Gas Prices Under $3

It is a rare sight, but gas was under $3 a gallon in Sioux Falls.  By Tuesday afternoon, it was at $2.99 at Gas Plus on West 12th Street.

It was not exactly a line you would see on Black Friday, but a few customers were glad to get a deal at the pump.

"A penny saved is a penny earned.  I agree with that," Gordon Arnett said after filling up his tank. 

The sign that read, "$2.99," was a nice surprise for Ann Voelker.

"I thought I'd better fill up.  I'm half empty," Voelker said.

Voelker said she usually drives more than 40 miles per week, and she never lets her car get below half a tank.

"Yes, it is!" Voelker said, when asked if that added up to a lot of money for gas.

According to AAA, the average price for a gallon of regular gas in South Dakota has been at $3.30.  $2.99 a gallon may be the lowest price of the year in Sioux Falls, and it may be one of the lowest gas prices in the nation.  Overall gas prices are down more than 45 cents nationwide over the last few months.  Even though it is under $3.00 at this gas station in Sioux Falls, some customers are unimpressed.

"Only nine-tenths of a cent," Ralph Allen said.  His wife chimed in, "It's better than $4!" "Yeah, it's better than four that's for sure," Allen said.

Arnett said it seems like everything gets pricier every day.

"If it's not a hamburger, it's gas.  Same with cigarettes and alcohol, too.  You never know," Arnett said.

Though $2.99 is not as low as it used to be, these customers know what they will do with the little bit of money they saved.

"We're going south after the 1st of January, and it makes quite a difference when you're filling the motor home up," Allen said.

As for Voelker, she said her grandson may get a candy bar with the little bit of money she saved filling up.