How to Save Money on Gas - Vital Dollar (2024)

Gas is a major expense for most of us, and you may feel like there’s nothing you can do about it since you need to get around and you have no control over gas prices. But the truth is, there are a number of different ways that you can save money on gas.

In this article we’ll look at 20 different tips that will help you to save hundreds of dollars every year.

Some are simply changes to the way you buy gas. Some are changes to they way you drive or plan your trips. And others will be relevant to you when it comes time to buy a vehicle, whether it’s new or used.

By following these tips you’ll save a ton of money on gas, and you’ll have more to save and invest for your future.

Want to see even more ways to save? Be sure to check out my article 101 Practical and Realistic Ways to Save Money.

Save Money on Gas – 20 Realistic Ways

1. Use GasBuddy to Find the Best Price

GasBuddy is a really handy mobile app that makes it easy to find the best gas prices in your area. Simply open up the app and it will show you the gas station with the best price near you. The app is free to download and use, and you may be surprised by the difference in prices between gas stations within the same town.

2. Pay with GasBuddy

In addition to helping you find the lowest price, GasBuddy also offers a program that allows you to save money on every gallon of gas purchased. It’s free to join and you’ll get a card in the mail that works like a debit card attached to your checking account. When you pay with this card you’ll save at least $.05 per gallon ($0.10 per gallon for your first fill up). You can also link Pay with GasBuddy to a free Shop Your Way account and get $0.15 per gallon in points, or $0.30 per gallon during your first 60 days. The details are on GasBuddy’s website.

→ Sign up for “Pay with GasBuddy” and enter referral codeEEXM8PB when creating your account.

3. Use a Good Rewards Credit Card

Since gas purchases total up to be a significant amount for most of us, this is a great way to rack up some credit card rewards. In order to get the most bang for your buck, you’ll need a good rewards credit card. I use a credit card that pays2% cash back for every purchase. There are a few different 2% cash back cards available (you can compare them and others here).

Alternatively, there are some credit cards that offer increased rewards specifically for gas purchases. The only downside is, this means more credit card accounts to manage. So you can either go with a credit card that earns a high percentage of cash back on every purchase, or get another card to use only for gas purchases.

→ See an overview of the best rewards credit cards here.

4. Get a Chase Freedom Credit Card

The Chase Freedom credit card offers 1% cash back on all purchases, but each quarter there is a specific category that earns 5% cash back. The 5% categories change each quarter, but typically each year includes one quarter when you can get 5% cash back on gas purchases. I’ve had the card for about 5 years, and I think every year there has been a 5% offer on gas purchases (although there is no guarantee that will continue in the future).

That 5% cash back is as good an offer as you’ll find anywhere. Even if you only use the card for the 5% offers (that’s what I do), it’s worth having in your wallet. There is no annual fee for the card, and right now you can get a $150 bonus just for opening an account.

→ Learn more about the Chase Freedom card and get a $150 bonus.

5. Use the Trunow App for Cash Back on Each Gas Purchase

Trunow is another free mobile app that, like GasBuddy, shows you the location of stations with the lowest gas prices in your area. BUT, Trunow is also a cash back app. All you need to do is use the app to take a photo of your gas receipt and you’ll earn 1-2% cash back. It’s really easy, and you can do this on top of paying with GasBuddy or using a rewards credit card. I just found Trunow about a month ago and it’s already become one of my go-to apps. I’ll gladly take an easy, extra 1-2% cash back.

→ Use the referral code R7N8DR to get a $0.50 bonus just for installing Trunow on your phone.

6. Use Store/Station Rewards Cards and Programs

A lot of gas stations have their own rewards cards and programs. Sometimes this is an actual credit card that you use to make a payment, and in other cases it may be a loyalty card that will reduce the cost, allow you to earn rewards points for your purchases, or both.

The gas station in my area that I typically use is Sheetz, and they have a loyalty rewards card. With the card I get a $0.03 discount per gallon of gas, plus I earn some points that can be used towards food or drinks. At the current price, that $0.03 per gallon is about a 1% discount. It’s not a lot, but I can still pay with GasBuddy or a rewards credit card, and I can still use Trunow for extra cash back.

Some grocery stores also have their own gas stations, or relationships with local gas stations. With a loyalty card you can earn discounts on gas when you purchase a certain dollar amount of groceries. It’s not worth shopping at a higher-priced grocery store just to get these rewards, but if the grocery store that you normally shop at offers these perks it’s a bonus.

→ Related reading: How to Stack Rewards and Cash Back

7. Take Advantage of Warehouse Clubs

Some warehouse clubs like Costco or BJs offer low prices on gas. If you have a membership, you may be able to buy gas here cheaper than the other stations in your local area. We have a BJs membership and they typically have the lowest price in our area. It’s not really close to our house, so I only fill up there when I’m driving by.

