Average gas price $6.20/gal by end of Summer

[38Chevy454]

I have noticed that the spread between regular 87 octane $3.49-3.99/gal range and mid grade 89 octane has jumped from $.30 to $.40/gal recently. Premium 93 octane is still $.30/gal higher than mid grade. Logically that doesn't make much sense for the octane differences. However the big difference around here (Cincinnati) is that diesel is still $4.99-5.59/gal; which is about $1.50 or more per gal higher than regular gas currently. Makes a big difference in driving my diesel truck, which isn't getting driven much lately!

 

[Car-Guy]

I was in Shreveport LA yesterday and noticed that regular gas was as low as $3.01 at a Circle K.... Right across the street at an Exxon station it was $3.79. Guess which one was packed with cars?

 

[REWahoo]

I was in Shreveport LA yesterday ...

A boat visit is always entertaining and occasionally rewarding.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I have noticed that the spread between regular 87 octane $3.49-3.99/gal range and mid grade 89 octane has jumped from $.30 to $.40/gal recently. Premium 93 octane is still $.30/gal higher than mid grade. Logically that doesn't make much sense for the octane differences. However the big difference around here (Cincinnati) is that diesel is still $4.99-5.59/gal; which is about $1.50 or more per gal higher than regular gas currently. Makes a big difference in driving my diesel truck, which isn't getting driven much lately!

I have also noticed the diesel prices are wildly more than mogas. The cheapest regular I see in town is $2.99 whereas the cheapest diesel is $4.15 (and the Pilot truck stop close to us is $4.89 When an 18 wheeler gets 11 MPG on a very good day (but is closer to 7 MPG), that starts getting very expensive very quickly and well, we all have to pay for that.

 

[Midpack]

The basic Costco membership is $60/yr. The Executive Membership is an additional $60, and that membership includes a 2% "reward" on all qualified purchases. We don't buy gas at Costco as the lines are too long. However, our annual purchases over the past few years have resulted in an annual reward of $80 to $100 per year, which lowered the cost of our membership to between $20 and $40. We consider that a real bargain when you consider Costco's quality, extended guarantees and return policy.

EDIT: I failed to mention you can occasionally find a real bargain there - like the water heater I purchased for $100, including free delivery!

We've been Exec members for 4-5 years and made back our (now) $120 rebate every year, so it's worth it for us. We used to buy most of our gas at Costco as it was always $0.10-0.20/gal cheaper than other stations, but we've found a place that always beats Costco on regular price, and we get further discounts using grocery store fuel points of $0.20-0.30/gal every month, double all Summer (last month we had a $0.90/gal discount!

Gas is now down $1.00/gal or more from it's peak of $4.599/gal here...

 

[Car-Guy]

A boat visit is always entertaining and occasionally rewarding.

It was this time.... Usually I feel a bit seasick when I'm leaving the "boats".

 

[audreyh1]

We've been Exec members for 4-5 years and made back our (now) $120 rebate every year, so it's worth it for us. We used to buy most of our gas at Costco as it was always $0.10-0.20/gal cheaper than other stations, but we've found a place that always beats Costco on regular price, and we get further discounts using grocery store fuel points of $0.20-0.30/gal every month, double all Summer (last month we had a $0.90/gal discount!

Gas is now down $1.00/gal or more from it's peak of $4.599/gal here...

Same here. We purchase heavily at Costco, even when road-tripping, and occasionally online, so we easily make the membership price back (not just the executive upgrade) and then some.

It's nice that Costco car rental is also applied to your executive bonus because we've also done a great deal of that over the past 2.5 years.

No longer buying gas. But that doesn't matter.

 

[Sojourner]

I have noticed that the spread between regular 87 octane $3.49-3.99/gal range and mid grade 89 octane has jumped from $.30 to $.40/gal recently. Premium 93 octane is still $.30/gal higher than mid grade. Logically that doesn't make much sense for the octane differences.

I've wondered about that huge price spread between octane levels, too. I can easily remember when premium was only 15¢ more per gallon than regular! That was back in the days when regular gas was about $2.00/gal. Now, it's at least 70¢ more for premium. It seems to me as if the spread has increased a lot more, percentage wise, than the underlying cost for gas itself.

 

[madatrub]

I've wondered about that huge price spread between octane levels, too. I can easily remember when premium was only 15¢ more per gallon than regular! That was back in the days when regular gas was about $2.00/gal. Now, it's at least 70¢ more for premium. It seems to me as if the spread has increased a lot more, percentage wise, than the underlying cost for gas itself.

Tier 3 gasoline spec changes on RFG.

 

[jazz4cash]

Was on a trip 3 weeks ago and went into the dang Bucees to see what the hype was all about.



Wound up getting the Covid.

I drove to Austin last month and I saw all the Bucees billboards but I could never really figure out what it was. Guess I’m glad I didn’t bother to stop.

 

[aja8888]

I drove to Austin last month and I saw all the Bucees billboards but I could never really figure out what it was. Guess I’m glad I didn’t bother to stop.

Not every Bucees has free Covid.

 

[reneeh63]

... Down to $3.84 for regular here....i can live with that.

