How to Save Money when Buying Gas
The price of gasoline seems to go up every day, taking an ever bigger chunk out of your automotive budget. We at Sport Cadillac at Spring Silver, MD, feel the pain because we all drive cars as well. But we’ve discovered a few tricks to saving money when buying the needed fuel.
Get help from a buddy.
The most obvious way to save money on gas is to find a station near you that has the lowest prices. You don't have to drive from location to location to discover such a place. Instead, consult with GasBuddy, which is available on a website or as an app that you can download to your iPhone or Android smartphone.
You can search by your current location or by entering the name or ZIP code of a city. It then lists the gas stations near you and their latest fuel prices as reported by current users. You can filter the list by specifying the gas type, payment method, and station brands.
Buy a fuel-efficient vehicle.
A fuel-efficient vehicle that gets 30 miles per gallon will have you spending less on gas than a guzzler that only manages 18 miles per gallon.
•At our dealership, the vehicle with the best mileage is the 2022 Cadillac CT4 sedan, which rewards you with up to 34 MPG on the highway and a combined 27 MPG.
•If you prefer an SUV, the 2022 Cadillac XT4 gives you a combined 26 MPG with up to 30 MPG on the highway.
•If you want to avoid dealing with gasoline altogether, you can go for the all-electric 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ. It's estimated to get up to 300 miles of range on just one charge or up to 76 miles of range for about 10 minutes of DC fast charging from a public station. It will be available for ordering on May 19.
Stick to cash.
While credit cards are a convenient way to pay for gas, they usually receive a surcharge of 10 cents or more per gallon. That can add as much as $4 to the total price every time that you fill up a large truck or SUV. You can avoid that addition by using cash to pay for your fuel.
If you want the convenience of a credit card with the savings of cash, use a debit card. Many stations charge you the same price as cash for a debit card. You will be charged a fee for using the card but it usually amounts to about 35 cents for the entire transaction.
Join a rewards program.
To instill loyalty to their brand, many gas station chains and supermarkets have a fuel rewards program. Although the rules differ by program, with gas brands, you generally receive a discount per gallon, if you maintain a certain spending level with a brand. With supermarkets, you earn points for every $1 you spend. You then redeem those points for a discount per gallon.
You can also sign up for credit cards that earn you reward points when you buy gas or give you cash back on your fuel purchases. Be sure to read the rules carefully to see what’s involved and pay off your gas charges in full each month. Otherwise, you’ll end up paying interest, which negates any savings you may receive.
Combine your trips.
Instead of running several short errands in your car throughout the day, plan on combining them into one long trip. One long trip saves as much as 50 percent of the gas that you use on several short trips of equal mileage because a warm engine runs more efficiently than a cold one. In addition, you won’t be wearing down your vehicle as much and spewing fewer emissions into the air.
Keep your tires inflated.
Underinflated tires decrease mileage, so keep them filled to the right air pressure. If your car doesn’t have a Tire Pressure Monitoring System, you can check the air pressure with an inexpensive tire gauge that you buy at your auto parts store. The recommended pressure will be listed in your owner’s manual or on the driver’s side door jamb. If you don’t have enough pressure, fill your tires with the air pump at your gas station.
