Americans love their cars, but we hate to pay for the gas that keeps them going. You can track regional gas prices here at the Department of Energy website, which also explains where your gas dollars go and what factors cause prices to rise and fall. Before you fill your tank, check GasBuddy.com, a user-maintained directory of low gas prices across the country; if nothing else, it can help you avoid the awful experience of discovering that you could have paid 10 cents less per gallon by driving down the block.

And if you’re still feeling bad about your last $40 fill-up, here’s some small comfort: thanks to high tariffs and taxes in Japan, Western Europe, and even Canada and Mexico, gas prices in the U.S. have consistently ranked among the lowest in the world. For the historical proof, click here.

–Sarah Janssen