How to Save Money on Gas | Tips to Save Money on Gas at the Pump

How to save money on gas at the pump…first, buy the right gas. Most modern cars don’t require premium gas unless they are sports cars, and buying the premium, high-octane gas won’t do anything extra for your gas mileage. There is much debate on this subject, but mechanics I have spoken to agree that the higher octane does nothing for the average car. Check with your handy dandy mechanic to see what they think about saving money on gas by using regular octane.

Join your gas station’s reward’s program. Some gas stations have nice loyalty programs. Many offer a discount off the gallon price, some just offer points for other stuff. If you can’t get the price discount you can use the points for other things to offset the price of gas.

* The Chase PerfectCard MasterCard also gives 3% cash back on gas purchases, and 6% for the first 90 days. Other purchases receive 1% cash back.
* You can earn up to 5% cash back with the Blue Cash from American Express .

Pay with cash. Some gas stations give fairly decent discounts if you pay with cash instead of a debit or credit card. I first saw this in CA - the difference was $.10 per gallon. The reason that many offer a discount when you pay for gas wtih cash is they have to pay a percent to the credit card companies everytime you charge. This fee is based on the dollar amount charged, so as gas prices go up, they gas companies actually pay more in fees.

Join Costco. They offer discount pricing to their members at their gas stations. You can save anywhere from .10-.15 per gallon depending on your area.