How to Save Money on Gas and Ease the Price at the Pump
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With gas prices reaching an all-time high average of $5.02 in mid-June, when prices drop significantly is anyone’s guess. While some states have made efforts to help with gas prices, offering stimulus checks and pausing gas tax, these efforts are probably not helping your wallet significantly.
As of June, gas prices are up more than 48% from last year, so whether you just commute to work or travel often, it’s likely that gas prices are significantly eating into your budget.
Here are 10 best ways to save on gas.
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How to Save Money on Gas
1. Opt for regular over premium
It’s a myth that premium fuel will help improve your car’s performance or help you get better gas mileage. Most cars don’t need premium, high-octane gasoline and won’t benefit from this higher-quality gas.
Since premium gas can cost as much as 40 cents per gallon, dropping to the regular option can help you save several dollars each time you fill up — unless your car requires a higher grade of octane.
2. Use gas price apps
Scouting gas stations for the best price can be difficult —and you may waste more gas. While finding the lowest-priced gas station can save you money, especially if it’s nearby, there are better ways to find the most reasonably priced fuel in town.
Gas price apps like GasBuddy and Waze can help you locate the places with the cheapest fuel options before you even step foot into your car. Both apps are free and allow you to find the cheapest gas stations near you.
This is a particularly helpful option if you’re going on a road trip or long drive and will need to refuel multiple times or in different states.
3. Consider a gas credit card
If you use a credit card responsibly, you can make money off of them. If you want to maximize the amount you’re spending on gas, opting for a gas credit card — or a credit card with high rewards for gas purchases — can help you earn a bit back each time you fuel up.
You can opt for a gas station branded gas card, like a Costco or Sam’s Club credit card, or find a credit card that also offers a high cash-back percentage. Keep annual fees in mind, though — make sure you’re not paying more than the card is worth. Also, be sure you can take advantage of other cash-back opportunities or card benefits since using a card just for gas isn’t likely the most lucrative option.
You won’t earn this money upfront but may be able to use it towards future gas purchases, depending on the credit card and redemption method.
Related: How Do Gas Credit Cards Work and Do You Need One?
4. Sign up for a gas rewards program
Not everyone is interested in using a credit card to rack points. If that’s the case for you, a fuel rewards program might be of more interest. Fuel rewards programs vary but generally come in two forms: station-branded rewards programs and payment method fuel rewards programs.
With a gas station reward program, you’ll typically need to enroll with a gas station brand either online or by text. You might also be eligible for gas rewards through program memberships like AAA. Some grocery stores with gas stations offer rewards services when you enroll in grocery rewards. In either case, once enrolled, you’ll enter your rewards number (sometimes just your phone number) or scan your membership card to save money on gas.
The more you spend, the more you tend to save with these programs — that said, it’s best not to overspend and only buy what you normally would. Otherwise, the savings normally isn’t worth the expense.
Payment method rewards programs that aren’t credit cards include Venmo, Cash App, and some debit cards. You’ll sometimes get rewarded when spending a certain amount or shopping at a certain store or gas station as a cash-back reward. There are rewards credit cards, however, that provide cash back rewards when spending on gas filling up at a U.S. gas station like Shell or ExxonMobil.
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5. Pay with cash instead of credit
Although many of us probably haven’t seen a dollar bill in a while, paying with cash does have some advantages — and using cash can help you save money in two ways. First, some gas stations offer discounts for customers who pay cash. That’s because when you pay with your card, gas stations have to pay payment processing fees. By opting for cash, you’re saving them money, and some gas stations pass this on to you in the form of cheaper fuel.
There’s another way using cash may save you money, and this one is entirely psychological. It’s been shown that it’s easier to overspend when paying with cards or digital currency. While paying with cash won’t matter if you have to fuel up, since it’s harder to part with cash, you may feel compelled to combine shopping trips, drive less often, or find other ways to get essentials rather than driving around to complete errands.
6. Earn or buy gas gift cards
Paying for gas with a gift card can also save you some money. Here’s how. First, you can try to earn gas gift cards from survey sites like CashKarma and MyPoints. These sites pay you in gift cards to answer survey questions.
You may also be able to buy gas gift cards for less using sites like Card Cash and Gift Card Granny. Although gas gift cards are a little harder to come by on these sites, you can still occasionally find them due to the high demand. While most gas station gift cards only offer 1% - 2% off the sales price, every penny counts.
7. Try carpooling or opt for public transportation
Another option worth considering if you’re desperate to lower your gas expenses is carpooling. If you live close to a coworker, consider asking them if they want to drive together to help save on gas money.
