New Jersey residents kept a close eye on their wallets Monday, leaving Belmar business owners with mixed Memorial Day bottom lines.The average price for a gallon of regular gas is $3.81 in the Garden State, compared to $2.96 last year. People still flocked to the beach in Belmar, but they said they made do with less and plan to make fewer trips this year.

"We came in only two cars," said Evelyn Peralta, of Pennsylvania. "[We usually use] three. We just packed everything in two cars."

The owner of B'Jais Bar and Grill said business was record-breaking, despite the high costs of fuel and everyday items. A few doors down, folks at Gunny's Pizza said they served up a lot of slices, but had a slow start.