Puzzling prices at the pump have drivers pay less ahead of record breaking Thanksgiving
SACRAMENTO — What a difference a day makes. At the gas pump, it could mean quite a few bucks.
Drivers might be puzzled by the lower gas prices recently as analysts warn we'll see the highest Thanksgiving gas prices this year.
"A couple of years ago I would've been like what are you doing at 4.99, ugh, that's too much. But now it's like thank God it's $4.99," said driver Celeste Lopez.
Lopez has to plan out her Thanksgiving drive, but she's not sure how pricey it'll be to get to her family in the Bay Area.
The holiday travel news headlines will make you dizzy. Some warn about record-high gas prices, but others say prices are taking a dive.
"I honestly have no idea but I don't trust anybody because it's unpredictable what's going to happen at this point," said Lopez.
UC Davis economics professor Mark Agerton said it's all in how you look at it. Some analysts will point to average gasoline prices being at their highest "seasonal level" ever for the weekend. However, others may remind us that we're seeing prices slowly drop compared to the spike we saw last month when it crept closer to $7 per gallon.
"We have to keep in mind that both of these things may be true. Gasoline prices may be high now but they're lower than they were maybe a few weeks ago," said Agerton.
According to Gasbuddy, average gas prices this Thanksgiving are 20 cents higher than the previous record of $3.44 set in 2012. But like Lopez, you may be feeling some relief. AAA points out dipping gas prices including 13 states with some stations selling gas below $3 a gallon.
"I'm just going to hope for the best and go wherever it's cheaper because everything is expensive right now," said Lopez.
A recent Gasbuddy report revealed the cheapest days to buy gas are Sundays and Mondays while the most expensive days are Thursdays. Hopefully, most will be enjoying their turkey dinners this Thursday and won't be at the gas station.
