TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — For Liv Westervelt, rising costs in gas prices have put a pause on some of her future travel plans.
"I was paying around $17 to $20 depending on how empty I was and now I'm paying around $30 to $32," said Westervelt. "Recently I was planning on going to Orlando and then this Friday we're going back to our home town and I didn't end up going to Orlando because of the gas prices."
Many who live in Tallahassee like Westervelt are now watching how often they go out, some say they're going to closer tourist destinations like St. George Island, and even that has a cost.
"Right now today it was $43, $43.99 for me," said Ana Hamil who lives in Tallahassee.
Hami took her mom Maritza Bermudez, who is visiting from Chicago, to St. George Island to soak up some sun.
Bermudez says that even getting Florida by plane cost more than it usually does, paying a few hundred extra dollars to see her family.
"Of course the airfare when I wanted to come was better and now it was just incredible," said Bermudez. "It was five something from Chicago to Tallahassee, when normally it's two hundred something."
The average round-trip domestic airline ticket for the March 7 to March 21 period is selling for $290, compared with $240 for the same period last year, according to Hopper. Travelers who try to book at the last minute will face an average round-trip ticket price of $365. They expect airfare prices to increase seven percent each month until June.
Hamlin, who is planning on taking a trip to Orlando in a couple of weeks says that ontop of gas, grocery prices are also increasing. Not wanting to cancel her trip she says she'll have to find other ways to save until this situation gets better.
"We just have to save it some other ways, but then again right now between gas and groceries I mean I'm spending $25 to $50 more a week on groceries," said Hamil. "Everything seems to be going up and unfortunately, that's where we're at."
According to AAA, the national average price per gallon is about $4.00. In Florida it is about $3.95. Leon County stands at around $3.92 per gallon on average. Florida's price at the pump increased 14 cents from Saturday, 44 cents from last week, and 48 cents from a month ago.
The reason for the rise in prices, US sanctions on Russia as a result of the country's invasion in Ukraine .
