TYLER, Texas — Soaring gas prices, is the villain Daimeyen Sanders said he can’t avoid.
"Being a dad, going to work, coming back from work, paying bills, rent all that crazy stuff. Man, it's crazy," Sanders said. "Especially when you need your gas to get from location to location.”
Chelsea Irving hasn’t heard the satisfying click of a tank freshly full of gas in six months.
“I’ve honestly just been getting like $10 or $15 at a time," Irving said.
Hamza Shaikh is the Mahi Food Mart manager with a mission to give East Texans the cheapest gas in Tyler.
"Because this is a neighborhood store," Shaikh said. "I was seeing people struggling. So, I just wanted to help and see what I can do about it."
His process is rather simple. He researches the lowest prices around on gas buddy and prompts people on social media to send him the cheapest prices they’re seeing. Then, he makes his prices even lower every single day from 6-10 p.m.
"Since I started dropping the price, we've been selling more gas, twice as much," Shaikh said.
It’s a gesture that comes with a price. This family-owned business shoulders hundreds of dollars in lost revenue.
"Whatever we lost outside, you know, we make it up inside, with chips and snacks to kind of make up for the costs," Shaikh said.
Mahi Food Mart lowered their price as much as 60 cents cheaper than the competition.
Daimeyen Sanders said it's smart business in the long run.
"The best way to compete, especially with gas prices shooting up through the roof, is to have the cheapest ones around," Sanders said.
For anyone looking cash in on the savings, Mahi Food Mart updates their prices daily on their Facebook page.
They’ll continue offering cheaper gas every night, including weekends for the foreseeable future.