There's one thing that's on everyone's mind right now: Why are gas prices so damn high and when will they return to "normal?"

The last time I filled my tank was about two or three weeks ago. I remember thinking to myself wow, it's getting dangerously close to $3 a gallon. Ignorance is bliss, I guess.

Across the country, gas is selling for an average of $4.17 a gallon, which passes 2008 by a good bit. In 2008, we were embroiled in two wars while we faced a recession at home. It was a bad time and gas being sold for an average of $4.11 was an added stress.

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In Washington, we typically skew higher than the national average. In Tri-Cities, gas is getting ready to hit $5 a gallon. It's starting to look like Mad Max out there already.

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In Pasco, it could go over $4.80 tomorrow.

Why is gas so expensive?

Even though the United States is not engaged in a direct conflict with Russia, our gas prices have been impacted by the Russo-Ukrainian conflict. This week, the White House announced a ban on all Russian energy imports, including oil, coal, and natural gas. But the impact of the war in Ukraine isn't as big as an issue on our own homefront. In fact, the United States mostly draws oil from its own reserves. In fact, we export as much oil as we import. The demand for gasoline has shot up as the United States has weathered the COVID-19 pandemic, and the oil industry has yet to catch up with demand. Supply and demand, that makes sense, right?

How can I find gas for cheap?

While you can't change gas prices, luckily there is an abundance of tools to help you find the cheapest gas in town. For instance, Geico keeps track of gas prices and all you have to do is supply your address so Geico can bring you relevant results. This works on both your computer and on Geico's app.

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Gas Buddy is another popular app for scouting out local gas prices and its app works for iPhone and Android.

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Gas Guru does a great job of updating prices and keeping information relevant.

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But if you want the barebones truth, the cheapest gas is almost always at Costco. But just like when you shop at Costco, be ready to wait in the line of madness.

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While we hope to see gas prices drop soon, we can at least find the cheapest options with the touch of a thumb. Maybe the cruising will have to wait until the summer.

LOOK: See how much gasoline cost the year you started driving

To find out more about how has the price of gas changed throughout the years, Stacker ran the numbers on the cost of a gallon of gasoline for each of the last 84 years. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (released in April 2020), we analyzed the average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline from 1976 to 2020 along with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for unleaded regular gasoline from 1937 to 1976, including the absolute and inflation-adjusted prices for each year.

Read on to explore the cost of gas over time and rediscover just how much a gallon was when you first started driving.

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