Websites offer quick, easy routes to cheap gas

MYRTLE BEACH - When it comes to Thanksgiving, most people fall into one of two categories: either they are the hosts who welcome family to their homes for a huge feast or they are the guests who travel away from home to celebrate the holiday with their loved ones.

No matter what category you fall into, there’s good news about gasoline prices for those expected to take to the roadways for Thanksgiving travel this week.

The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline dropped nearly 4 cents over the past two weeks. The national average stands at $2.65 a gallon.

The news is even better in South Carolina, where prices are an average of 17 cents lower at $2.48.

In North Carolina, drivers are paying 11 cents more at $2.59 for that same gallon of gasoline.

Overall, gasoline is much more expensive in both states compared with this time last year.

Despite the higher prices, AAA Carolina predicts 1.4 million people from the Carolinas will drive a minimum of 50 miles from home during the next six days: 479,000 in South Carolina and 983,000 in North Carolina.

So with more of us hitting the road this year, how can you get more for your money? The answer is on the Internet.

To find the cheapest gasoline prices in your area or along your travel route, log on to http://www.gasbuddy.com where you can track prices in all 50 states, plus Canada.

You can also compare prices of today with years past.

To get an estimate of your total gasoline costs on your trip, get on to http://www.gasprices.mapquest.com. While you’re there, click on the gas price calculator. You will need to know your car’s fuel efficiency beforehand.

These, days more and more people are using mobile devices to save money. That’s why there are resources for saving on gasoline on the go, as well.

At http://www.mobgas.com, sign up for text messages that will give you the latest gasoline prices in your area as well as alerts sent straight to your cell phone when prices go down.

You can also view maps guiding you to the lowest priced gasoline stations as you travel.