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ByJonathanFahey The Associated Press NEW YORK At some point this will end, perhaps even soon. The price of gasoline will not fall to zero. But for the first time since 2009, most Ameri- cans are paying less than $2 a gallon. Just three months ago experts were shocked when it fell under $3. "It's crazy," says Michael Noel, an economics profes- sor at Texas Tech University who studies oil and gasoline prices. "But for consumers it's very, very good." Consumers and the econ- omies of the U.S. and most of the rest of the world are basking in the lowest prices for crude oil and gasoline in six years. U.S. crude oil traded Friday just below $46 a barrel and the aver- age price for a gallon of gas was $2.04. While there are some los- ers, such as oil companies, the oil-producing states and the oil-exporting countries that benefited from $100 a barrel for four straight years, most economists agree that the good out- weighs the bad. The drop in prices is act- ing like an immediate tax cut for drivers, leaving them more money to spend on other things. The Energy Department predicts lower prices this year will save a typical household $750 compared with last year. Julia Conner paid $1.98 a gallon Thursday near her home in Wesley Cha- pel, N.C. Saving on gas has made her more willing to go out for lunch with co-work- ers at the animal care and control office in Charlotte where she works, or out for dinner with her husband. Pump prices have de- clined for a record 120 straight days, according to AAA, though the size of the declines is shrinking and the streak may soon end. But even if the price rises this spring, as it typically does, driving during sum- mer travel season should still cost less than it has in years. Conner is hoping she can afford a 300-mile roundtrip to Asheville, North Caro- lina, or even further away, to Tennessee, this summer. "Even if it's not $1.98 that would definitely help as far as vacation goes," she said. Diane Swonk, chief econ- omist at Mesirow Finan- cial, expects lower gaso- line prices to help the U.S. economy to grow 3.3 per- cent this year, the highest since the economy grew at that pace in 2005. "This is one thing that hits the masses, not just a minority of people," she says. "There's some benefit for almost ev- eryone." It's also helping busi- nesses with high fuel bills. "We've been able to in- crease our net profits, which has allowed us to re- ward our employees with bonuses and also purchase three new vehicles to re- place older ones," says Ricky Wingard, owner of Econ-O- Bug, a pest control company in Lexington, S.C. His fleet of 22 vehicles drive an aver- age 1,600 miles a day. Southwest Airlines told investors Thursday that it expects to save $1.7 billion on fuel costs this year. Other beneficiaries of low oil prices include some of the world's biggest econo- mies, according to an anal- ysis by Moody's: China, the eurozone, and Japan. Their gains will far outstrip the losses that are pinching the budgets of exporting coun- tries such as OPEC nations, Russia, and Norway. Oil drillers that fueled a boom in U.S. production will suffer, along with states such as Texas and North Dakota that rely heavily on drilling activity. Oil ser- vice companies have an- nounced layoffs of thou- sands of workers just in the past week, and the analysis firm Wood Mackenzie ex- pects drilling investment in North America to fall by $50 billion, or nearly 40 percent, over the next year. But the oil exploration and production business, while sizeable, is small com- pared to the rest of the U.S. economy. And the U.S. still needs to import oil to meet its needs. The big drop in oil prices, a result of rising production in the U.S. and elsewhere at a time when global demand growth is weak, means the U.S. is sending fewer dollars overseas. And drivers are pumping fewer dollars into their gas tanks. The national aver- age price is $1.25 less than a year ago, according to AAA. The national average is over $2 only due to high pump prices in Alaska and Hawaii — $2.78 and $3.28, respectively. Missouri drivers are pay- ing just $1.79 a gallon, the cheapest in the nation. Texas, Kansas and Okla- homa are also paying less than $1.85. In the Lower 48, California drivers are pay- ing the most, $2.47 on av- erage, followed by New York at $2.46. Gasoline prices rise nearly every year between late winter and early sum- mer as refineries slow down for maintenance and switch to more expensive summer blends of gasoline to meet clean-air standards. Still, even a typical rise of 60 to 65 cents over the next few months would pro- duce a springtime high of around $2.70 — far beneath even the lowest prices of recent years, according to Tom Kloza, chief oil ana- lyst at the Oil Price Infor- mation Service. The low- est national average price in 2013 was $3.18 a gallon. Cheap gas prices are giv- ing some consumers the confidence to buy a bigger car or even a home further from work. But some ana- lysts warn that, eventually, high gas prices will return. "The longer these de- creases last, the longer people think they will stay around," says Texas Tech's Noel. "It's a dangerous thought to have. It won't be like this forever." DROP IN OIL PRICES $2 gasoline keeps good times rolling at the pump JULIOCORTEZ—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Traffic moves along Route 21in downtown Newark, N.J., where a gas station lists the cash price for regular unleaded at $1.72on Friday. 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SOLD 924 sq. ft. 2 bed 1 bath home with large back yard................Pending 2 homes on 20 acres with irrigation, shop and barn $495,000 Lori Slade Lic# 01042134 Barbara Dancel Lic# 01870814 530-529-2700•314WashingtonSt,RedBluff,CA96080 www.TehamaCountyRealEstate.com • Looking for an agent that is honest, professional, respected and experienced? • We are both Natives who know the area. • We handle all of our transactions personally. • Call us today if you are looking for personalized service. Barbara Dancel Lic# 01870814 Lori Slade Lic# 01042134 2/2 WITH 2 CAR GARAGE AND RV PARKING. Large home with detached garage, covered patio, spa, and fenced backyard. $139K 3/2 ON 2.55 ACRES. Private setting at the end of cul-de-sac, paved driveway, new central heat/air/water heater. Slider to deck overlooking the property, two nice storage buildings. REDUCED TO $275K GIPSON REALTY INC. 660MainSt.,RedBluff (530)529-2300 MLS BenGipson,Broker.................................529-2300 Kim Miller, Realtor ® ..................................840-0733 Ken Davis, Realtor ® ................................. 209-9059 www.gipsonrealty.com Lic#01806926 15 ACRES – RIDGE RD. Includes a 3 bedroom, 2 bath mfg. home, 44 x 22 barn/shed, outbuildings and mostly fenced.....................................Asking $169,000 LOTS, LAND & ACREAGE 7.8 acres – Flat, some fencing, just west of Corning. $45,000 7.8 acres, amazing views, oak treed, pond, Cottonwood area. $50,000 8.29 acres, west of Cottonwood, oak treed, area of nice homes. $50,000 6.87 acres, oak treed, good building site, Quailridge area. $59,000 3 acres, in the Sunriver Estates, beautiful level parcel in the Antelope School District. $85,000 160 acres, public road frontage, recreational property. $95,000 8.46 acres, Well, septic, gravel pad & driveway. 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