Want to save money by finding cheaper gasoline prices? Here are some easy ways you can save at least $200 a year buying gas—and sometimes a lot more.
• Check out Gasbuddy.com This website posts gasoline prices from around the country. Just punch in your zip code and find out where the cheapest—and the most expensive—gas prices in your area are located. It’s not unusual to find as much as a .25 cent difference between the two gas prices. That’s a $5 difference if you’re filling up a 20 gallon tank. And in cities like New York and Los Angeles, the difference between gas prices tend to be in the .60 cent range!
• Save money by buying gas in less affluent neighborhoods The better the neighborhood, the more expensive the gas prices. That’s because the land that the gas station is built on is more expensive, resulting in higher property taxes.
• Don’t buy gas on the highway Gas is almost always more expensive on the highways. And they get away with it because most people won’t get off the highway just to look for cheaper gas. But they should. You can save money using a gas station that’s right off the exit ramp. There’s often as much as a .16 cents difference.
• Save money with a gas rebate card Many of these cards give you as much as a 10% rebate for an introductory time period (like 6 months) and then 5% after that. This alone can easily save you hundreds of dollars a year. Just make sure you pay off the balance every month or your savings will evaporate in interest fees!
• Pay cash Look for gas stations that offer lower gas prices if the customer pays in cash. Gas stations have to pay a transaction fee for every credit card payment, so they save money if you use cash instead. It’s a win-win situation for you and the gas station.
• Run your car on water This controversial gas-saving device is sweeping the nation right now. Essentially, the device separates out hydrogen from the water to create what’s known as “brown gas.” A company in Japan recently unveiled a prototype of a car that runs solely on water, so the technology seems to have at least some validity.
Sorry to say, but the days of cheap gas prices are over. In fact, many experts believe that the prices we’re paying at the pump right now are going to be the “good old days.” There’s not much we can do about increasing gas prices, but we can develop habits that will save money today—and tomorrow.
