4 a gallon.

In Citrus County, the average has already crossed that threshold, according to data.

The pain at the pump is becoming impossible to ignore for Bay Area drivers, and the rising costs are creating a ripple effect that is also hitting local small businesses hard.

Why you should care:

Why does that $4 mark trigger such a strong reaction from drivers?

"We have a bias towards round numbers. It's why companies set prices at $9.99 instead of $10," University of Tampa microeconomist Aaron Wood, who studies consumer behavior, said. "We have these reference points, these anchors in our brain. We use these heuristics to make consumption decisions."

Wood, an associate professor of economics at UT, told FOX 13 it comes down to how our brains process the expense.

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"When you're standing there, pumping your own gas, you see the rotation of the number and so it's different than like, if the Netflix price goes up or your lawn service -- even sometimes grocery prices -- gas is more upsetting. You're watching it happen as opposed to something being buried in your credit card statement. So I think it's upsetting to everybody because it's so visceral, and it's in your face," Wood added.

Local perspective:

But that rising price tag isn't just hurting daily commuters: It’s forcing local business owners to make tough choices, too.

Chris Gonzalez has owned Mona's Floral Creations in Tampa for seven years. He says fuel costs are constantly on his mind.

"I've actually started watching the news every morning just to see how much it's gone up from the day prior," Gonzalez said. "I think about it more and more, like not even daily. It's almost like every few hours I have to think about it, because I try to pass along the best, most competitive prices to my consumer -- not only in my flowers, but also in my delivery charges."

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Mona's has been serving the Tampa community for nearly 50 years. In the seven years Gonzalez has owned the shop, he has only had to raise his delivery prices twice, from $10 to $12, and then to $15, which is the current rate. Now, he's unsure what he'll have to charge next week.

Gonzalez says he hopes that if he does have to raise delivery prices again—potentially up to $18, it will only be temporary.

"I'm trying to be as competitive as possible and continue the Mona's brand that people know and love around here," Gonzalez added.

What's next:

To cope with the surge, Gonzalez is making adjustments to his shop's daily operations. Instead of delivering a floral arrangement immediately after it's made, his team is now holding orders so they can group deliveries together based on geographical routes.

"It just makes more sense from a fuel perspective," he noted.

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And with Mother’s Day right around the corner, Gonzalez said he will be closely watching the changes in gas prices.

"We are in planning mode right now. We're ordering our flowers. We're planning what types of arrangements we're going to offer for sale for moms," Gonzalez said. "But now I have that additional thing: I have to think about what's the price of gas going to be like in two months when Mother's Day's here?"