Got Gas?
Welcome Gypsy Souls…Let’s Talk GAS! 1. Find the best gas station near you by tracking local prices. Looking for the best gas prices in the U.S. and Canada? By using the apps GasBuddy and Waze, you can get the price of gasoline in your area. There are tens of thousands of gas station locations listed on these fuel-finding apps, with near-real-time prices. Moreover, both apps are available on the web or through mobile apps for Android and iOS. Those who drive a lot may want to roll with GasBuddy Premium. Even though it’s a $99 annual membership, it promises to save drivers up to $0.40 per gallon in fuel money. 2. Use a rewards credit card. You should apply for a rewards credit card if you do not already have one. But, what exactly are they? Well, they’re nothing more than a credit card that earns cash or points every time you fill up. For consumers with excellent or good credit, popular options include; The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. You can earn between 1% to 5% cashback on all eligible U.S. gas station purchases The Citi Premier® Card. Another credit card offers a 3% return on gas purchases. Discover it® Cash Back. You can earn bonus cash back, usually 5%, in quarterly categories that you activate. The Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card. 3% effective return rate is earned on purchases made at eligible gas stations. PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card. It is one of the best cards for earning gas rewards since cardholders earn 5 points per $1 spent at a gas station. For Costco members, Citi offers the Costco Anywhere Visa card, a rewards card featuring a robust rewards program. The first $7,000 of eligible gasoline purchases earns 4% cashback (payable as Costco store credit), which is adequate for all but the most taxing drivers. Are you partial to a specific gas station family? If so, join its rewards program and apply for a store credit card. You’ll earn instant savings at the pump or redeemable rewards. Compared to regular credit card rewards, instant discounts from these rewards programs can provide a better rate of return as well. 3. Pay with cash. Even if you have a rewards credit card, you might want to proceed with caution. After all, it’s not uncommon for gas stations to charge you more if you pay with a credit card. “Depending on where you are, that may be 10 to 15 cents a gallon,” said Andrew Lipow of Lipow Oil Associates. However, there is the possibility of even greater savings. Some stations may even go as high as offering a 75-cent discount. Why do gas stations prefer cash? Fuel stations and other merchants pay a fee to credit card companies for processing their transactions. Generally, the fee is 2% to 3% of the purchase price, according to the Georgia Department of Consumer Affairs. Another reason? You can’t pay at the pump, unlike credit cards. That means you have to go inside. “To buy the snacks and the drinks and whatever they’re selling,” Lipow said. “Most of the profit for a convenience store is coming from the sale of food, beverages, and cigarettes. If you do use cash, just make sure that you resist the temptation of impulse buys. One trick I use is filling an exact dollar amount and only having that cash on me. So, I spend $50, then I only bring in a $50 bill when paying for gas. 4. Avoid premium. There was a time when premium gas made sense. This was because it contained additional detergents and additives to help prevent carbon deposits. As such, it could assist in cleaning a car’s engine. However, as Jason Kavanagh writes for Edmunds, “now, because of government regulations aimed at cutting emissions, most major brands of gasoline have plenty of additives in all grades to both protect engines and cut pollution.” In short, filling your tank with a premium is a waste of money. The exception? Vehicles that require premium fuel. 5. Fuel up on the right days. When should you fuel up? According to GasBuddy, Mondays. For the whole country, the cheapest day to buy gas in 2021 was Monday. Gas prices started the week at their lowest point in several previous years at the start of the week. Even though Friday has traditionally been one of the most expensive days to fill up with gas because of the weekend start, in 2021 it was the second least expensive day to do so. “Though there is variation in daily gas prices across different states, the consensus is that filling up at the beginning or end of the workweek, on Monday or Friday, is the best way to save money,” stated Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. How much can you really save by filling your tank on the right days? By filling up on the cheapest days of the week, GasBuddy estimates that drivers can save $50 to $100 per year. According to this calculation, gas costs roughly $3.35 per gallon, with four fill-ups per month of 12 gallons each, and on other days of the week, gas runs 7 cents to 12 cents more expensive. 6. Purchase discounted gas cards through a reseller. Discounts on gas are available to members of Costco, Sam’s Club, and Walmart Plus. Walmart Plus offers a 5-cent discount at its fueling centers and offers access to all Sam’s Club locations. The cost of a membership with Sam’s Club is $45, whereas memberships with BJ’s Wholesale Club are $55 and Costco are $60. “Gas prices at warehouse clubs are nearly always lower, ranging from 5 cents to 25 cents less per gallon,” says De Haan. “And when prices rise, they hold their prices down for longer.” What’s more, if you’re buying groceries in bulk then being a warehouse member is well worth the price. As if that weren’t enough, you can expect additional coupons and cashback rewards. 7. Use free or discounted gift cards. A gift card is …