SOUTH BEND — Gas prices approached a new record high Tuesday, hitting a national average of nearly $3.23 a gallon. That's 69 cents higher than just one year ago, but is the soaring cost of oil hitting your wallet in more places than just at the pump?

Locally, WSBT's pump patrol found gas at stations across St. Joseph County between $3.20 and $3.45 a gallon. As the price of crude oil continues to rise, some say those prices will only climb with them. Oil hit nearly $109 a barrel Tuesday.

Sharon Duerksen thought she'd never see people lining up to buy gas at $3.25 a gallon in Mishawaka.

"I thought, uh uh," she said. "[It] can't be!"

Then she drove down the street and saw prices at $3.43 and $3.45 a gallon. So she rubbed her eyes and decided to get in line, too.

"20 cents on the gallon? Every little bit counts," she said.

It's a sign of the times, said some, feeling the pinch at the pump.

"Last year it was $2.53," said Mishawaka driver Dave Cooper. "There's no end in sight!"

That's hitting Larry Laperriere's "Dine-In Delivery" business hard.

"It affects everybody and their expendable income," he said. "And I think anything that's outside a necessity is going to suffer because of that."

Laperriere's drivers are hurting the most.

"Their tips have not gone up along with the gas," he said.

It's one reason why he raised his delivery charge by 15 cents this week.

Experts say that's suddenly become a popular move.

"The only options are, either raise prices to pass some of those costs on, or go out of business," said Notre Dame Economics Professor Dr. Thomas Gresik.

The rising price of oil is affecting things you might not think of, too, like jet fuel for airlines, groceries, plastics and other petroleum by-products like paint.

"Just about anything that has a petroleum component to it, or a transportation component to it, we're going to see at higher prices," Dr. Gresik said.

That's on top of the fuel surcharges already added to many products we buy. It's a double whammy for consumers, and some say, it's already changing their spending habits.

"I'm cutting back," said one driver.

"Thinking about taking the bus," said another.

For now, it looks like that pain at the pump will continue.

When asked if consumers could see gas in Michiana hit $4 before it goes back down, Gresik responded, "We could. We could."

He predicts gas will continue to rise, approaching a new national average of $3.50 a gallon by early June. Locally, prices could reach much higher than that.

He suggests saving money to help ease the short term burden, and making long term investments, like purchasing a more fuel efficient car.