March 8,2026 — WTI Crude Hits $110. THANKS TRUMP

[OlDawg]

22 hours ago, Separation Scientist said:

Update: gas is now $2.99 in west Chambers Co.  

I'd expect the lower cost States (OK & TX) to be able to run around the $2.79-$2.99ish area as an average, except in the really rural areas where supply is a little more difficult to reach. Other States should run around the $3.29-$3.79ish range (outside of CA, HI, and AK). As mentioned previously, every drop of $10/bbl equates to approximately $.25/gal for gasoline.

The National average should get back down to around $3.20-$3.50/gal. But, thats more due to the taxes charged by the majority of States, and the 3 outlier States that bump up the average.

There may be some ups and downs along the way, but that's where the consistent average should fall out for the next 6 months to a year.

A lot of people who deliver part-time for DoorDash, Uber, Lyft, Instacart, Grubhub, and others probably aren't aware, if you itemize and receive a 1099-NEC, or 1099-K as an independent contractor, you can claim vehicle expenses--including gas taxes. Incidentally, you can also write off phone/data expenses according to how much you use it for your 'gig job.'

Check with your tax professional to make sure you're getting any benefits allowable under your State and/or Federal tax laws. Even though the standard Federal deduction has been raised significantly, some people who deliver part time may want to do a comparison on if it's better for them to itemize based on all the deductions they can claim as an independent delivery driver for one of the delivery services. Don't just automatically assume the standard deduction is the best every year.

(I used to always save gas receipts for my boats, and write off the taxes. Boats obviously don't use the roads, so you can claim the deduction on State gas taxes in Texas.)