For many Iowans, it’s traditional to go holiday shopping today and it’s cheaper to drive to the mall than it has been in a long time. Gasoline is well under two-dollars a gallon with some areas of the state posting a dollar-50 or so, the lowest prices Iowans have seen in more than three years.
Mitch Beaumont, at Triple-A-Iowa says the savings will add up with each fill-up at the pump "and hopefully consumers will take some of that extra money and spend it on gifts for loved ones and try to boost the economy a little bit there."
Beaumont fears motorists will have a short memory and return to old, bad habits. He says one "danger" with prices falling as far as they have is that consumers might be tempted to go back to their wasteful driving habits from earlier this summer, before prices shot so high. Beaumont says if you’ve been combining errands, carpooling and cutting back on your driving in other ways, keep it up.
He says, "Consumers need to keep in mind that conservation has helped prices plummet since the record high seen in July and so as prices fall, consumers need to continue to be efficient and keep conservation in mind at all times."