According to the latest Lundberg Survey, the price of gas is holding steady. Over the past two weeks the average price per regular gallon of gasoline was $2.66, but that may change as the holiday weekend approaches and could be bad news.

Gas prices typically fluctuate rapidly during summer months and a local economist says if prices climb too high, it could impact our nation’s economic recovery.

"It will have a negative impact but it's not going to be a drastic impact. [It] depends on how much prices go up,” said Hamid Milani, a professor of economics at the University of Wisconsin – Marathon County. “If gas prices go up to $4 a gallon, obviously it's going to adversely affect our recovery."

Milani says if people are spending more on gasoline they will likely cut back in other areas. That would not help the economy, since 70 percent of the United States’ gross domestic product comes from consumer spending.

At this time, Malini says the nation’s GDP is still dropping, but the rate of decline is slowing.