Uchikura & Co., LLC

I went to Canada today and came back the same day. On the way, I stopped at a gas station I know well—one that has consistently been among the cheapest places to buy gas in Washington State.

 

My tank was probably still a little under half full, so I didn’t absolutely need gas at that moment. Still, seeing the price made the decision easy. I filled it up anyway.

 

The price was $3.159 per gallon.

 

That may not sound remarkable to someone who hasn’t been watching fuel prices closely, but for me, it was surprising. In the past few years, I honestly can’t remember seeing gas that cheap anywhere around here. With prices hovering well above that for what feels like forever, this felt almost like a flashback to an earlier time.

 

Crossing the border and coming back made the contrast even clearer. Fuel prices, like many everyday costs, have become something we quietly accept as “just the way things are.” Moments like this—seeing a number that low on the pump—remind me how much prices have crept up, and how rare it is now to feel good about filling up your tank.

 

I didn’t need the gas, but at that price, it felt like the right time to top off.