For the 12 months ending August 1, consumer prices for fuel and food increased $132.4 billion, and stimulus checks have been used for debt reduction instead of discretionary spending, according to recent analysis.

"Every sustained one-cent increase in fuel prices takes $1.7 billion a year out of U.S. consumers' pockets for other spending," says Greg Buzek, president of IHL Group, an analyst firm and consultancy that serves retailers and technology vendors. "These are sales lost to non-fuel retailers, restaurants, auto dealers and other businesses due to the increase in fuel prices. Or put another way, sales lost to the retail economy in the past year due to a sustained rise in gas prices equates to the combined annual revenues for Kroger and Target."