Here are a few practical and helpful tips to save money on gas. Implement them regularly and the savings adds up (or at least the pain at the pump decreases!).
This weekend I got groceries, filled my car up with gas, and worked on my taxes. It was not a pretty picture. Remember Joe Exotic saying, “I am never going to financially recover from this”? That’s me. I’m now Joe Exotic.
Prices are rising on everything, but watching gas prices go up every time I drive past a gas station is starting to cause me a little anxiety.
I am not careless about driving around all over the place with no thought to miles on my car and burning through gas, but I’m now REALLY ready to get serious about using less gas, and stretching the gas that I do use.
How to Save on Gas
I brainstormed a bunch of ways to save on gas money, and have already implemented some of these tips. They’re super easy, and just require a little planning ahead.
I hope they can save you a few bucks at the pump, too. And if you’ve got more tips to share, leave them in the comments!
10 Ways to Save on Gas
Loyalty Card
Many gas stations have a loyalty or club card that will save you a few cents per gallon. In my area, Speedway is currently offering $.05 off per gallon with their loyalty card, and I believe the Sheetz discount is $.03 per gallon.
These cards are free, so go in and grab one and keep it in your glove box.
Grocery Rewards Points
There are a couple of grocery stores near me that offer gas rewards, and this is an easy way to accumulate some discounts. The best way to take advantage of this is to shop regularly at the same store, and plan those purchases, too, because sometimes you need to spend a certain dollar amount before you receive the reward.
For example, in one of my local stores, you have to spend $50 to get $.10 off per gallon. So if I go in there and spend $25, I get nothing. Other grocery stores are different and all of your purchases count and accumulate. Just know the policies and work them to your advantage.
If the gas station where you redeem these points also has a loyalty card like the ones I mentioned above, get that card! Then you can stack your grocery points with the loyalty card discount.
And one last tip here: Know when these grocery rewards expire. That is typically printed at the bottom of your receipt. Write it on your calendar, or set a reminder in your phone a few days beforehand so you can time a fill-up when your tank is at its lowest.
Membership Club Gas
We are Costco members, and this is my go-to for a fill up. They always have the lowest price on gas.
They are also 30 minutes from my house, so I time my fill up with my Costco trip. I do not just drive out there to get gas.
Sam’s Club also has fuel stations. If you are a member of these clubs, make sure you get their app where you can find gas prices at any club. This is a nice little feature when you are traveling.
Shop Around With Apps
There are apps that will show you the gas prices in your local area (or wherever you are if you are traveling).
I use Gas Buddy. It’s free, and users update the prices in real time. You can see when the price was last updated by a user so you know how current it is.
Plan Your Fill Ups
Don’t let yourself get caught in a situation where you are running on empty and have to fill up at a place that’s pricey. Plan ahead, and use those stations where you have a loyalty card or some other discount.
I mentioned above that I time my Costco trips with my fuel fill-ups. I will top off my tank even if it’s not super low when I’m there, because why not? I’d rather pay less now and have the peace of mind of knowing I have a full tank.
If the gas station near your kids’ soccer field has the best price, and you have a loyalty card there, plan your fill-ups around their practices.
Keep Up With Car Maintenance
This is not my area of expertise, so I’d consult your mechanic/dealership on this one. But I do know you can get better gas mileage when your tires are fully inflated, aligned, and have good tread.
Changing your air filters regularly also affects fuel economy. Double check these things when you get your oil changed.
Credit Card Rewards
This tip isn’t specific to saving on gas. It really can help you save on everything, but since I feel like half of our family budget goes to gas and food…
Shop around for a credit card that has a nice cash back program. We recently switched from one that was offering airline points, to a cash back card. We aren’t traveling by air nearly as much as we used to since 2020, and I’d much rather have the cash.
Our Citi card gives us 4% cash back on gas purchases. Gas is currently $4.34 in my area. I’ll get $.17 back per gallon. If I fill up my tank with 12 gallons once a week, this comes out to $106 back in one year. Not bad!
Now here’s the important part: Only do this if you are going to pay it off. Don’t rack up a big credit card debt and have to pay interest on it. That wipes out the savings you get from the cash back.
Limit Your Trips
If you have 5 errands to run, go out once and get them all done instead of making 5 trips.
Not only is it so satisfying to cross all of these things off your list at once (just me?), but you can limit your running around and save on gas by simply driving less.
Need to go to the post office? This is also a good time to hit the bank.
I have to run to the vet to pick up meds for one of my dogs, so I also made an appointment to get their nails clipped while I’m there. (Dog pic because who doesn’t like a dog pic?)
If you’re like me and forget everything on your mental to-do list, get that list on paper so you don’t forget to pick up a birthday card or prescription while you’re already out and about. There are tons of apps for list-making. I prefer the old fashioned paper and pencil.
Make The Most of the In Between Times
My kids both play soccer, so I’m forever running to practices and games. I drop them off, and then I have a good two hours before I have to pick them up. Or they have to be at their games to warm up an hour in advance.
I don’t come home anymore during this in between time. I bring something with me to make it productive and take advantage of the time that I don’t have the distractions of home.
This might mean I go for a walk and listen to a good audiobook or podcast. Sometimes I bring my Kindle or a book to read. And I often bring my laptop and get some work done.
If it works out, I’ll go to the grocery store next to their fields and get my groceries.
At the soccer practice pictured above, my son’s coaches let the boys slide through a mud puddle (they loved it). Thankfully this practice was super close to home and I made him walk, which is another effective way to save gas! ha!
When practices are a drive away, using these in between times to get something done has not only saved me running back and forth, back and forth, but it actually keeps me more productive. Win win!
Carpool
We are all feeling the pinch right now. Put your heads together with your coworkers, neighbors, fellow soccer moms, or whoever you might be able to team up with to reduce trips for everyone.
Carpooling is an easy way to save time and money. Why should two moms from the same town both drive their kids 20 minutes to soccer practice? I just chatted with a mom last night who is going to take one night for our boys, and I’ll take the other.
Tips for Saving Money on Gas
None of these things are difficult, but they do require a bit of planning ahead. In the name of not breaking the family budget on gas, I am going implement these tips as much as possible.
What other ways are you stretching your budget, on gas or anything else? I’d love to hear some simple, practical tips we can all use.
And if you really want to buckle down, try this 30 day no-spend challenge. We’ve done it a few times and it feels awesome to save so much in a month, and is also very eye opening about where our money goes.
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