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Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Cap gas prices: 6 ways to save on gasoline

(NerdWallet) — When the price of oil spiked during the February deep freeze, I started using a gas price app and was amazed to find that the cost of fuel in my area varied by 70 cents a gallon. By purchasing the cheapest gas, I could save $8.40 each fillup and as much as $220 a year. 

As we come out of the pandemic and pump prices climb, it’s once again time to be smart about your gas purchases. With some simple planning, a household with two cars could easily save the cost of a car payment each year. And businesses with a fleet of vehicles have much more to save. 

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Um, they left out the obvious one - not driving as much by consolidating your trips. I live 7 miles from any stores and drive an F-150 that gets a whopping 16 mpg on a good day, so right now it costs me $2.50 just to go into town.

17 comments:

  1. And yet my bride would gladly spend $2.50 in gas to drive into town to buy a $5.00 coffee pot at the thrift store's 'Half Off Friday'. Go Figure.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How do you put a dollar value on someone else's fun?

      Delete
    2. Thanks the small gods she doesn't want to fly to Paris for their annual half off sales of diamond tiaras...

      Delete
    3. Cederq- You make a great point!

      Rob- I'll remember that line next fall when I tell her about the new Ruger/Marlin lever gun I'm about to buy.

      Delete
  2. The "pandemic" has nothing to do with the price of fuel. It's the puppet in the White House shutting down fracking and pipelines that does.

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  3. yep, I only go if I have a minimum of 2 things to do.

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  4. My RAM 1500 gets about that kind of mileage so I try to plan my trips as best I can. With 'the Covid' out there I've been able to work from home most days, so the pickup was parked 4 days out of 5 working days. I tried to plan my chores/errands into the nearby town for a single day on the weekend. That meant I only needed to fill the tank in my pickup about once a month rather than once or twice a week.

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  5. Not all gas is the same either. The cattle breeder that drives the same route everyday found that the "cheap" gas gave him 3-4 mpg less than the station across the street. It was more economical to pay the higher price.
    Jerry

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  6. I've been working from home for a year and I'm afraid somebody is going to find out how much money I'm saving by not driving at all! Not to mention I don't have to pack lunch or go out to lunch. I got a raise out of all this in "after tax" cash. To top that off USAA lowered our car insurance premiums. Then there is wardrobe cost reduction. No more "business casual". It's Carhart pocket tees, wranglers, and boots from here on out.

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  7. Buy yer locking gas caps now if yours is easy access!

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  8. I try to shop once for the whole month and load up the freezer. My wife will drive into town for a (as in one) pack of cigarettes. Tomorrow it will be a carton of ice cream and apple turnovers. And the next day, and the next...
    It's like talking to a fence post.

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    Replies
    1. Take her keys or disable her car....
      Once the screaming dies down, it ain't so bad....

      Delete
  9. I am 16 miles from nearest store and Drive an 06 H2 (13.5mpg) and a 2004 Avalanche (16.5MPG).
    I bought the Hummer used cause obama wanted everyone to get a hybrid ...on the plus side sometimes it is 2 weeks between times when I leave my home and woods. Me and the dog are happiest at play in the woods.

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  10. Wait. What? We can go outside now?

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  11. I use “Waze”.....

    It shows where the police are....

    and shows fuel and last reported prices.

    Ed357

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  12. Cost does not equal savings. If it doesn't say top tier, you're likely to get something with less mpg and poorer engine performance. Our local Sheetz is usually 2-3C cheaper, but you also get 2-3mpg less on average. My 'wing can't stand sheetz gas, even the required mid-grade. Put in BP, and the difference is huge.
    Go read how long distance gas is transmitted through pipelines. They usually don't have 3 lines to push it through so they share a line. What you're getting at cheap stores is the gas in between those other grades as it mixes in transport.

    ReplyDelete

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