Budget-conscious motorists may want to fill up sooner rather than later, as prices at the pump are likely headed higher in the near term.
The approach of the peak driving season and the annual switch by refineries to more costly summer gasolines has driven up the national average for unleaded to $3.63, according to AAA.
Prices have been edging higher, with motorists on average paying six cents more per gallon than a week ago and 23 cents more this time last month. Still, the cost of filling up is in line with where motorists and their wallets stood a year ago, when a gallon of unleaded came to $3.61, AAA data shows.
The cost of gas proved to be a large factor in the surprise jump in inflationlast month — a trend that is likely to persist in April, experts told CBS MoneyWatch. Paying to keep vehicles running and a roof over …