Tulsa - Day after day, the economic headlines have been a real downer, so sometimes you have to look for the small victories.

The most obvious is at the gas pump. Oklahoma has the lowest prices in the nation and the price is running at about $2.82 in the Tulsa area -- down nearly 85 cents over the past month.

If gas had stayed at the summer price of about four dollars a gallon, the average family would have spent about 48-hundred dollars a year filling up. At today's prices, they'd save about 7-hundred dollars.

Another silver lining? If you have enough money saved and need a home, now is a good time to buy.

"If you've saved up money for a down payment and you have good credit, this could be your opportunity to buy a house at a bargain price," says Financial Columnist Terry Savage.

Need a car in the garage? Some auto companies are offering zero-percent financing.

The tough times have also sparked a toy war. We told you last week about Wal-Mart dropping the price of ten popular toys to just ten dollars each. Target has countered with price matching. KB then upped the ante, cutting the price of two hundred toys!

And, if you're looking to buy a new television before the digital conversion in February, prices are going down there, too. We came across a story on CNET.com calling the price drops on 40-inch LCD televisions 'stunning'.

Just remember -- you help the economy when you buy, but financial planners say you hurt yourself when you buy too much on credit.