 

[Car-Guy]

Not every Bucees has free Covid.

Never got anything free at Bucees.... Not even close. And if you tell them you picked up Covid there, they'd probably try and charge you for it.

 

[aja8888]

Never got anything free at Bucees.... Not even close. And if you tell them you picked up Covid there, they'd probably try and charge you for it.

The sparkling clean bathrooms are free. But like you say, everything else is pricey. Great place to stop though.

 

[38Chevy454]

I drove to Austin last month and I saw all the Bucees billboards but I could never really figure out what it was. Guess I’m glad I didn’t bother to stop.

Buc-ee's is a huge travel stop place. Most have like 100 gas pumps. Inside is kind of Cracker Barrel on steroids. Selling all kinds of stuff. They make food onsite and it's good. Huge bathrooms inside. It's not a truck stop, no big rig fuel islands. Try stopping at one sometime, just to see for yourself. Buc-ee's is growing fast and putting in new places all the time.

 

[48Fire]

The enquiring minds want to know, so I went to the EIA Web site to get the raw data. Below is the weekly gasoline supplied in the US.

My observations:

1) The reduction of consumption is obvious in 2020, but it was not as much as I thought. This is a surprise.

2) The consumption in 2022 is LESS than in 2021.

3) The consumption since COVID is definitely less than during pre-COVID, meaning in 2018-2019.


The points 2) and 3) show that supply was definitely less than pre-COVID, causing prices to be higher yet demand is less. Of course, we already know about less crude production, and reduced refinery capacity. No mystery here.

This matches my memory. Like others, we didn't drive much in early 2020 when everything shut down. In July, 2020, we bought a camper, and drove all over the country getting 8 miles to the gallon I think we made up for the early part of the year

 

[jazz4cash]

Buc-ee's is a huge travel stop place. Most have like 100 gas pumps. Inside is kind of Cracker Barrel on steroids. Selling all kinds of stuff. They make food onsite and it's good. Huge bathrooms inside. It's not a truck stop, no big rig fuel islands. Try stopping at one sometime, just to see for yourself. Buc-ee's is growing fast and putting in new places all the time.

It’s weird because I distinctly remember LOTS of billboards with goofy characters but I never suspected it was a travel stop. I thought it was maybe like Stuckey’s. I remember being curious but it seemed like the front of the business was not visible from the interstate. Kinda lousy marketing for the clueless like me.

 

[audreyh1]

Buc-ee's is a huge travel stop place. Most have like 100 gas pumps. Inside is kind of Cracker Barrel on steroids. Selling all kinds of stuff. They make food onsite and it's good. Huge bathrooms inside. It's not a truck stop, no big rig fuel islands. Try stopping at one sometime, just to see for yourself. Buc-ee's is growing fast and putting in new places all the time.

The good thing is they give you plenty of space inside, but it can still get crazy crowded on the weekends.

This is a very informative article from 2019 if you want to understand what is going on with Buc-ee’s. https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/buc-ees-the-path-to-world-domination/

They’ve been busy installing Tesla chargers at many of their locations, so we’ve become regulars.

I saw from some online pictures that they have freshly made salads in their refrigerator cases, so I’m going to look more carefully next time. The parfaits in the case were so distracting that I didn’t take a good look at the other stuff. You can also order made to order sandwiches, tacos, etc.

 

[aja8888]

I stop at Buckees every time I am near one.......

 

[jazz4cash]

Well, I did go to HEB+ in Austin and Phoebe’s diner.

 

[Tom52]

We just completed a 16 day driving vacation from Florida to Wisconsin visiting family. The most expensive price we saw for 87 octane gasoline was in Chicago at $5.49, the highest we paid was $4.49 in Naperville,Il. The cheapest gas we bought was at a Buc-ees in Georgia at $2.99. Gasoline sure isn't cheap but it is a bit cheaper than a month ago.

 

[JoeWras]

Buc-ee's wanted to build nearby, but the county didn't allow it. The reason given was environment and traffic, but outside observers also recognized it was a culture clash of sorts.

 

[Koolau]

We just completed a 16 day driving vacation from Florida to Wisconsin visiting family. The most expensive price we saw for 87 octane gasoline was in Chicago at $5.49, the highest we paid was $4.49 in Naperville,Il. The cheapest gas we bought was at a Buc-ees in Georgia at $2.99. Gasoline sure isn't cheap but it is a bit cheaper than a month ago.

Wow, gas under $3. Has a nice ring to it. That's what it was early this year on Oahu. Back then, I thought that was high. YMMV

 

[audreyh1]

Buc-ee's wanted to build nearby, but the county didn't allow it. The reason given was environment and traffic, but outside observers also recognized it was a culture clash of sorts.

They usually pick sites outside of major metropolitan areas, but close enough to be near heavy interstate traffic. The traffic flow is thus generally confined to the on and off ramps of the interstate, away from town/city.

 

[dixonge]

I sure hope this is wrong, but I doubt it is. Obviously higher fuel prices increases the prices of almost everything else...


https://money.com/gas-prices-forecast-summer-2022/

Well, it's the end of summer and AAA says the nationwide average is $3.80

You should have doubted!