When saving money doesn't make sense, just cents.

[Tyler]

The other day I needed to get gas for my car.  I pulled up to an intersection that had an Arco on one corner and a Chevron in the other corner.  As a habit I looked at the price per gallon and noticed that Arco was 4 cents cheaper than Chevron on  per gallon basis.  I also noticed that there was about a 5 minute wait to get my car into one of the pumps.  Being that I'm not a big fan of waiting, I thought, "Screw saving money, I'm just going to go to Chevron."

I was pumping my gas immediately after pulling into the station - I was the only car there - and was watching everyone at Arco get frustrated about people taking too long.  Then it dawned on me.  It takes about 10 gallons to fill up my car.  So, even if I were to fill up at Arco, I'd only save about 40 cents.  But, then I realized that I had to pay with my debit card, which costs 45 cents to do at Arco.  So really, I would have ended up LOSING 5 cents and waiting 5 extra minutes for my gas.

Later that day I was driving by Costco, which I saw was 7 cents cheaper than I paid at Chevron.  That got me thinking about the people I know that go out of their way to get gas at Costco to save money.  When in reality, if they have a 20 gallon tank, they are only saving about $1.40  by going to Costco, versus buying at the "high priced" Chevron.  And if you add in the amount of extra time and gas to get there and back, it really doesn't make any sense, or cents, at all!

Anyways, I just thought I'd share my thoughts on what I learned that day.

[JDog]

Tyler you have described what I see and have known for years bro! Well said.

Aint it a joke how confused consumers are when it comes to the pump?

[SLYinKC]

Great info Tyler.  I started using one of the "Gas" credit cards.  I have one from Discover and one from Citibank.  They both give me 5% back per gallon.  That can be between .10 - .15 per gallon.

[danyroo]

Great information Tyler.. in the past I wouldn't bother going to the US for gaz. due to the exchange. but our days. well let me tell you I save at least 20 to 23$ each fill up.

in town we pay arround 1.04$ per litre, on the US witch is just 3 min. away.. cost me from 73 to 75cents a litre.. and the also the Milk.. wow.. we pay 7$ for a gallon in town. where in US it's only 3 something. so each week I save at least 30$ even more as we both have a vehicle. so comes out to 50$ approx.

Local business arround here say buy locally.. yes on certain Items I will buy in CND, but BUT... why should I pay sometimes 4 time the price for the same thing same brand.

Example: needed a oxygen sensor for my wife's pathfinder locally I would have paid 499.00 plus tax.
So I crossed the bridge went to VIP autocentre and got it there the exchange rate at the time was about 30% to 35%. once at the cnd customs paid the taxes on it...total cost 89.00cnd funds.  That's a saving of 484.85$ now that's saving........heheehe sorry if my reply is long.. but just wanted to had it to your thread.

[Tyler]

Wow Danny, that crazy that you can save that much in just a short drive.  That I can understand.

[Tyler]

Tyler you have described what I see and have known for years bro! Well said.

Aint it a joke how confused consumers are when it comes to the pump?

Yeah, it is crazy. 

[Stu]

Getting back to gas, be careful with gas at non-gasoline business stations.  I used to get gas at a Kroger grocery because I could get 10 cents off per gallon, and their price was lower than others already.  Well, it took a long time for me to realize, but it was crappy gas.  I was getting 3 mpg less using Kroger gas than a name brand like Shell, so I was actually not saving any money; it was costing me more due to the reduced mileage.  Bottom line... check your mileage if you're getting gas at grocery stores, Sam's Club, Costco, etc.  It may not be as great a deal as you think.

[Tyler]

Good point Stew!

[jusbnme]

I'm glad you brought this up Tyler.  I'm always laughing at people that get so crazy and flustered about some big gas savings.  Because most of the time it's way out in bum**** and it would for sure cost you more to drive there than if you would just get the more expensive stuff right around the corner.  I guess some people are so about saving money all they see is the "dollar signs."  My mother-in-law is a perfect example.  She's one of these kind of people that would go toe to toe with you and wrestle you for a penny laying on the ground.  She calls us all the time to tell us about a low priced gas station that's at least 10 miles away from us.  Sometimes more.  I have about 5 gas stations about 2 minutes from my house.  A perfect example...She called here about a month ago and told us about a gas station that is about 20 minutes away from where we live that had gas cheaper than around our immediate area.  Now why on earth would I drive that far away to waste the gas that she thinks I'd be saving when I get there.   

[JDog]

  Now why on earth would I drive that far away to waste the gas that she thinks I'd be saving when I get there.   

Yeah you gotta love Mother In Laws eh Lance They only want whats best but at times they can just be too much!

[wpruitt]

Getting back to gas, be careful with gas at non-gasoline business stations.  I used to get gas at a Kroger grocery because I could get 10 cents off per gallon, and their price was lower than others already.  Well, it took a long time for me to realize, but it was crappy gas.  I was getting 3 mpg less using Kroger gas than a name brand like Shell, so I was actually not saving any money; it was costing me more due to the reduced mileage.  Bottom line... check your mileage if you're getting gas at grocery stores, Sam's Club, Costco, etc.  It may not be as great a deal as you think.

Yeah ... I made that mistake this summer.  The Jeep knocked like ______

[jusbnme]

  Now why on earth would I drive that far away to waste the gas that she thinks I'd be saving when I get there.   

Yeah you gotta love Mother In Laws eh Lance They only want whats best but at times they can just be too much!

For sure bro. 

[PBurke]

gotta love a company truck with company credit cards.

[Alexander215]

One of my uncles fills up a tank whenever it's cheapest, then fills up from home.

[Scott]

Getting back to gas, be careful with gas at non-gasoline business stations.  I used to get gas at a Kroger grocery because I could get 10 cents off per gallon, and their price was lower than others already.  Well, it took a long time for me to realize, but it was crappy gas.  I was getting 3 mpg less using Kroger gas than a name brand like Shell, so I was actually not saving any money; it was costing me more due to the reduced mileage.  Bottom line... check your mileage if you're getting gas at grocery stores, Sam's Club, Costco, etc.  It may not be as great a deal as you think.

Actually Stew, I used to work in management for Kroger when they first started opening fuel centers in the southeastern/midwestern part of the country, and at the time they purchased their gas from Shell.  Not sure if that's still the case, but I saw several corporate e-mails on the subject and Shell was the provider for most of the stores in  most of the country.