Gas Prices Fall; Summer Vacations Still Pay The Price

Gas prices everywhere continue to fall, but for many people across the Ohio Valley, lower prices at the pump didn't help with the summer vacation budget.

A recent Lundberg survey reported gasoline in the United States dropped by 8.98 cents over the past three weeks.

This is attributed mainly to recent declines in the crude oil market.

But for many, their summer plans were still hampered.

At the Kwik King, Weirton resident Derek Hill said he didn't even get a vacation.

He said he wanted to go to Oklahoma.

"Oh, at least a couple times, but there's just no way," Hill said.

For Hill, it doesn't seem like much of a difference.

"Like right now, it's probably going to cost me 50 bucks to fill my car up, and it won’t last a week," Hill said.

Hill said with the added expenses of daily living, gas prices are crippling.

"You've got all your bills, food, cost of living stuff. It makes it hard to do, makes everything hard to do," Hill said.

Over at Exxon, Charles Mallory lives in Kansas City, but came to Weirton to vacation.

"I'll have to fill up four times, and I just prepaid $70," Mallory said.

He also just bought a boat, forcing Mallory to bump up his budgeting.

"Yes. You have to budget. You have to budget ahead of time, and you have to control your spending while you're on vacation," Mallory said.

He disagreed with Derek Hill. Mallory said he'd settle for any price reduction.

"It'll make a difference. Anything going down is going in the right direction," Mallory said.

A recent AAA study said prices will continue to drop.

"Well, maybe I'll have to plan trips around that then," Mallory said.

For now, people are still watching their wallets when they get near a gas pump.

AAA said the current price of crude oil has fallen to approximately $80 per barrel. The price hasn't been that low since last fall.

Officials said the reason gas prices aren't dropping like crazy are because cheaper oil usually takes time to work through the refining and distribution process.

For now, they say good changes are on the horizon.