Five Tips to Save Money on Gasoline

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Even with gas prices dropping, I am sure everyone still wishes there was a way to get gasoline even cheaper.  Well, there is!  Here are a few things I do.  Each station is different, and promotions may vary, but here are some ideas for you to see if they will work for you.

*The GasBuddy App.  I think most people have heard of this.  You can look up to see what stations near you have the cheaper gas.  I've seen it vary as much as ten cents a gallon with stations on different sides of the road.


*Rewards Cards.  I have cards for three different stations that give a few pennies off a gallon.  It isn't much, but it adds up over time.

*Maximize your grocery store spending.  There are some grocery stores that will give you 10 cents off a gallon of gas for every X number of dollars you spend.  These rewards usually expire within a couple months, but you can really do well with these.  Many grocery stores sell gift cards, so if you are planning on going out to dinner to a place where they sell gift cards, buy one and let the extra rewards go to your fuel tank!

*Use a Discover Card for all your purchases.  Not only will you get $50 back with your first purchase, but every purchase earns you 1% cash back rewards with no annual fee.  You can trade in $70 of your rewards for a $75 Shell card.  I love using my credit card for everything and paying it right off and then being able to get a discounted gift card using my Cash Back to stretch my rewards even further.  For the last few years, they have been having one quarter of the year FIVE PERCENT back (up to $75 back) on gas station purchases if you enroll in the free bonus program.  This is a money saver ONLY if you pay off your credit card in full each month!

*Of course, don't forget the basics such as avoid long idling times, keeping your gas cap tightened so evaporation isn't possible, using air conditioning as little as possible and keeping the windows rolled up.  Also keeping your car in good running order, driving as little as possible, and not driving too fast can also help you get more for your transportation dollar.

I certainly don't like the cost of gasoline, even now that it has dropped, but these few tips help me know each time I fill up I am getting the best possible deal.