I Get 27¢ Off Every Gallon Of Gas

Gas prices feeling kind of bloated? I may have the Alka Seltzer for your petrol allowance. After a few weeks of idle figuring, cutting whatever corners I could, I’ve finally come up with a fairly simple system to shave about 27¢ off every gallon of gas I purchase, or roughly 10%, depending on the price at the pump. Some of you can probably do the same thing.

Here’s how I manage it.

My Discover Card kept filling my mailbox with slick flyers reminding me I get 5% cash back on all my automotive purchases. Watching the illuminated digits rise on the gas station billboards, I decided to take them up on it. I’ve been putting gas on my plastic this month (making certain I already have enough in my bank account to pay it off). With prices bouncing around $3.00, I chuckled the first time I filled my car up, obscenely pleased with the $1.50 I saved. But.

After a while, it just wasn’t enough. I wanted more savings.

So I started to actually read the brochures at my neighborhood stations. Every store has their individual plan, but I finally settled with Super America. It’s where I go anyway because (and I’m embarrassed to say this) that’s where I do my banking, as they have a Wells Fargo ATM! I grabbed one of their Speedy Rewards cards. If you buy gas at Super America, you may as well get the Speedy Rewards card. You don’t have to fill anything out—just take one, run it through the pump, and you automatically get 5¢ off a gallon. I was gleeful, cackling in the aisles. But.

Not enough! I shouted. Well, I didn’t shout, but I did keep looking. Super America has fuel gift cards, also. If I buy a gift card for $50, I get $1 off (sometimes its $2!). Boring? Think of it as an additional 2%, and just wait, it adds up. Because by using the gift card, I get 3¢ MORE off a gallon.

Grand total?

By pre-purchasing a gift card (2%) for $100 with my Discover (5%), I save 7% at the outset.
Using the Speedy Rewards (5¢) with my gift card (3¢), I save 8¢ a gallon.

Today, at the pump, gas was originally $2.78. I paid $2.70, and as I already saved 7%, that made it, essentially, $2.51. At a 27¢ savings for 10 gallons, I saved $2.70.

Go me and my rockstar self.

ADDENDUM TO POST

I've decided that that there are people who can handle credit cards responsibly, and those who can not. I am the latter! However, I need to balance my lack of financial resolve with the advantages I can glean from using a credit card. Here's what I've done.

I checked with Discover, and the 5% cash back only works for $100 of gas a month. I set up a reoccurring payment with Wells Fargo to put that $100 in my Discover account. I have it set up for the day I get paid. On that day, I'll go and buy one of the SA gift cards for $100.

I like this methodology for someone like myself, who has credit card problems. I still get the advantages, but I keep myself on a short leash. It also acts as a budgetary device. I can keep track of my gas this way. I'm thinking of setting up similar methodologies with other regular purchases, in fact.