The same goes for bringing your kids to school. Start a neighborhood carpool and take turns dropping kids off each day. You may be able to expand this logic by going on group grocery shopping trips and driving together when going out with friends.
On that note, if your city or town has public transportation, opting for this, even just once a week, can help lower your gas bill.
8. Ride your bike to work
You could also forgo the gas altogether if you live relatively close to your work and biking is possible. During the warmer weather seasons, biking to work can help you save big on gas prices — while helping you stay more active during the day.
Many bikes have room for you to carry everything you’ll need for the day, too — baskets for laptop bags, cup holders for coffee, and storage for a change of clothes. You may even consider using your bike to grocery shop, run earrings, and meet friends or family at restaurants, coffee shops, or bars.
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9. Fill up when on Mondays or Fridays
When you fill-up your tank could save you money, according to a recent Gas Buddy survey. This survey found that 17 states had the lowest gas prices of the week on Mondays. And, if you don’t need to fuel up at the start of your work week, Friday was also a cheap day for gassing up your car.
Sure, it may add a few minutes to your morning commute, but instead of gassing up during the weekend, consider waiting and fueling up bright and early Monday morning to start saving money at the pump.
10. Plan out your trips
With high gas prices, leisurely driving should be kept to a minimum. Instead, you want to maximize your time behind the wheel. This might mean planning out trips to make sure you run all of your errands in the most fuel-efficient way.
Instead of driving back and forth to get errands and shopping done, plot out a course, so you’re not driving to the same spots multiple times. And, if possible, try to finish all your major errands in one day so you don’t have to worry about extraneous driving the rest of the week.
Other ways to save money on gas
These are just a few top ways to reduce your bill at the gas pump. But if you want to get creative, you can probably brainstorm a few others. Here are some ways to reduce the gas you consume when driving, to help make your gas last longer:
- Keep your windows down at lower speeds. When driving on city streets, in neighborhoods, or lower speeds, keeping your windows down can make your car more fuel efficient. If you can stand the heat, this may help stretch your gas further.
- Roll windows up on highways. When you’re driving at fast speeds, however, keeping your windows down actually pushes against the direction your car is driving in, causing your engine to work harder to propel itself forward and guzzle up more gas. When you’re driving on a highway or fast road, opting for the air conditioning over windows down will actually save you the most fuel by reducing your wind resistance.
- Don’t idle. Reducing your idle time can help you save on gas — especially if your air conditioner is on. Idling can be rough on your car’s engine and wastes time and gas consumption while your car sits. So, if your spouse wants to run into a store while you wait, lower the windows and shut off the engine. And, don’t warm up the car for too long before driving — this will just waste your gas.
- Consider cruise control. Not only does cruise control help you go at steady speeds while driving, but it can also save you gas. You consume more gas when you’re going at inconsistent speeds and constantly accelerating and braking hard. Cruise control can keep you at an average speed and better regulate your gas. So, if possible, put it to work for you.
- Make sure your tires are inflated. If your tires don’t have enough air, you may start to lose gas mileage. According to the US Department of Energy, you can lose up to 3 cents per gallon if your tire pressure is low (consult your owner’s manual for the right PSI). So be sure to check them out the next time you fuel up.
- Remove extra weight. Take off your heavy car racks, and don’t keep that bulky sports equipment in your trunk (unless you really need to). The more weight you carry in your car, the more gas you’ll use.
- Slow down on the road. If you like to drive fast and drive over the speed limit often, slowing down can make the road safer for everyone and save you money. The faster you drive, the more gas you need. So, if you can slow down, even a few miles per hour, you may fuel up less often.
Lastly, when you’re in the market for a new car, consider investing in an electric vehicle or hybrid car to help save money on gas in the future. While pricey, these vehicles can save you big money over time — not to mention they’ll help reduce your dependency on pricey gasoline.
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The bottom line
There’s no telling when gas prices will start to drop or if they’ll break a new record later this year. While gas is much more expensive than it has been in recent years, you can still find ways to make it more affordable by taking advantage of rewards and credit card programs, looking for the cheapest gas stations near you, filling up on the right days, and opting for regular grade octane, when possible.
Be sure also to consider how your driving might impact your gas mileage. Try to keep your speeds steady, avoid idling, and know when it’s better to turn on the air conditioner and roll down the windows.
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Writer
Courtney Johnston is a freelance writer, specializing in finance, travel, and health. She has written for The Chicago Tribune, Benzinga, BestReviews, Mashvisor, Fundera, MoneyGeek, and The Culture Trip. She also teaches writing instruction at the University of Indianapolis. Courtney currently resides in Indianapolis.
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