I typically find myself pulling up to a pump at Sheetz on Apperson Drive when the low fuel signal lights up in the dash of my car. I stop there mostly out of habit now, which originally started because they always seemed to have fairly competitive prices.

But, a coworker mentioned a website that enables checking local fuel prices on MSN Autos, so I gave it a whirl. The website is quick and to the point, just enter in your zip code and up pop several local stations and their respective prices. And all of the data appears to be updated on a near daily basis.

As for me (zip code 24015) the nearest, cheapest option was a BP Station on Grandin Road.

So, I drove by there this evening to verify the price that was displayed on the website, and everything checked out.

Gas Prices at the One Stop Market on Grandin Road (5/30/08)

Of course, when it comes to these gas prices, a few pennies saved (in this case 6 cents a gallon compared to the Sheetz) is hardly enough to really afford a cup of coffee when all is said and done.

I don’t aim to begin to comprehend all of the variables behind the increase in gas prices this year, but I sometimes wish it was 1996-1997 again when even breaking the $1 mark seemed a ways off.