How to Save Money on Gas
Gasoline prices continue to be high. There are ways to buy gas more cheaply if you know how to do it. This article will give you some ideas how to find the cheapest gas near you, as well as how to save money on gas by using discounts and gas shopping strategies you may not be aware of.
1. Gasbuddy.com
Check gasbuddy.com to see where gas is the cheapest near you. Gas Buddy is a website where drivers update gas prices in their areas. The prices are updated daily. Just search by town or zip code for your local area or for a location you are traveling to. Gasbuddy.com covers Canada and the USA. You can save money on gas by checking the local trend arrow. For example, if prices are dropping, you may want to wait a day to fill up,
or only partially fill up your tank as gas prices drop. You can also check current gas prices from a cell phone or mobile device while you are traveling.
2. Buy gas at buyer’s clubs
If you are a member of a buyer’s club like Sam’s Club, BJ’s or Costco, they usually offer a good discount on gas prices. If you buy at Sam’s, sign up for a WalMart credit card and you can get an additional 3 cent per gallon discount at their gas stations. There are membership fees to join these buyer’s clubs, so take that into account when deciding whether the cheaper gas prices are worth it.
3. Cash back cards
Check creditcards.com and look at cash back cards. Several cards such as Discover, Capital One and Chase Freedom currently offer 1 to 5 percent back on gas purchases. That is a 2.5 to 12 cents per gallon savings when gas costs $2.50 per gallon. If you want to explore this option, make sure there is no annual fee on the card or you negate the savings. If you pay off the charge monthly, this could be a great help in saving money on gas, but if you carry a balance over, be careful about the interest rates, you may end up paying more.
4. Oil company credit cards
Check oil company credit cards as they sometimes offer discounts on gas purchases at their stations. Sunoco’s A+ rewards card offers gas discounts when you buy specially marked items in the A+ convenience stores at their stations. The Chevron/Texaco Visa card is a no-fee card that offers savings of 10 cents per gallon at their stations. Marathon oil offers a no-fee Platinum Mastercard that gives 5 percent back on gas purchases at their gas stations. Check individual company websites to see if they offer any similar incentives.
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Published in: Personal Finance












drelayaraja | Jul 20, 2010 | Reply
Great share:)
carissimi | Aug 25, 2010 | Reply
great post