Fill Up Here for the 4th of July – Lowest Gas Prices For Your Beach Trip

(KMDL-FM) According to the Triple-A, the American Automobile Association, about 61 million of us will be driving over the July 4th holiday. For a lot of Louisiana motorists, that means a trip eastward to the beaches of Alabama and Florida. If you play your cards right, you'll pass by two Buc-ee's.

If you're really lucky, you won't have to stop at the one in Alabama. Geez, what a nightmare.

Texas July 4th merrymakers might head east as well. But, the Lone Star State does have a great selection of Gulf Coast beaches and beach towns the further south you drive. And if saving money on fuel is important to you, you just might consider a trip toward Corpus Christi or South Padre Island to be more economical than what you might find around Destin and Navarre.

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Gas prices are a big deal to American consumers. We all have somewhere we need to be, and whether we drive a personal car, a company truck, or plan to fly on an airplane, the price of fuel will be involved.

The current unrest in the Middle East has gas prices trending higher than they were just a few weeks ago. However, in some places, the price surge is not as noticeable as it is in others. According to Triple A, the national average price for a gallon of regular gas is $3.17.

How Much Does it Cost to Drive From Louisiana to the Beaches in Florida?

At those prices, a fill-up for a 10-gallon fuel tank would cost you $31.70. According to figures from the Department of Energy, the average American car gets 25.4 miles to the gallon of gas. So for 31.70, you could drive from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to Navarre Beach, Fort Walton, Pensacola, or Orange Beach on a single fill-up.

However, Louisiana gas prices are well below the national average, so that fill-up in Louisiana will only cost $27.80. You're saving almost a whole four dollars, or the price of a Powerball ticket with Power Play, with money left over.  So, it's good to fill up in Louisiana.

It's also good to fill up in Mississippi and Alabama, too. Fuel prices in those states are very much in line with Louisiana prices. But when you get to Florida, that's where you'll want to check the limit on your credit card before you put the gas nozzle in your car.

Where Are Gas Prices the Highest Along the Gulf Coast?

Florida gas prices are well above the $3 threshold per gallon. Granted, prices along the Panhandle are not nearly as high as they are further down the peninsula you travel. Some Florida stations are charging $3.34 for a gallon of regular.

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If you do the math, it's pretty easy to see that filling up in Louisiana or waiting to fill up in Alabama or Mississippi for the ride home could put you dollars ahead in the long run. But you are on vacation, and worrying about money is not what you should be doing.

Thank goodness, Waffle House has reduced its prices and dropped the egg surcharge, right? But there are some other ways you can save money on fuel if you don't want to skimp on the groceries.