Taking advantage

Staff writer

link Joshua Lucero: Staff photo

Local rancher Shannon Kizer fills his truck

Friday afternoon in Portales. Residents

say with gas prices in the area falling under

$2 they have been able to use the extra money saved to go towards traveling and food.

For many Roosevelt and Curry County residents, a drop in gas prices means more money for food and travel.

Gas prices declined dramatically during November and December, causing the largest decline in the energy index since 2008, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Labor.

The Department of Labor released a report Friday that showed a 9.4 percent drop in the gasoline index for the December 2014 and a 6.6 drop in November.

Gas prices fell in December to a national average of $2.18 per gallon, down more than a dollar from a year ago, creating the largest decline in the cost of living in more than six years, according to data released by the Department of Labor.

An economic news release from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the Consumer Price Index declined 0.4 percent in December after a 0.3 percent fall in November.

The drop in oil prices was cited as the main factor for the drop in the CPI.

Gas is currently hovering around $1.98 at gas stations in Clovis and Portales, and the national average is expected to stay under $3 for the remainder of 2015, according to AAA spokesman Doug Shupe.

Clovis resident Andrew Dollins said he is seeing savings of more than $20 each time he fills up his truck.

He said the savings is useful because he is getting ready to move and the extra money will help with his moving expenses. He predicted that gas prices will get down to $1.86 and then shoot back up.

Dollins said the last time he saw gas prices this low was when he was 5 years old.

Portales area rancher Shannon Kizer said the drop in gas prices has allowed him to save thousands of dollars on his farm and ranch operations.

Kizer said he was spending about $125,000 a month in gas for his business less than a year ago, but has seen that amount drop to around $65,000 per month since gas prices began falling in November.

“It (lower gas prices) has put some groceries on the table,” Kizer said. “It helps the pocketbook in every way.”

Kizer said he believes the low prices at the pump won’t last long and expects the price of gasoline to rise over the course of the year.

Jennifer Poyer, Web and Print coordinator at Eastern New Mexico University, said saving money at the pump means more money for other items that families need.

“For people living paycheck to paycheck, the gas prices mean they’ll be able to put more food on the table,” Poyer said.

“It’s nice not having to shell out $65 to fill up my tank,” she added.

Donny Young, of Clovis, said filling his truck is a lot better since gas prices have dropped under $2.

He said he predicts gas prices only to get down to about $1.90 before they go back up. He said he doesn't know what he is going to do with the savings while prices are low.

ENMU Graphic Designer Scott Kendall said he is paying half of what he was paying during the summer to fill his car. He said he recently filled up his car for less than $30 compared to the $60 that it took before the prices dropped.

Kendall, who recently returned from a trip to Utah, said the lower prices at the pump have allowed him to travel more with the money he is saving.

— Staff writer Aubry Buzek contributed to this report