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Frontier Folk

Today is National Johnny Appleseed Day, a celebration of the life and legend of John Chapman, a near-mythic figure of early U.S. history. The canon of American folklore includes an eclectic mix of truth and fantasy—of both larger-than-life historical figures, such as Chapman, Calamity Jane, or Davy Crockett, and outlandish fictional characters. For every Paul Bunyan, headless horseman, or Pecos Bill, there’s a Casey Jones, Daniel Boone, or Annie Oakley, real people whose exploits became enduring legends of the land. Who Was the Real Johnny Appleseed? Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-DIG-highsm- 41593) Annie Oakley, the “Little Sure Shot” Who Headlined Wild West Shows Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division, Washington, D.C. Legendary Lumberjack Paul Bunyan (and Babe the Blue Ox) Photographs in the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-DIG-highsm-15459)

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John Henry Was a (Possibly Real) Steel-Driving Man Davy Crockett: The “King of the Wild Frontier” Who Became a Congressman

Gassing Up

Oil prices jumped to a four-year high this week as fighting in the Middle East escalated and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz was disrupted. Prices have since swung sharply, a reminder of how volatile energy markets can be. Here’s a look at the forces shaping the price at the pump, and what it means for your wallet.

Slowed to a trickle

The Strait of Hormuz is the only sea channel linking the oil-rich Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. More than 20 percent of global oil and liquified natural gas exports passes through the strait, which serves as the primary route for petroleum exported from Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. And energy prices are ultimately determined by supply and demand, which, in addition to warfare, can also be affected by weather, corporate strategy, and government policy.

Your bottom line

For all we know, oil prices may soon move back down to where they were a couple of months ago. Still, price spikes offer an opportunity to look at your household budget and make contingency plans. First, find your gas baseline. Look at last year’s spending to see what you typically paid for gas. If prices stay elevated, it will give you a quick sense of how much that line item could grow. Then decide where the adjustment will come from. If your gas bill climbs by $100 a month, think about what you could live without—including dining out, entertainment, or another discretionary spending item. Finally, don’t shortchange “future you.” It might be tempting to dip into your monthly savings goal or rainy-day fund. If you must, you must. But remember: Once you’ve unlocked the treasure chest, it’s easy to keep taking a few coins at a time from it.

Take control

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