Vacation/On The Road—
By Terri Dee, producer, Indiana News Service, a bureau of Public News Service.
Still time to hit the road and enjoy a great summer getaway. Creating a vacation budget is costlier than last year, but there are still ways to keep vacations affordable.
Michael Negron, senior fellow for economic opportunity at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C., regularly travels to vacation destinations during the summer months. He shared cost-saving tips consumers can use in everyday life to save for a fun road adventure.
“It’s shopping for deals. It’s instead of making one trip, perhaps making a few to find the best deal. It’s just looking at different grocery options, being careful about driving. If you can do something one trip versus two, you can carpool,” Negron outlined.
As gas prices rose to nearly $5 per gallon in May, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun paused the collection of the state’s sales and gas excise taxes. Three extensions of the decision have eased fuel costs for Hoosiers taking road trips to their destinations. Many believe the staggering gas prices are linked to the ongoing conflict with Iran and recent trade policy changes.
Indiana is well known as a hub for manufacturing, agriculture, and automotive commerce. Negron added that trucking is critical to the industries and diesel fuel plays a key role in the cost of everyday goods.
“Diesel prices are still quite high, and diesel’s really important because it’s what fuels our trucks. It fuels farm vehicles,” Negron pointed out. “When the price of diesel is up, that means that the price of everything that goes on a truck starts to go up.”
Negron noted consumers will see some relief, but it may not be immediate. The U.S. Energy Information Administration expects gasoline prices to ease gradually over the next two years. But higher diesel and fertilizer costs could mean grocery prices may take longer to come down.
