Save Money when You Pay Less for Gas

Most chains have a credit card that will provide a rebate or discount. Chevron is currently offering a discount of 10 cents per a gallon. If you are loyal to a particular station, it is worth checking out whatever card they offer. Some Visa or Mastercards also offer rebates or rewards such as frequent flyer miles. Some offer a percentage back on all purchases, or some like my card of choice - Citibank - ­­­ offer a rebate on all purchases with bonus rebates at gas stations.

Junk in the trunk

No, not that kind of junk in the trunk. You know the kind I'm talking about. The kind that you have "just in case", that keeps you from being able to load all your groceries in the trunk. It's doing more than just making you put your groceries in the front seat. It's adding weight, which reduces your gas mileage. Get rid of it.

An ounce of prevention is worth a dollar at the pump

OK, so I took a little poetic license with the saying, but a little maintenance does helps with more than just preventing break-downs. If you keep your engine running smoothly with regular tune-ups, and keep your tires properly inflated, you will save precious miles per gallon every day. The tool I use to check my tire pressure is a little gadget called Acu-Pressure (http://www.accupressurecaps.com/)which you screw onto your tire at the air insert. It displays a green, yellow, or red indicator, as you begin loosing pressure. If I think my tires are looking low, I can easily confirm my suspicions by looking at the color.

Shop around

It would be pointless to tell you to drive all over town so that you could find the cheapest price for the gas you just burned up. But, there are probably dozens of gas stations along your normal route. Once you figure out which ones are generally cheapest, you can make a habit of using those for small savings which really add up. In my area, there is an ARCO station which is consistently at least 10 cents per gallon cheaper than the other stations within the same area. The reason they are cheaper at this station is that they can keep their overhead low by only taking cash or debit cards, and they charge a fee to accept debit cards. I still save money by using my debit card, but I save even more by using cash.

Some websites, like GasBuddy, help users comparison shop the local prices, but your experience, and the accuracy of the information, will vary.

Skip the snacks

Even if you can't improve your gas mileage, you can save money at the pump by staying at the pump! Pay at the pump with your credit card (the cash-friendly Arco also takes cash at the pump like a vending machine) and do not go inside that aptly named convenience store. Your wallet and your waist line will thank you.