The national average for diesel fuel hit a record $5.54 a gallon Monday, and it's a huge contributor to rising inflation.

In New York, diesel is selling at an average of $6.41 a gallon, which is twice as much as a year ago.

The spike in diesel fuel is affecting all of us from business owners to shoppers. Fuel is the life blood of our economy since just about everything that transports goods runs on diesel.

Small business owners in the area are struggling as a result of skyrocketing gas and fuel costs.

Hector Mejia owns the Tanglewood deli in Yonkers. It's been a neighborhood staple for decades, so he hates to raise prices. But Hector says he has no choice. He even had to turn down a business offer just last week. With money so tight and the economy unstable, he says he needs to be cautious and smart to stay in business. "They wanted me to do menus, and I couldn't do it because right now. The way things are going, until things settle down, you're not going to be able to do that - and it hurts their company too, so everything rolls down," says Mejia.

AAA also say it expects the rising costs of gas and diesel will affect summer travel with Memorial Day weekend less than three weeks away.