On his podcast, Clark Howard answers real reader questions on money, credit, debt, retirement, travel, and more, along with co-host Christa DiBiase.

Clark's answer: When the cost of crude oil goes up, gasoline prices at the pump fly right up — like a rocket. But when the cost of oil coming out of the ground goes back down, prices fall very, very slowly — drifting down like a feather.

A lot of times, whenever the cost of goods rises for any product, a business owner is able to pass that along and get that higher price. When their underlying costs eventually drop, they're reluctant to cut prices because they want to capture that extra profit. It’s certainly not just the oil companies doing this, but gas stations are the ones we all notice because you drive down the road and see the price posted right there on the sign. That's why gasoline prices, more than almost anything else, become the public's primary gauge for inflation.

It's a daily reality that prices rocket up and only feather down, and we see it with all kinds of purchases.