Use less gas. That’s a no-brainer, we know. but there are some things you can do to make your car use gasoline more efficiently. Tire pressure, OBD sensors, the right type of oil, your AC, and your MPH are all part of this FYI article about good MPG.
Get a cash back or rewards debit or credit card. Many credit cards give some sort of rewards for purchases. Some are for any purchase, and some are for specific categories, including gasoline. Chase, Capital One, Bank of America and Citibank are among the best known, and will give you from 1% up to 6% cash back on your purchases. Some cards, like Chase and Capital One, will let you redeem your points for even more value when you travel. Here’s an amazing class to take to learn about how to save money in general while using credit cards.
Of course, if you don’t pay your balance off in full each month, you’ll quickly negate your savings. Many people find that they need to stick with a debit card to keep themselves out of debt. But you have options, too! Check out this list of debit cards with cash back rewards.
Use apps. Don’t you hate it when you buy gas at one exit, and you drive down the road and see gas .10 cheaper! There’s an app for that. With gasoline apps, you can compare gas prices near you, and head to the cheapest pump. GasBuddy and Gas Guru are the best of the lot. Other apps aren’t just for gas prices, but include them, such as GIECO Mobile, and even AAA.
Join loyalty clubs. Just like you have loyalty cards at the supermarket, gas stations offer you ways to save. Lots of stations give you .05 off each gallon of gas every time you visit. Shell’s Fuel Rewards, Speedway Speedy Rewards, BPme Rewards, Exxon Mobil Rewards , and Circle K Easy Rewards all offer you great savings on gas, and will also give you perks for food, savings off rental cars, dining out discounts, and more. They’re not loyalty clubs, but Walmart Plus and Membership clubs like Costo and BJ’s also give you discounted gas.
Credit Card/Debit Card perks. In addition to cash back, many credit and debit cards have a section of ‘offers’. You usually have to go to your online account and look at the offers, which vary from customer to customer. Once you add an offer, you’ll save according to the terms and conditions. It’s not uncommon to see $5 off $15 dollar gasoline purchase!
Stack your savings. So after you make sure you are saving money on using fuel, you can combine the savings of the other methods. Suppose you look at your favorite Gas App, and a nearby BP gas station has a better price on gas than the station at your exit. It’s $4.12. Your Chase Freedom Flex is offering 5% cash back points on gasoline purchases for this quarter. You also find a BP offer of $5 off $15 when you pump gas there. You’re a BPme Rewards member, so you’ll save .05 off every gallon.
In this scenario, in addition to finding a cheaper gas, you’re saving .05 off every gallon with BPme, making the price $4.07.
5% cash back with Chase is .20, so now your gas is 3.87.
$5 cash back with Chase Offers is off your total bill.
But you can see how the savings add up!
None of the above will make actual gas prices go down, but they’ll help you spend less on gasoline for your vehicles. And at Norris, we’ll help you keep your car in tip top shape so that it will get the best gas mileage possible. Call us today!