The price at the pump keeps going up, and it's taking a bigger chunk of the family budget than ever before.

Joe Raedle, Getty Images
Joe Raedle, Getty Images
loading...

Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows the average American family paid around $2,912 for gasoline in 2012 before taxes, which is nearly 4% of their annual budget.

That's the highest percentage since 2008 and the second highest in three decades.

According to Triple A- Mid Atlantic, this week gas rose thirteen cents nationwide. New Jersey skirted the national average with only an eleven-cent increase, from $3.34 to $.45 a gallon.

So how do Jersey drivers cope? In the land of Turnpikes and Parkways, it means radically changing the way you get around from place to place.

Lowest Gas Prices in New Jersey
New Jersey Gas Prices provided by GasBuddy.com

Though New Jersey, on average, has some of the lowest gas prices in the country, residents are finding themselves driving less. An East Brunswick resident has found himself driving less in his gas-guzzling pick up trick.

"I don't go out like I used to with my truck. I used to take rides on a nice Saturday or Sunday out into the country."

Conversely, when long commutes are unavoidable, and high prices seemingly constant, many drivers are opting to be smarter while at the dealership. A New York resident with a home at the shore got tired of burning the petroleum and opted to buy a Prius hybrid car.

"When I hear what my friends spend I feel very very good."

Throughout the states, many "bedroom communities," called that because residents go into New York of Philadelphia for their daily commutes, public transportation is a much more attractive option.

Gas efficiency has played a big part for drivers since prices have been going up. EIA reports gasoline consumption fell to its lowest levels since 2001, however average retail prices per gallon in the city rose 26.1%.

More From New Jersey 101.5 FM