Gas under $4/gal. (if you live near a Publix)

[Montecfo]

I use Kroger fuel points all the time, too, typically getting about 20-30 cents off per gallon. Just the other day, I filled up for $3.49/gal using a 60 cent discount, which I earned after an unusually large amount of Kroger shopping in April. But I've never gotten $1.00 off per gallon. That would require me to spend $1,000/month at Kroger!

Well we do not spend close to that i assure you. But the prescriptions count $ 50 each (they cost a few dollars each) and our son shops! there exclusively-with no access to gas.

And its not always a dollar but i go once a month since prior points expire. I should track it.

 

[Mr. Tightwad]

Cheapest I've seen is $5.75.

Of course ...I don't buy any.

 

[Koolau]

Cheapest I've seen is $5.75.

Of course ...I don't buy any.

I was shocked upon return to the midwest that gas is $5. Typically, the difference between HI and midwest is a dollar. It's more like half that right now. I suppose it could be local issues.

 

[F.I.R.E User]

WFM. I spend $30 a month on gas.

 

[GTFan]

With gas prices through the roof, I try to catch every break I can. This week starting 6/2 Publix has their gas card promotion. The promotion is only good for 4 days through Sunday. They have this deal every month or two. For every $50 you spend you can buy a $50 gas card for $40. That's a 20% savings. They have many of the major brands (Shell, Mobil, Wawa, Marathon, RaceTrac, etc.). Gas around me is around $4.55/gal. Using the card I essentially will pay like $3.64/gal. I'll probably spend around $200 on my grocery bill allowing me to buy 4 cards. That should get me around 5 or so tankfuls at a nice discount. I live in Florida so there are Publix Markets everywhere.

The problem is that you eat up a lot of that savings by paying more for groceries at Publix. It's easily the most expensive store around here, I only get BOGOs there.

 

[GTFan]

I save more than $10/$50 by shopping at Aldi and SAM's club and Walmart for my groceries instead of Publix. I occasionally treat myself to a Pub Sub or Publix brand icecream (so good and still a 1/2 gallon) when it is BOGO but otherwise it's not a place for deals. The stores are nice but too expensive. I did buy 40¢ of garlic at Publix this week since I didn't want to walk further to Walmart to save 2¢. I looked around for deals on things I need/use but nothing else jumped out.

This.

 

[Tracer]

The problem is that you eat up a lot of that savings by paying more for groceries at Publix. It's easily the most expensive store around here, I only get BOGOs there.

I mostly shop at Aldi (less often Costco and Walmart). I only go to Publix to
pick up what I can't get at Aldi because they don't carry everything I need and to get some BOGO's that I like. I try to do this whenever they have the gas card promotion.

 

[Koolau]

WFM. I spend $30 a month on gas.

Driving my big old Buick around town, that would only take me 4 miles/day. Frightening. Actually that's probably not too far off what I actually drive though its more like 8 miles one day and 0 miles the next. Now, when I'm on the open road, I'd get more like 180 miles for $30 at today's prices - still kinda frightening. YMMV

 

[street]

WFM. I spend $30 a month on gas.

Interesting! I would say I'm 125$ to 175$ a month but a normal month would be around that 125 area.

 

[Koolau]

Just thinking back on my use of fuel. I had been filling my tank about once/2 months. That's roughly 6 gallons/month. That doesn't seem like much but if I multiply that by $5 that becomes $30/month. I hardly drive, so when I put it in dollar terms, it seems like a lot. Last year I was paying about half that much. So glad I don't need to drive long distances. YMMV

 

[Montecfo]

That's another thing: those long lines at Costco gas. I avoid them. Never a wait at the Harris Teeter (aka Kroger) gas pumps.

 

[F.I.R.E User]

Speaking of gas. I get 3% off my Amex preferred plus 3 cents off per gallon off Shell rewards.

 

[Scuba]

That's another thing: those long lines at Costco gas. I avoid them. Never a wait at the Harris Teeter (aka Kroger) gas pumps.

I agree. I would never make a special trip to Costco and wait for gas. I happened to be there to shop and needed gas. The line was short - only waited about a minute for a pump to free up.

 

[Scuba]

That's another thing: those long lines at Costco gas. I avoid them. Never a wait at the Harris Teeter (aka Kroger) gas pumps.

Agreed. I just happened to be at Costco the other day and line was short so I got gas there. Wouldn’t make a special trip there or wait in a really long line. Gas was 10 cents a gallon cheaper than Arco, so only around $1.50 less for a fill-up. Not worth waiting for.

 

[Car-Guy]

That's another thing: those long lines at Costco gas. I avoid them. Never a wait at the Harris Teeter (aka Kroger) gas pumps.

I live in what some may call an economic depressed area. When I go to town, I can always tell which of the 6 gas stations has the cheapest gas without looking at the prices... It's the one with lines. Sometimes two or three cars deep and across the street there's no waiting at most pumps. Price different is usually only 3 or 4 cents a gallon. Sad to see.

 

[Koolau]

I agree. I would never make a special trip to Costco and wait for gas. I happened to be there to shop and needed gas. The line was short - only waited about a minute for a pump to free up.

I certainly wouldn't drive from home to Costco gas but if Im' 2 or 3 miles away, I'll go to Costco. My heart sinks most times I pull up to Costco Gas because the lines look longs. But usually, I spend no more than 10 minutes waiting.

I'm surprised about a 10 cent difference. I don't recall less than 25 cents lower than stations around Costco. It's usually more like 40 or 50 cents. I've seen it 90 cents one time. No need to buy anything other than a membership. YMMV

 

[Montecfo]

I just see these long lines for a few cents. Not meaningful.

Of course I buy so little gas it's not much of an issue. Unless on a road trip.

 

[dheb]

Still using my Penfed cc which gives me 5% back at the gas stations. I look at gasbuddy.com once in a while but mostly it's not worth driving out of the way to save 10c if that.

I've been using Discover for 5% off, but that offer expires at the end of the month. I'll have to check my PenFed card and see if it gives me that same discount.

 

[Sunset]

I was shocked upon return to the midwest that gas is $5. Typically, the difference between HI and midwest is a dollar. It's more like half that right now. I suppose it could be local issues.

On our news yesterday, they said gas in IL was higher than HI !!

Today when I went out I saw it at $6 at some stations when I looked. I'm good for 2 more weeks.

 

[Koolau]

On our news yesterday, they said gas in IL was higher than HI !!

Today when I went out I saw it at $6 at some stations when I looked. I'm good for 2 more weeks.

Yeah, the exception in Hawaii, of course, are the Islands other than Oahu. Crude is refined on Oahu (which kinda surprised me when I first moved to the Islands.) From there, refined products (gasoline and diesel) are barged to the other Islands, so it would not be unusual for prices to be 50 cents to even a dollar more on the other Islands. Of course 80+% of Hawaii is on Oahu, so the average is probably skewed toward Oahu prices. Not even certain what prices are now - 2 weeks later, but they were $5.35 to $5.50 as I left - except at Costco's $5. YMMV

 

[Car-Guy]

This thread is a little over a week old so maybe it's time to change/update the title from "gas under $4/gal" to gas under $5/gal.

 

[Koolau]

This thread is a little over a week old so maybe it's time to change/update the title from "gas under $4/gal" to gas under $5/gal.

Right! And in another week...

 

[NW-Bound]

I just looked up GasBuddy. Regular gas at Costco: $5.35. Everybody else: $5.59.

For a 10-gallon fill up, that's $2.4.

That's 1/2 of a rotisserie chicken at Costco, and you might as well park the car to go in and grab a chicken.