Poll:Do You Actively Comparison Shop For Gasoline?

[gooddog]

Trying to save a couple of cents per gallon on gas is the biggest waste of time there is. I remember my mother telling me how she would save what amounted to 20 cents filling the tank about 10 years ago. All she had to do for that is go into the worst part of town, hope not to get stabbed or car-jacked, and spend $1 of gas to get there. Gas is not the place to save money.

 

[CaptTom]

Some of us got here (FIRE) precisely by saving a few cents on every purchase. It adds up. For me it's at least a couple of bucks at each fill-up.

I also have a 2% back credit card. Sounds pretty insignificant, but most months I get $50 or more back. I believe I can find a better use for that $50 than the big corporations I buy from.

With gas, I'm also making a statement. Voting with my wallet. I want to reward the vendor who gives me the best deal.

It's great to have so much money that you don't care where it goes. But when you're spending every dime that comes in, you have to prioritize. If I'm going to waste it, I'm going to waste it on things I enjoy. Not gas.

I've never bought gas at a place where I felt even slightly at risk of being stabbed. Nor would I. But knowing which stations have the lowest prices near where I plan to be anyway is no bother.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

The difference between Costco and local gas stations near us is around 50 cents a gallon. We save around $20 a month on gas going to Costco plus whatever we save on groceries in the same trip. Tortillas are 8 for $4.59 at the local supermarket, 30 or $3.19 at Costco. DHs favorite bread is $5.19 locally vs $2 at Costco. It is worth it to us to go to Costco a few times a month for gas and groceries.

 

[NoMoreJob]

We buy 95% or more of our gas at Costco when at home. It's high quality (Top Tier certified) and the cheapest available (plus we use their card which gets us 4% back). When we travel we look up Costco stations and stop there whenever possible. I'd estimate that we purchase 80% of our gasoline at Costco when we're on road trips. I really have no need for a gas app.

 

[RobbieB]

I have no need for Costco.

 

[Markola]

No

 

[NoMoreJob]

I have no need for Costco.

That's fine. I'm certainly not trying to convince anyone to use them. Just stating my personal gas buying 'strategy' in response to the poll.

 

[Ronnieboy]

... I realize that the difference is often no more than a dollar or two, and do not go to any trouble over it.

+1

In my area, I know that Costco has the cheapest gas and they are pretty resilient about keeping it the lowest in a 5 mile area. I am by a Costco 5 days a week due to w*rk so the only thing that I am trying to avoid is the lines at the Costco pump Plus Costco is a top tier gas supplier.

Some times I play the Kroger game of using points, they are closer to my house but I only use them when I can get the $1 off per gallon to make it worth my while. But they aren't a top tier gas supplier

 

[Fedup]

Also buying gas at Costco, I’m getting the reward points from both Costco card and Citibank credit card. What’s not to like?

 

[LOL!]

I just don't drive enough to make it matter, plus one of the cheapest gas stations is less than a half mile from my house.

Since June, I have driven ~600 miles and filled the tank once because the car came with a full tank of gas to start with. I think it is obvious that I don't go out of my way to find the ultimo-cheapest gas, but I'm not buying expensive gas either.

 

[NW-Bound]

Costco gas price is usually the lowest in the area, but I have seen the difference being as low as only a couple of cents. That does not make it worthwhile unless I happen to drive by it in my travel.

The highest price difference I have seen was in Maui. Just now look it up to refresh my memory. Yes, the gas price at Costco in Maui is currently $3.47/gal. The Texaco nearby is $4.13. That's 66c/gal. Just to fill up a small car, the difference can be up to $10.

 

[NW-Bound]

In my RV trip, I often stop by Costco to buy grocery and fill up at the same time, if I drive by a Costco right off the highway anyway.

Here's an example. In Grande Prairie, Alberta, gas price is $1.259/liter at Costco right on the highway, while gas at nearby gas stations is $1.30/liter. I usually pump 30 gallons (114 liters) into my 55-gal tank, so that's almost $5 just for looking up the smartphone app. What's the problem?

And I want to have a break and walk around that Costco to see what special things the Canucks have to eat. What's not to like?

 

[Badger]

Drive over 20 k miles a year, fill up about every 4 days. Could go to Costco, save about $1.50 to $2.00 on 10 gallons, for me, not worth driving a mile and waiting in a line. Our good years days and minutes are slipping away. I save price shopping for non commodity things in life. Just my opinion.

PS Regular is $$3.60 to $4.05 locally these days here

I haven't checked the gas prices since Monday but at that time it was $2.72 to $2.79 where I live. Only a 7 cent/gal. difference. If we had your gas prices it would cost as much as $1.33/gal more. For us to buy gas in your area it would be an extra $20.00/15 gal fill-up. I hope you get a break on other ways to save.



Cheers!

 

[tuckeverlasting]

I save a tidy amount at my local Shell station (top tier gas) using Kroger fuel points from Fred Meyer. I pay for both groceries and gas with credit cards that give 2% back. Plus, my Honda Fit gets 31 MPG around town, and I drive well under 10,000 miles per year. Generally fill up once a month.

I have tried Gas Buddy a few times but have found it not worth the bother. Around here, Arco and Safeway seem to cost less, but I am not sure of their quality.

 

[sengsational]

You may be in the minority but you are not alone. I feel the same way.

If nobody shopped on price, there would be little motivation for price competition. So thank you dlds and others for allowing so many respondents here to ignore price on the basis of a negligible price differential. Auto fuel demand it not highly elastic, so more than a bit of my price sensitivity is rewarding the efficient seller.

 

[Gumby]

Trying to save a couple of cents per gallon on gas is the biggest waste of time there is.

I think about that every time I drive by Costco and see the enormous lines at the gas pump. There can't be a large enough discount to make it worth that wait. My time is valuable.

That said, I still commute 100 miles a day, so I use a lot of gas. On my way to and from the office there are two stations that are always the cheapest, one going in each direction, so I fill up at one of them when I need it.

 

[shortstop14]

I usually fill up at the Arco close by, which is the cheapest (other than Costco), and has the most convenient location. It's a little annoying because the credit card price is ten cents higher than cash, so I use cash - which means going inside to pay, then going back to get change. But I don't need to fill up very often. If I'm at Costco and the lines aren't ridiculous, I'll fill up there occasionally. Always fill up in Washington rather than Oregon so I can pump the gas myself.



I probably should use an app on longer trips, but I haven't. During our recent drive from Portland to Phoenix through remote SE Oregon, NE Nevada, Utah and Arizona, sometimes you get whatever gas you can regardless of price. I always fill fill up in larger towns, but sometimes I need gas in a place like Fields, Oregon or Baker, Nevada so I have to pay the price - generally when I do a lot of driving in the parks and forests.

 

[Camas Lilly]

Gas Price Shopping

I typically will check at Gas Buddy before heading out the door. I routinely save 30 to 50 cents per gallon on each tank. Well worth the extra 5 minutes and no need to go way out of the way. There's usually a cluster of 2-3 stations together that will offer the lowest prices, but location varies. Got 50 cents per gallon off just this morning at a station right off the Interstate. Otherwise Sams and Costco will have close to the lowest prices by default, but even those can be beat if you look.

 

[Floridatennisplayer]

I go to Speedway if close for the points. Rarely check prices. My main concern is convenience and safety I like a clean well lit facility in a nice area. Saving two were three cents a gallon is meaningless to me if I’m around a bunch of thugs. All of my cars require premium so I figure I’m paying extra anyway