Gas prices hold steady, expected to remain below last year’s average

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The cost for traveling in your car may be going down, but the same can’t be said for booking a flight. Tuesday’s edition of On the Money with Jane King shares all the news that’s likely to effect your wallet.

Gas prices below average

Labor day weekend gas prices should stay below last year’s national average for a gallon of regular fuel for the same period, $3.33, according to AAA.

So far in 2025, gas prices have seen few fluctuations thanks to steady crude oil prices. Summer gas prices have remained low, matching summer averages in 2021. AAA says the current average in Indianapolis is $3.18, a year ago it was $3.28.

Barring a tropical storm or hurricane affecting gulf coast refineries, gas prices should stay below what they were last year.

Concerns over the corn harvest

Pictures of the U.S. corn crop are making their way on social media.

The U.S. government is forecasting a record corn crop, but pictures of corn with missing kernels due to “tight tassel wrap” have triggered concern about the upcoming harvest. The photos show corn with missing kernels as a result of uneven pollination.

The phenomenon is adding to the frustration of farmers already contending with low grain prices, high fertilizer costs and tougher export markets.

Plane ticket prices sky high

Plane ticket prices are soaring as airlines slash flights to balance out a downturn in demand.

Airfares jumped 4% in July in the first monthly increase since January, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Carriers are slashing flights at aggressive rates, with domestic capacity among us airlines plunging 6% in August according to data from aviation analytics company Cirium.

Easier access to medications

Novo Nordisk says U.S. patients can now get a month’s supply of Ozempic, the diabetes drug, for $499, for those who pay for medications on their own and don’t go through insurance.

The move comes as President Donald Trump is pressuring drug makers to lower drug costs, which have long been a major health care headache for Americans.

The drug maker earlier this year launched the direct-to-consumer pharmacy, offering Wegovy, its in-demand weight loss drug, for $499 a month.

The cost of friends

A new study says that most Millennials and Gen Z feel that friendships are getting too expensive.

The study was commissioned by Ally Bank.

The study found that almost a quarter of Gen Z and Millennials say they are afraid of missing out on friendships and community due to financial limitations, and 42% said they overspent on activities with friends a few months out of the year.

Nearly one in five people said there have been instances when they felt they couldn’t be honest with friends about their finances.

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