Tips For Squeezing The Most Out Of Each Fill-Up At The Gas Pump

Written by Andrea on April 20, 2008 | Comments (1)

As gas prices continue to rise, I find myself being a miser when it comes to gas.

For example, if someone wants a ride that is on the way, I hint about chipping in on gas. (They usually find someone who is going their way.) If I forget something at the grocery store, I don't make a special trip back to the store. I have a strict gas budget and will not budge on it.

My reason for being so miserly when it comes to gas is my refusal to bow to higher prices than one's ability to pay for gas. But all the same, paying exorbitant gas prices is not my idea of a good time.

Besides the gas savings adjustments mentioned above, there are other things I have done to squeeze as much out of the gas pump at each fillup as possible...

One thing I do is to make note of the cheapest gas stations in my community. Then I only buy gas at those stations. This doesn't mean that I waste a gallon of gas to save a few pennies though. It means that I time my gas purchases so that I don't run out of gas until I will be in the particular neighborhood where gas is cheapest. Just in case I don't make it, there are backup gas stations that I use.

Another thing I began doing awhile back is to pay close attention at the gas pump itself:

First of all, I pay for my gas inside the station instead of at the pump. Why? Because I have been victim of credit card theft through devices added to gas pumps. Also, many gas stations in my area will put a hold on your card for $50 even if you are only getting $20 worth of gas. The hold will stay there for several days.

Something I've noticed (when I pay for my gas inside the station, rather than at the pump) is that the gas pump clicks off before it dispenses the full amount of gas that I have paid for. So I find myself having to squeeze the pump 3 or 4 times in order to obtain the full amount of gasoline that I am due. In previous years, I probably would not have paid attention and lost about $.50 to $1.00 worth of gasoline. Now, when I am satisfied that the number on the gas pump has reached the amount of money I have paid, I give the pump and extra squeeze and even a little shake to make sure all my gas goes in my car and not on the ground.