Your tax refund is bigger. So are Houston's gas prices.

So okay—everyone's talking about how their tax refund might be bigger this year, right? It's a nice little chunk of change, maybe for that trip you've been eyeing, or finally fixing that leaky faucet. But wait wait wait, let me back up—here in Houston, that feel-good moment might be swallowed up faster than a plate of Viet-Cajun crawfish at Crawfish & Noodles. You know what the wildest part is? Gas prices across our city have jumped to an average of $3.46! For some folks in the Heights heading to brunch or Galleria shoppers, maybe it's just a shrug. But for families in Alief driving across town for work, or folks in Pearland just trying to get to Killen's BBQ, this isn't just an inconvenience; it's a real hit to the wallet.

Houston doesn't have zoning, so you live where you can afford and you work where the jobs are—and that means driving. Lots of driving. From the Ship Channel industrial zone to the medical center, from Sugar Land to Montrose, people are burning through more gas than ever. That bigger tax refund? It's turning into a gas refund faster than you can say "I-10 traffic." It's like we get a little extra, and then the pump just says, "Hold my beer." H-Town on the wire — no limits, no zoning, no excuses.

Ani's got more hot takes on this every morning with the crew — tune in live at mornings.live.