MontanaWithKids.com

Dateline: Terry, Montana
September 20, 2009 5:30 PM MDT

You will soon be paying under $2 per gallon again for gasoline and diesel fuel In Montana and elsewhere. The crude oil price will go back down into the 40’s. So make plans for that trip to see the grandparents for the holidays as well as give the economy a much needed boost. (more…)

The lull before the storm for gasoline prices

Dateline: Issaquah, Washington
By: Bob van der Valk
August 28, 2009 9:00 AM PDT

Right now there is a tropical depression named Terry (after my hometown in Montana) but it is slowly becoming a storm and will then turn into a full fledged hurricane. Of course, I am referring to what is happening with gasoline pump prices. The average price of gasoline over the last seven days has not changed precipitously but that is quickly changing on the oil market weather map. The AAA Fuel Gauge report shows the national average price of self-serve regular gas is $2.613 per gallon on Friday, down just over a penny from a week ago. The national average price of diesel fuel is $2.697 a gallon, up just over a penny. (more…)

Dateline: Terry, Montana
August 24, 2009
By: Bob van der Valk

The October West Texas Intermediate crude oil price went up to $74.37 a barrel at the settlement today. We have not seen the price of crude oil hit that mark since last October. This current up tick is the result of the bearish Energy Information Administration – Department of Energy (DOE) and American Petroleum Institute (API) inventory reports published earlier in the week. Both reports reflected huge unanticipated draws for all products including crude oil for the week ending August 14, 2009. (more…)

The van der Valk Gas Price Advisory for July 10, 2009

Dateline: Terry, Montana
July 10, 2009 – 11:30 AM – MDT
By: Bob van der Valk

California pump prices for gasoline dropped unpretentiously today another 7 tenths of a penny per gallon overnight to $2.926 per gallon. Montana prices were even less newsworthy only going down 3 tenths to $2.707 per gallon per the AAA fuelgauge report. But underneath the surface, sharks are lurking and they will come to bite you in the wallet when you are not watching out. (more…)

Aside from food there are some really critical things you need to pack to make sure your big road trip goes smoothly. Whether you’re just going up-state or you’re planning to span the nation, these items and ideas can transform a disaster-waiting-to-happen into a can’t-go-wrong vacation. Some of these we’ve never needed, but others have saved our skin on more than one occasion. (more…)

Nationally the average price for regular unleaded gasoline is $2.658 down about 3 cents per gallon from a week ago. Montana’s gasoline prices have leveled off at $2.72 with California staying high at $3.01 per gallon. Hawaii gets the prize for the highest cost for gasoline at $3.09 per gallon in the AAA fuelgauge.report. The gasoline spot market price meanwhile has dropped by 20 cents per gallon in the last two weeks but retail pump prices have not reacted in kind and are not expected to drop much more before the end of next week. (more…)