Finding good prices on gasoline for your car is a big task these days. The costs of fuel are high and that takes a real bite out of your monthly budget.
Save Money on Gasoline at the Pump and on the Road
How to Save Money on Gas at the Pump
Price is always the first consideration when trying to save money. How do you find the best prices on gas before filling up your tank? Did you know that there are apps on your phone that will help? We like GasBuddy because it has a lot of options in lots of locations. GasBuddy has done over 900 million searches to find the best gas prices for you. There is no cost to use this app – just download it to your smart phone. Simply fill in your zip code or town name and the app will let you see your options. You can have the app find Regular or Premium prices and even tell it if you are paying by cash or credit card. Plan ahead for a trip and search on the app for locations along your route where you might need to refill your tank. This will save you money as your travel. Typically it costs less to get gas away from the major highways or in the middle of a large city. Finding stations near places where you might stop for a lunch or rest break might be cheaper.
When buying gas, always use regular. It costs less and the premium grade fuel does not really give your cars many benefits. Make sure you check your owner’s manual as some cars require premium grade. In those cases, by all means get the correct grade of fuel.
Did you know that many gas station chains offer rewards programs? For instance, if you join the Sunoco rewards program you will earn benefits whenever you fill up at a Sunoco gas station. This works well if you travel the same route all the time and a Sunoco is on your way. If doesn’t make sense if you have to drive out of your way for this reward. GasBuddy also has a fuel savings program called Pay With GasBuddy. The free version offers savings of up to .20 a gallon when you fill up at some National Brand Chains. If you don’t want to sign up for another rewards card why not use your existing rewards credit card to pay for your fill-ups. This will help you earn points towards purchases. Don’t let your credit card balances get out of hand. If you have to pay interest on your balance each month it negates any cost savings you may have earned.
Some gas stations offer a discount if you pay with cash. It’s how they save money on the work of processing credit card payments. Check out the policy at your gas station before you pay for your gas.
Filling up at the beginning of the week is also a good idea. GasBuddy has found that filling up on Mondays or Tuesdays is a cheaper alternative to filling up later in the week.
Save Money on Gas with Better Driving Habits
If you drive carefully, slowly and with these thoughts in mind you can save money on gas too!
Think about how you take care of your car. Do you keep up with regular maintenance and oil changes? This makes a difference in how your car operates and how efficiently it runs. Little things like checking your tire pressure, using the correct grade of oil and lightening up the load in your car can make a big difference. Never drive with snow tires in the warm months, they use more gas. Check the seal on your gas cap. A bad one allows gas to evaporate from your tank. You can easily replace the cap if the seal looks like it is damaged or dried out.
How you drive makes a difference too. A slower speed will use less fuel. It’s a proven fact. So why not leave 5 minutes earlier for your trip and save by driving slower. Check out the routes that you take before you leave your house. Apps like Waze let you know the most direct routes to take to get to your destination. It will alert you if there are traffic jams that will cause you to be stuck in traffic. Speaking of being stuck in traffic, this idling of your car can waste a lot of fuel. In addition to wasting gas it doen’t help air pollution either. When you accelerate in your car do it slowly. This gradual speeding up helps to manage the amount of gas your car uses. When you anticipate a stop ahead, take your foot off the gas pedal and coast to the stop. Your air conditioner and heater both use fuel to work. They directly have an impact on your fuel consumption.
Save money in a big way by joining a car pool. If you do this just once or twice a week you can reduce your fuel costs by quite a bit. In today’s hybrid work environment you can also save by working from home or a coworking office that is close to your home.
When it’s time to buy a new car look for one that is energy efficient or maybe a hybrid model. The availability of electric plug ins is getting better all the time.
Live Where there are Electric Charging Stations
When looking for an apartment to live in, why not choose one that has electric charging ports right on site. Red Oak Apartment Homes in Manchester NH has EV charging ports installed at our Red Oak at 875 Elm Street apartments and will also be at the brand new Red Oak at 409 Elm Street apartment community in the fall of 2023. Red Oak has a large variety of apartment home styles and locations. Check out our available apartments.