Louisiana drivers have been on a bit of a roller coaster as of late, at least as far as fuel prices go. The past several months have seen Louisiana's average price for a gallon of Regular gas climb from well below two dollars a gallon to quite a bit higher than three dollars a gallon. If there is some relief for motorists in the state, it's the fact that fuel prices in Louisiana are among some of the lowest in the nation.

Triple-A, the American Automobile Association is reporting that the national average for a gallon of regular fuel is now $3.41. The statewide average for that same gallon of regular fuel in Louisiana will cost you $3.16. Now, on closer review, we will find that the national price is down by a penny while the Louisiana average price is actually down by a couple of cents compared to last week.

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Of course, all of this is related to the price of crude oil, at least that's what we are being told. Crude oil prices as of early this morning were about $80 a barrel. That exact figure depended on which commodity you were pricing and at what moment you were pricing it. Oil prices fluctuate quite quickly on the open exchanges so, "about $80 a barrel" is about as close as we can get to an actual price.

So, what do these higher prices mean for holiday drivers? Well, obviously that holiday trip will cost you a few more dollars in fuel than it cost last year. No, wait, you didn't go anywhere last year, so maybe you're still money ahead?

Joe Raedle, Getty Images
Joe Raedle, Getty Images
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Regardless, forecasters with Triple-A do not anticipate any huge price swings as far as gas prices go between now and the end of the year. That, of course, should all things geo-political remain basically the same and stable. It doesn't take much to move the price of oil and when that price moves, we usually feel it.

Now, if you're looking for a little gas price good news. We did find several stations in the Lafayette area that had fuel prices listed at below $3.00 a gallon. In the Lake Charles area, there are a few places with gas below $3.00 too. So, if you look, you can save a few bucks.

But if there is one good thing about the time change from Daylight Saving to Standard Time that often goes unreported. It's the fact that because it gets darker earlier people don't do as much driving after work as they do during the summer months. This should actually help you save more money on fuel than any price reduction might.

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