MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
When President Trump negotiates with Iran, he says he thinks only of eliminating Tehran's nuclear weapons capability and, quote, "not even a little bit," unquote, about Americans' financial struggles. Americans, though, are giving affordability a lot of thought - nowhere more than in California, which has had some of the nation's highest gas prices for a while. The average price for a gallon of regular there is more than $6. From member station KQED, Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman reports on how spiraling costs are forcing financial sacrifices.
NAOMI RODRIGUEZ: I'm just doing this to get over the bridge so I can go to Costco.
AZUL DAHLSTROM-ECKMAN, BYLINE: It's afternoon rush hour in San Francisco, and Naomi Rodriguez needs gas. The marquee at this gas station reads 6.80 for a gallon of regular.
RODRIGUEZ: What was it - $17 for 2 1/2 gallons? Crazy.
DAHLSTROM-ECKMAN: Rodriguez is in her early 30s, a UC Berkeley student and works at a social justice nonprofit here in the city. Since leaving campus housing in February, she's been staying with friends in different Bay Area cities and commuting by car to work.
RODRIGUEZ: Like, I can't even really focus on putting all my money towards getting a place for myself because I spend so much on gas and not even just gas, just all the car expenses.
DAHLSTROM-ECKMAN: Besides that, she also says she can't afford to visit her mother in Southern California who's sick with cancer. And she's cutting out things that help her manage her stress, like the gym and driving to support groups.
RODRIGUEZ: And I go to school to help people. You know, that's what I want to do. And I can barely help myself with this economy.
DAHLSTROM-ECKMAN: California's gas is expensive for a few reasons. The state has higher taxes, a requirement for a cleaner-burning, more expensive blend of fuel, and there are supply issues. But the war in Iran has sent gas prices soaring to near-record levels.
SHEKINAH SAMAYA-THOMAS: I'm just getting this ready because we're going to be dropping this off. This is going to be our first stop.
DAHLSTROM-ECKMAN: Across the bay in Oakland, Shekinah Samaya-Thomas is getting ready to run some errands. On today's trip, she's heading to a recycler, Trader Joe's and later to get gas. She bundles these errands into one to save on costs. She's in her early 60s and says to get to work or medical appointments, she has to drive. She works as a substitute adult educator, and her husband works in security. Last year, combined, they both made just over $34,000.
SAMAYA-THOMAS: Driving is reserved for getting to and from work and getting our basic needs met. I don't see friends. I don't go out. I don't do social things.
DAHLSTROM-ECKMAN: And the recent jumps in gas prices have taken a toll.
SAMAYA-THOMAS: It's a constant calculation, trying to manage all this. And yes, it's exhausting. It's emotionally and physically exhausting. And it's not easy on a marriage either. I'm going to tell you that.
DAHLSTROM-ECKMAN: Later, when she gets gas, she pays $34 for 6 gallons.
SAMAYA-THOMAS: That's money I don't have for food. That's money I don't have to pay my utility bills. That's money that isn't going to go to savings, isn't going to go to retirement, isn't going to go to the potential of one day maybe being able to take a vacation - you know, the things that people want.
DAHLSTROM-ECKMAN: For her, driving is nonnegotiable. So if prices keep rising, she says she'd be forced to cut one of the few things left that bring her and her husband joy - their streaming subscriptions. Other than that, she says she doesn't know what's left to cut.
For NPR News, I'm Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman in Oakland.
(SOUNDBITE OF CHARLES BRADLEY AND MENAHAN STREET BAND SONG, "THE WORLD (IS GOING UP IN FLAMES)") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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