Lower gas prices bring relief in Mississippi - Los Angeles Times
Magnolia Wilson used to spend at least $150 a month filling up her 2002 Mercury Sable — about 12% of her monthly take-home pay of $1,240. But the drop in oil prices over the last few months has put real money in her pocket. In many places in Mississippi, the cost of gas is less than $2 a gallon, compared with over $3 just six months ago. "I don't buy too much for myself," said Wilson, who has a 50-mile daily commute to her job at a thrift store in Tutwiler, a dilapidated town in the Mississippi delta whose one acclaim is as the birthplace of the blues. Few places in the U. S. are benefiting from lower gas prices as much as Mississippi. Nationally, the average is less than 4%. One reason gas makes such a big difference in Mississippi is that the state ranks as one of the most rural in the nation. When gas prices were much higher, the next service station was never far from Wilson's mind. She almost always put in $20 at a time, and that meant she had to stop every three days to refill. The gas savings have been like a pay raise, scarce in these times, and can be seen inside the cupboards and refrigerator in Wilson's three-bedroom home that she shares with her disabled younger sister. With her fuel bill cut almost in half, Wilson has been stocking up on tissues, detergent and other small things for the house. Source: www.latimes.com
