How to Save Money on Gas

There are many ways to save money on gas. For instance, you should never take a special trip to get gas. You’re wasting gas going to and from the gas station. You should always get gas on the way to where you are already going. My mom and grandma both leave home and drive to the gas station to get gas, then drive back home. It boggles my mind so much. I always tell them, get it on the way, you’ll save money. You’re wasting gas to go get gas. It doesn’t make any sense.

One way to never worry about purchasing overpriced gas is to always fill up before you get to ¼ tank full. Always plan ahead. Check your gas gauge every time you get in the car. It should be the first thing you do when you start the engine (besides putting on your seatbelt).

When gas prices are going up, fill up often. When gas prices are going down, just get enough gas to last a couple more trips. For example, if gas is going down, I’ll fill it up all the way. That may cost about $40. When gas is going down, I put $20 in instead. I may have to fill up more often, but I will be getting a cheaper price later. So in the long run, as long as I’m not making special trips to the gas station, and I’m getting gas directly on the way to where I’m already going, it is worth it.

The other way to save money on gas is to pay attention to gas prices everywhere you go. If the gas stations are cheaper near work, get gas there. If gas is cheaper near home, make sure you have enough gas to make it home so you don’t have to fill up at the expensive place near work. Sometimes you can even see the gas prices from the freeway. If you know of a place that is the cheapest just off the freeway halfway between home and work, that is where you should stop to fill up.

I know that when I go visit my mom an hour away, the gas will be more expensive there, so I fill up near home.

There are websites that tell you the current gas prices at all the gas stations. You can even enter gas prices on the website yourself if you’d like. One great website to learn where the cheapest gas stations are is www.gasbuddy.com. Just enter your zip code and it will give you a list of the cheapest gas in your area. You can also use this as a tool when going on a road trip. If you can calculate about when you’ll need gas throughout your journey, you can figure out which towns (and which specific gas station in that town) would be the best place to stop to save money on gas. Just make sure you never go too far out of your way to get cheaper gas. If you are going an extra mile out of your way, it needs to be worth it. If you are saving 10 cents a gallon, going an extra mile is worth it, and the more gas you have to get, the more savings. For just 1 cent difference per gallon, it’s not worth it. Do the math and you’ll be well on your way to saving lots of money on gas.