You wouldn’t want to pay for a membership just for the cheaper price on gas, but if you already have a membership you may want to buy gas here when you can.

→ Related reading: 12 Simple Ways to Get Free Walmart Gift Cards

8. Drive Less

No doubt, the most effective way to save money on gas is simply to drive less. Cut back on unnecessary trips and you’ll see your gas expenses drop noticeably. Here are some quick tips that can give you some ideas about how you can drive less without a drastic impact on your lifestyle:

• Combine trips and plan ahead. Plan your shopping trips, appointments, and errands so you can do multiple things on each trip rather than driving across town just to go to one store.
• Car pool. If you have a co-worker that lives in your area, consider riding together and you’ll cut your gas expenses driving to work in half.
• Walk or ride a bike. Whenever possible, try a more physical mode of transportation. Of course, it depends on where you live and where you’re headed, but driving isn’t always the only option. You can get exercise and save money at the same time.
• Staycation instead of vacation. Road trips can be a lot of fun, but they can also rack up the gas expenses and put a lot of miles on your car. Instead, consider staying home and find things to do in your local area with only short drives.
• Shop online. By shopping online, instead of driving to stores, you can save time and money. Use Rakuten and you can earn a significant amount of cashback on purchases at thousands of different websites (get a $10 bonus just for signing up for Rakuten through this link).

9. Buy Regular Gas

Don’t pay more for premium gas unless your vehicle requires it. Most cars these days are designed to run on regular gas, so you’re just wasting money if you’re buying more expensive gas thinking it will be better for your car.

10. Slow Down

By driving fast you’ll burn more fuel, and spend more money to get to the same place. Slow down a little, you’ll get better gas mileage, and you’ll save some money. Also accelerate slowly and steadily. Avoid slamming on the gas to speed up quickly (unless it’s necessary to avoid an accident, of course).

11. Keep Some Distance from the Car in Front of You

Constant braking is bad for gas mileage. If you’re tailgating or following the car in front of you too closely, you’ll need to brake often in order to avoid accidents. Instead, allow a comfortable distance from the car in front of you, and you’ll need to brake less frequently.

12. Keep the Windows Up

Having the windows down is very bad for the aerodynamics of the vehicle, and will negatively impact your gas mileage. Keep the windows up and you’ll save money.

13. Minimize Use of Air Conditioning

Running the air conditioner is also bad for gas mileage. Minimize use of the AC as much as possible if you want to get the best gas mileage possible. Of course, depending on where you live and the current weather, there are times when the AC is a necessity. But when it’s not necessary, try using the vent instead.

14. Keep the Tires Properly Inflated

Underinflated tires will result in poor gas mileage. Check your owner’s manual to see the recommended air pressure (a lot of times it is also listed right on the tire) and check the air pressure frequently. Weather changes can easily cause the air pressure to vary a few PSIs (pounds per square inch), so be sure to check it.

15. Turn the Car Off if You’ll Be Sitting for a Few Minutes

If you’re going to be sitting still for more than a couple of minutes, turn off the car instead of idling. For example, if you’re waiting in a parking lot while a friend or family shops, turn off the car. Idling wastes gas and increases pollution.

16. Buy a Fuel-Efficient Car

When it comes time to buy a car, pay attention to the fuel efficiency. With new cars it’s very easy to research the typical gas mileage (it’s always listed). Even with used cars, you can do a simple Google search to see the typical gas mile for year, make, and model that you’re considering.

I wouldn’t recommend going out and buying a new (or used) car just to get something that is more fuel efficient, but when you’re looking at cars it’s definitely a significant factor that you should consider.

17. Buy a Manual Transmission Car

Manual transmissions tend to get better gas mileage than automatic transmissions, so that’s another factor to keep in mind. They’re also cheaper to buy, and typically cheaper to maintain since you won’t need to replace the transmission.

18. Change the Filters Regularly

Clean filters will be more fuel efficient and will save you money, so be sure to replace the filters when needed.

19. Warm Up the Car for Shorter Periods of Time

In the winter it’s common to let a car run for a few minutes before starting to drive. Today’s cars don’t need to warm up for a long time before they’re ready to go. The longer you wait, the more gas you are using.

20. Don’t Wait Until You’re Almost Out of Gas

Get in the habit of filling up your tank before the tank gets too low. Don’t wait for the light to let you know that you need gas. If you’re waiting till the last minute you’re always going to be buying gas wherever you are, regardless of whether it is a good price or not. If you’re thinking ahead you can fill up when you’re near gas stations that have the best prices.

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