Michigan drivers juggling expenses as gas prices continue to climb

Michigan drivers are feeling the strain as gas prices continue to climb. 

According to AAA, the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in Michigan reached $4.75 Thursday, an increase of more than 20 cents from the previous day and nearly 45 cents from a week ago. Michigan's average is also higher than the national average of $4.44 per gallon.

For some Metro Detroit residents, the rising cost of fuel is forcing changes to daily routines and household budgets. With no immediate relief in sight, drivers say they try to stretch every dollar and make each tank of gas last a little longer.

Sabrina Hall, who lives near Eight Mile and Gratiot and works in downtown Detroit, says she's finding alternative ways to get around in an effort to save money.

"It's too much," Hall said. "We're trying to work, pay bills, buy food. It's crazy."

Hall says she has started relying on public transportation and rides from others to avoid spending more at the pump.

"I catch the bus sometimes to save gas, and my dude picks me up from 8 Mile because it's just too much," Hall said. "The gas prices is just too high."

AAA says Michigan's average gas price has risen nearly 45 cents over the past week. The organization attributes the spike to rising crude oil prices, with instability in the Strait of Hormuz helping push oil prices closer to $100 per barrel. 

Earlier this week, CBS News Detroit spoke with auto industry analyst and Car Collective Publisher Paul Eisenstein, who said drivers may need to brace for elevated prices for the foreseeable future.

"There seems very, very little likelihood that we will see any significant decrease in fuel prices until sometime in 2027," Eisenstein said. "It usually comes down much slower than it goes up."

Shon Taylor says higher fuel costs are affecting not only his own transportation habits, but also people around him.

Taylor told CBS News Detroit he has been taking the bus more frequently to avoid paying high prices at the pump. He says some of his family members are facing difficult financial decisions as fuel costs continue to rise, in some cases choosing between food and gas with the money they have available.

"They got they gotta eat, or they gotta get gas," he said.