13 Spectacular Ways to Save Money on Gas

Are you sick of paying high gas prices? Me too! In fact, I was so relieved when gas prices started dropping – well, a little bit anyway. I was ready to start saving money on gas! Yet, the prices keep creeping back up which makes it hard if you are driving far to work or traveling.

I’m showing my age here, but I remember filling up at college one day for $.99 per gallon and at the time, I remember being disappointed that gas prices were going up. What I wouldn’t give now for $.99 per gallon.

Unfortunately, those “low price” days are long gone. We are left footing the bill if we want to get anywhere, especially during the holidays!

Seriously, are you thinking of traveling during the Fourth of July or Christmas or any other Holiday when family time is key? Good old supply and demand.

Luckily there are some pretty simple ways to save money on gas and if you are fresh out of ideas, you have come to the right place.

I LOVE helping people save money and I am getting creative with some of my tips, but I truly hope this helps you save and adds money back to your monthly budget!

Related: Ebates Review: Is It Worth It?

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What to do With Extra Money You Are Saving On Gas?

If you are able to cut your gas/transportation bill down you can set aside the extra money to pay down debt or save for an emergency fund! Here are my best suggestions to help you make the most when you are able to save and have extra money in your monthly budget:

• Sinking fund (set aside the money for something specific)
• Emergency fund ($1000 and then try for 6-9 months of living expenses)
• Pay off debt (Use Dave Ramsey’s Snowball Method)
• Invest (You can invest online easily by using Etrade or Fidelity)
• Retirement (Start a 403b, 401k, or Roth IRA)
• Travel (save up and take that trip you’ve always wanted)

Now that you have some ideas on how to use your extra savings, let’s get to work and save YOU money on gas.

13 Ways to Save Money Gas

1. Carpool – Carpooling is a magnificent way to cut gas costs.

In fact, I used to carpool with two of my teacher friends and only drove to work every third week.

This is back when gas prices were over $3.00 per gallon, so this saved me at least $40 per week. Not to mention wear and tear on my car and oil changes/tire rotations.

This worked because we all live in the same city and I have a huge field across the street from my house so there was plenty of parking. Find a common meeting place that is convenient for all the carpoolers and make sure to be on time or your carpooling club won’t last long.

Also, I carpooled with another coworker my first year of teaching but I always had to wait for her and I ended up driving by myself after a while because it was not worth risking being late to work. Therefore, make sure you are riding with dependable people.

2. Bike – If you live close enough to work, ride your bike! I suggest buying a good lock because speaking from experience, in college I locked my bike up daily with a cheap lock and it was still stolen.  Try the Kryptonite KryptoLok Series 2 Standard Heavy Duty Bicycle U Lock with 4ft Flex Bike Cable from Amazon. With over a four-star review, your bike is sure to be safe and secure.

Not only will this save you money, but will help you stay in shape and save more money on healthcare.

If you don’t have a bike, it is worth the initial investment of what you will save on gas.

My husband often rides his bike to work in the summer but because of our harsh winters in Michigan, he opts for his car during the snowy season.

3. Costco – Costco’s gas prices are always lower than the average gas station. You can save up to $.10 per gallon which can add up over time.

And yes, you can shop there even if you don’t have a membership. You can buy Costco cash cards (their version of a gift card) and the store allows you to use them without a membership.

4. Shell Rewards – I just found out about this program. I don’t usually buy gas at shell because their prices tend to be higher in the area I live in, but with their rewards program, gas is more affordable at Shell. Check out how to earn with the shell fuel rewards and start saving on gas.

5. Kroger gas – Kroger gives you gas rewards for shopping at Kroger stores with your Kroger plus card. You earn fule points for buying groceries in the store. Then use your card or alternate I.D. at the pump and save.

The last time I used my Kroger fuel points I got $.03 off per gallon. This isn’t much, but at least it is something. I don’t shop there that often so I didn’t earn very many fuel rewards, but $.03 off for only a few shopping trips is pretty good.

Using your Kroger card will also save you on groceries and I do not recommend shopping there unless you sign up for one.

