The pain of $4-a-gallon gas is spreading  This tipping point is
already hitting the country's most populated areas. As gas
prices surge, some consumers may cut spending in other areas.
By Aimee Picchi Feb 26, 2013 3:41PM  Image: Buying gas (©
moodboard/Corbis/Corbis)A tipping point has hit some of the
country's most populated areas: the $4 gallon of gas, which is
digging into the pocketbooks of consumers in New York,
California and Washington, D.C., according to the Automobile
Association of America.  While painful for consumers, high gas
prices may also spell trouble for the still-recovering economy.
At $4 per gallon and higher, almost one-third of consumers say
they're forced to make "significant cutbacks" in spending,
according to a 2012 Gallup poll.  February's price jump has been
unusual, given that drivers typically take to the roads less in
winter, leading to lower demand for gas. But refinery shutdowns
have resulted in tighter supply, which is driving up prices. 
Unfortunately for consumers, it's li