Gas prices are getting crazy!! I'm starting to feel like I should stop complaining though, and enjoy how "low" they might be now in comparison to the future. I never thought I'd miss the days when it was $2.50/gal ... seems so long ago. Not to mention 8 years ago in college, when I remember filling up in Urbana for $1.18/gallon! I'd do it to save $$, thinking that the $1.25/gallon or whatever it was up by Chicago was expensive! Ha! If I only knew ...
Here are a few things I've been doing to try to save a little $$ at the pump.
1. Walking to pick M up from school whenever weather permits, which has unfortunately been like 5 times so far. =P (I would walk her TO school also, but I am not a morning-person and it seems that my children are following suit. :)
2. Grouping my errands. I almost never go in 1 direction for only 1 reason, unless I have a crying baby in the car and really need to get HOME.
3. Buying gas on Tues/Wed. This SOMETIMES saves a couple cents/gallon, but can also fail. There have been times when the price has gone down on a Friday. It's a gamble, but I would say 7/10 times it's lower mid-week.
4. Buying gas in Lake County. We are fortunate to live near the border and gas is usually at least 5 cents cheaper/gallon in Lake County than in Cook.
5. Using a loyalty program at Speedway. The closest (~3 mins. away), cheapest (see #4) gas station to our house is Speedway, which has a loyalty program. They give you a card and you just swipe it before swiping your credit card at the self-serve pumps. You can redeem points for things like cents off/gallon at your next visit, as well as other types of savings/coupons in the snack shop. They used to send A a coupon for a free pack of gum every month but haven't for a while. It's not absolutely wonderful, but if you're going to spend the $$ there anyway, you might as well get something from it, right?
Have a tip of your own? Comment please, I'd love to hear!
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