Make sure to check the flyer before you shop because they often have promotions on gas points when you buy a certain item, such as a gift card.

The downside to Kroger Fuel Points:

All Krogers do not have a gas station available so you may have to do some driving to find one which is wasting gas at that point.

Side Note: The Kroger plus card will also give you access to store sales and the free Friday download offered each week so be sure to sign up and download the freebie to your card each week.

6. Gas Card From Cardpool – Cardpool is a site that allows people to sell unwanted gift cards for cash. In turn, they sell the gift card to you, for a discount. Why not use this when buying gas? Here are some of the rates I found:

• Shell Gift card 4% off
• Exxon Mobil 2.5% off
• Speedway 3% off

Check Cardpool frequently because popular gift cards often sell out.

Side note: If you are interested in selling a gift card, sign up and follow the directions. I have personally done this and received a check. I lost the check (I know – ugh), contacted them, and they sent me a new check! Great customer service!

7. Gas Wars – If you have two gas stations that are in the same location, they often battle out prices in a gas war. In fact, the two gas stations I where I usually buy gas usually have the lowest gas prices in town. They often offer the same price for paying with credit card or cash. These gas wars can really help you save.

Side Note: Paying cash for gas can also save you money as many gas stations charge less for cold, hard cash as opposed to using your credit card.

Keep reading for more ways to save money on gas Including Gas Apps…

8. Premium Gas – Stop buying premium gas for your car. You don’t need it!

Side story: We had to call a tow truck last week because our car wouldn’t start. To our dismay, the tow truck driver started it right up. He revved the engine and said we had water in our tank. He recommended a fuel injection cleaner and filling up with premium gas. We followed his directions and our car is fine.

The reason I’m telling you this story is because you only need premium gas once in a great while such as in our situation above. Otherwise, the regular unleaded gas is fine and much cheaper.

9. Drive Safely – One of the fastest ways to burn fuel is to drive recklessly by revving your engine, speeding up, stopping quickly and so on. Drive safely and you will save on gas and speeding tickets.

Typically, you use less gas while driving on the expressway because you are not stopping at stop lights and starting your engine up again. So take the expressway when possible.

10. Gas Buddy – Save money and time by using the Gas Buddy app to check gas prices in your area. As I mentioned, we usually fill up at Costco or our two favorite gas stations that are always in a “gas war”, yet the gas buddy app will alert you where the cheapest gas is in your area. This app is great for road trips too! You will not have to spend half your day driving around looking for cheap gas prices and time is money, my friends!

11. Economy car – Buy an economy car and save money every day. I used to drive 30-40 minutes to my teaching job Monday-Friday. When I bought a car, I made sure it had decent gas mileage. This and carpooling saved me soooo much.

12. Gas Tracker by Fuelly – Want to save on gas? There is an app for that! The Gas Tracker app helps calculate and track your gas mileage. Any time you are trying to budget, it is best to “be in the know” about the money you are spending so you can plan accordingly. This app is for the iPhone but Android also has one called Fuelio. Both of these apps got over a four-star rating.

13. Do it All At Once – If you have errands or doctors appointments, make this your shopping day. I grocery shop twice a month and do all my running around then. If you can avoid extra trips around town, this will save on gas. I also run errands or take my kids out after picking them up from school. This saves on gas and is much easier than taking them home and trying to get them back in the car again.

13 Spectacular Ways to SaveMoney On Gas Conclusion

If you are looking for ways to save on gas, these 13 tips will help cut costs. In any budgeting situation, there are always ways to save more if you do your research. Check around and find a savings plan that you can live with.

I always suggest using ideas that you will stick with. If it feels like a punishment, you probably will give up, yet if something as simple as downloading an app and checking it before you fill up will save you $5 a week (that’s $20 per month) then I say, why not?

There are always ways to trim your budget and if you continue to live your frugal life, you WILL be debt free in no time! Don’t give up.

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As always,

Take care – Sarah

What are your favorite ways to save money on gas? Leave me a comment. I would love to hear from you!

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