Yeah, Midwest is usually a bit cheaper. Late last year I traded in my Jeep Grand Cherokee (V8!!!

) for a Dodge Caliber (4 banger

) and gave the Caliber to the wife. I started driving her Focus to work - 60 miles round trip every day. I can say that before I started driving the Focus I was spending as much in gas a month as my truck payment. The Jeep was getting 17-18mpg on a good day. The Focus gets 28-30mpg - depending on my driving style that week. Payment on the Caliber is about the same as the Jeep was ~ $400/mo and gets decent gas mileage (24-25mpg). Wife works fairly close to home, maybe a 15-20 mintue drive.
Even with that switch it's starting to hit the pockets again. I've noticed food prices have gone up - obviously a direct result of fuel prices.
I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong.
~Bertrand Russell