Saving Money at the Convenience Store

If you are anything like me then you probably spend more money then you'd like in the local convenience store. It's not like I want to but hey, sometime you just need a Mountain Dew and even without factoring in gas, certain items are just cheaper at the convenience store. That doesn't mean that you can get by without paying attention to what you're buying. Here are three simple ways to save money at the convenience store.

Money Saver #1: Fountain Soda

Having a Mountain Dew craving? Have you noticed the price of cans and bottles of sodas getting higher and higher almost every time you go into the convenience store? Cans and bottles may be convenient but they certainly aren't the most cost effective option. A 20 ounce bottle of Mountain Dew at the store nearest me is $1.49. At the same time a 20 ounce cup of fountain soda (which has Mountain Dew as an option) is only $.89. In fact, a 44 ounce cup of fountain soda is only $1.29; more then twice the soda from less money. That one is a no brainier.

Money Saver #2: Frequent shopper points

Many convenience stores offer frequent shopper cards were you can earn points on purchases to get free products or reduced prices. It might be a bit of pain to have to sign up and swipe your card every time but some frequent shopper points add up fast. At the convenience store near my house you earn a free fountain drink after you've purchased six of them. It may sounds silly but that's a free soda once a week just for doing what I'm already doing. It's not just soda at most places either but sandwiches, candy, pizzas, gasoline and anything else you can think of that count towards free products. Suddenly swiping that card doesn't sound like such a waste of time any more, does it?

Money Saver #3: Refills

Splurge once and buy yourself a refillable mug. It might look dopey to carry around a mug but ask yourself does it look any sillier then carrying around a bottle of soda or a cup of coffee? And more importantly, you can save serious cash. Many convenience stores offer refills at a cheaper rate to encourage customers to come back and save them the cost of buying those disposable cups. That's right, with the mug not only can you save money on that giant cup of Mountain Dew but you can also help the environment.

The Point...

All of this might seem a little silly. Oh, save a quarter here or a dollar there. Big deal right? Save just a buck a week and that's $52 still in your pocket at the end of the year. Save two bucks a week and that's over $100 you've saved just by doing what you already do but doing it smarter.