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The repeated, expensive task of filling your car with gas is a grin-and-bear-it kind of experience. Especially as gas prices continue to go through the roof and filling up becomes more painful. Unfortunately, paying extra at the pump puts pressure on our already strained household budgets.
You could join a gas rewards program or find a gas credit card to try spend less money on gas. In the meantime, fight unleaded sticker shock with these 13 tricks.
Limited Time Savings:
Earn 4X Fuel Rewards at Kroger with gift card purchases until March 21, 2023.
Clip Kroger’s digital coupon to earn 4X Fuel Points at Kroger when you buy gift cards through Mach 21, 2023. Once clipped, you can use the coupon to earn four reward points for every dollar spent on groceries as often as you like until March 21. Kroger only allows one coupon per household and you can not earn on the following gift cards:
- Kroger brand cards
- Prepaid reloadable debit cards, including Green Dot and MoneyPaks
- All American Express, Mastercard, and Visa gift cards
- Fuel retail gift cards
- Wireless phones and Airtime gift cards
Note: You can only redeem 1,000 Fuel Points for $1 off a gallon per fillup.
Pay with Wawa Pay and save $0.15 per gallon until May 7, 2023.
Pay with the Wawa app (iOS/Android) at your local Wawa station now thru May 7th, and you can save $0.15 a gallon on every fill-up. First timer? Using Wawa Pay is easy. Download the app and register for Wawa Rewards. Next, you’ll need to link a credit or debit card as a payment option. Then, just follow the step-by-step instructions in the app. That’s it.
1. Save $0.80 a gallon by skipping premium gas (if you can).
In many cars today, the octane level of the fuel you put into it makes no difference in your fuel economy. So if your vehicle doesn’t require it, skip the overpriced premium.
Ditching premium gas in favor of regular could mean a savings of around $0.80 per gallon, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration figures. Just think: if your car gets 30 miles to the gallon and you drive 14,000 miles in a year, you could save about $373 per year by going with regular gas.
2. Get away from the highway and you’ll see lower gas prices.
Gas stations located conveniently near highway exits have been known to set their fuel prices higher than stations a little farther out.
Driving just a quarter mile farther could mean you’ll save gas money. And the bathrooms are probably better, too.
3. Choose gas stations in the suburbs, not downtown.
First of all, if you’re driving into a downtown area, it can be tough to even find a gas station!
But if you do find one, it can cost you a lot more per gallon to fill up at a downtown station compared to one in the suburbs. For example, gas in Manhattan can be $1.50 more per gallon than in the suburbs!
4. Find the best gas prices near you with apps like GasBuddy and Gas Guru.
Apps like GasBuddy (iOS / Android) and Gas Guru (iOS / Android) can help you find cheap gas. So if you don’t have one of those apps downloaded on your phone, you’re gonna want to fix that right now.
Gas stations’ prices are changing all the time, and the place with the lowest gas prices last week might not be the winner this week. These popular apps monitor gas stations and the cost of gas like The Krazy Coupon Lady app monitors sale prices at your favorite stores.
An added perk with GasBuddy is that you can pay for gas with their free gas card and save up to $0.25 a gallon by unlocking special deals.
5. Earn $0.25 per gallon with Upside secret discounts.
The free Upside app strikes deals with individual gas stations to give you special discounts.
Find a participating station with the app, take a photo of your fuel receipt (or “check in” on the app to automatically submit your receipt) and get up to $0.25 per gallon back in cash, redeemable by PayPal, e-gift card, or bank transfer. Even better, use coupon code KCL20 to save an additional $0.20 per gallon in your next offer.
6. Fill up at a station that’s not too busy so you get cooler, denser gas.
Cooler, denser gasoline performs better than hotter gas, so try to fill up at a less busy, mom-and-pop station. The gas stays in the underground tank longer and has time to cool down.
And in case you’re wondering, filling up when it’s cold outside doesn’t provide the same benefits because the fuel in the tank is well insulated against the weather.
7. Don’t buy gas on Thursdays (or the weekends) — period.
Want to save on gas prices? Straight up avoid getting gas on Thursdays and the weekends. According to an article from GasBuddy, the most expensive day for buying gas in 2021 turned out to be Thursday, and in 2019 it was Saturday for many states.
8. Sign up for a fuel points program at your favorite grocery store and save up to $1 a gallon.
At Kroger, you earn one fuel point for every dollar you spend there. Earn 100 points to get $0.10 off per gallon. Earn 1,000, and it’s $1 off per gallon!
Plenty of stores have these programs. Check out our list of the Top 10 Fuel Loyalty Programs you must join, pick one, and stick with it!
9. Earn 4X fuel points with any Kroger Wireless phone/plan.
Via Facebook
In addition to earning fuel points buying groceries and gift cards at Kroger, you can earn 4X fuel points with any Kroger Wireless phone/plan. They have monthly and annual plans, for as low as $15 (earns 60 fuel points) a month.
10. Sign up for Shell Fuel Rewards and save a minimum of $0.05 a gallon.
When you sign up with Shell’s free Fuel Rewards program, you instantly become a gold status member that can earn $0.05 off per gallon for every fill-up. Plus, you can earn more savings when you shop through the Shell Fuel Point portal. For example,
- Dining: Earn $0.10 per gallon for every $50 at participating restaurants with a linked credit card (in your Shell Fuel Rewards account).
- Online Shopping: Earn a minimum of $0.05 a gallon for every $50 you spend shopping online.
- Event Tickets: Earn $0.10 per gallon for every $50 spent on live event tickets.
- Rental Cars: Save up to 25% off base rates and earn $0.10 a gallon for every $50 you spend.
The best part of Shell’s Fuel Rewards program, unlike others (you know we’re talking ’bout you Kroger), there’s no maximum amount of fuel rewards you can redeem per gallon. They do however, only apply the rewards to the first 20 gallons. So, if you have $1.50 in rewards and elect to use it all at once when at the pump you’ll save $1.50 off your first 20 gallons (which can be a full tank of gas for some car models), for $30 in savings!
Related: Don’t have a Shell station near you? Check out these other gas credit cards that’ll save you money at the pump.
11. Buy discounted gas gift cards from Gift Card Granny or Raise and save a buck.
I love sharing about discounted gift cards. With sites like Gift Card Granny and Raise, you can buy gift cards for less than their face value. Instant sale!
Unfortunately, discount gas cards are pretty rare; they don’t last long once posted. Awhile back, I found a $100 Shell gift card at Gift Card Granny, with $1 cash back. I know it isn’t much, but it all helps.
12. Get cash back from fill-ups with a fuel rewards credit card.
Sure, it’s nice to see $0.10 knocked off each gallon every time you gas up, but the steep interest rates of gas station-branded credit cards make them not worth the instant gratification.
Instead, check out the many fuel rewards credit cards that give you cash back on gas purchases, such as the Bank of America Cash Rewards Credit Card. You can earn 3% cash back on fuel purchases every quarter (up to $2,500).
13. Make sure your car is well maintained; you’ll use less gas.
If your SUV hasn’t had an oil change in two years — or a tune-up, like, ever — chances are it’s guzzling gas more than it probably needs to.
Making sure your car gets regular tune-ups can improve your gas mileage by as much as 4%, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Properly inflated tires? A boost of 3%. Keep your oil changed, too. That turns into gas savings.
