When ends won’t meet

Soaring gas prices mean financial hardship, major cutbacks for low- and middle-income households

Jacqueline Gonzales and her husband, David, a machine operator, can’t imagine how they could cut a dime more out of a budget that allows them just $15 every two weeks for their big splurge: takeout from McDonald’s.

Saddled with payments on a gas-guzzling truck and SUV and facing escalating food and gasoline costs, the Poway couple expect they’ll be left with few options to economize should gasoline prices continue their rapid ascent. For now, their $925 monthly rent is reasonable, but any increase could be financially debilitating.