GOSH GAS HAS GOTTEN EXPENSIVE LATELY!

I can't believe how expensive gas has gotten lately! And I am saddled with a 2006 (so, not the newest, best gas vehicle) that is a V8... ugh! Filling the tank is a KILLER!

I still remember my first tank of California Gas back in 1991 was $1.149 for PREMIUM! I WISH!!!!

So, if you catch the wind that the gas prices are going up, FILL THE TANK. You'll save money in the long run.

But, the topic today is a website (and smartphone app) called Gas Buddy.

http://www.gasbuddy.com/ or the app.

Three points on this topic.

1. You can search for the cheapest gas around you. If you are traveling somewhere and have a full or partial tank now, you can plan where you will stop to get the best prices.
2. Gas Stations have started charging different prices for cash versus credit. Now, I don't know how old YOU are, but I remember that when I was a kid, they did the same thing! They stopped it in the 80's or 90's. But they have recently brought it back in FULL FORCE! So pay cash and save!
   
   And we're going to talk about cash later, so keep this in mind...
3. On Gas Buddy - you can "report" current gas prices and get "points". every reporting gets you 150 points. You can get credit for 5 reports per day (but you can report as much as you wish). For every 1,000 points, you can get 1 ticket for a drawing (you need to "submit" for the ticket, but it's easy). Every week they run the drawing and you can win $200 in free gas! Just for reporting the gas price at the station where you stand and wait for the tank to be full. EASY!
   
   And it's legit. They show you the names, dates, and pictures of winners. And this is a long shot, but hey - what else are you doing while you wait for your tank to get full?

At the time that I'm writing this, the cheapest price reported in my area is $4.21 per gallon. The most expensive reported is $4.53 (only 4.9 miles away!). That's a 32¢ per gallon savings! I have a 17 gallon tank. I fill up at least twice a week (because of that horrible gas mileage!). Just by buying at the lower price versus the higher price, I'll save $565.76 in a year!

And, the difference between cash and credit is usually between 4¢ and 7¢ per gallon. That means, I save between $70 and $124 per year by paying with cash. (Plus, I'm not paying finance charges on it, since all of my credit cards are carrying balances right now... {sigh} )


Also, this app helps you to pay attention to if gas is staying flat, going up, or going down...


Shop your gas wisely!!!!