Have you noticed the sky rocketing prices at the pump in the past year? Of course you have, just like the rest of the United States. When is it all going to end? It probably isn't, we here in the U.S. are probably in for a "crude" awakening. Those who live in other countries such as Holland, Denmark, and many others think that our gasoline and crude oil prices are low. That being said, we're probably in this for the long term.

From the gas pump to the fees you have to pay for your child to play sports, everything is rising. Going to the grocery store was a trip you could enjoy over a year ago, but now it just brings feelings of anxiety. How are you going to afford to buy groceries for your family? Well, as Americans we have been good at bouncing back. We need to re-evaluate the things that mean the most to us. Do we really need to take those long vacations, or can we take shorter trips together as a family? There are ways that we can beat this credit crunch; we just need a more sensible plan.

Now, there are prices increasing everywhere you look, the grocery stores are just one. Some others are, definitely the gas prices, school fees seem to be rising to pay for gas in the busses that take our children to and from sporting events and to and from school. Anything that is transported in a vehicle, the prices are going up.

It seems that we should be able to do a little something to help, shouldn't there be something? Of course you would think that the government would do something to help, but it seems that they don't carry out what they say. Sure the supplemental income checks helped, helped us get caught up on the bills we already had. Anyway, we just need to cut the things out that are not really necessary. Make fewer trips to the store. For example, if you need to go get a pop or something, make sure that there is nothing else that needs to be done while you are out and about. Make one trip to the grocery store per week instead of one everyday. Car pool your children to school if you can, and talk to the other parents about car pooling to sporting events and such, guaranteed that they are feeling the pinch as well.

Even though there are things that will help us a little bit, there has to be more done, and as Americans we need to stand together. Weather you make $150,000 or $14,000 a year we are all feeling the effects of the high crude oil prices. So re-think your way of thinking and maybe we can send a message to someone, anyone that we are not going to fill their pockets while our families wonder how we're going to put food on the table. We are all suffering from the high crude oil prices.