You are right, it's about $20 per gallon. I have switched to using the synthetic blend which can be purchased at Walmart for $10 per gallon. It does burn cleaner. More importantly, a de-carbonizer should be used in the gas with every tank or decarb the engine with a product like motor-tune every 50 hrs. This will truly extend the life of the power head. This is the only way to get the carbon buildup off the piston heads.