Gas Cards??

[abchilds]

Me and a friend are going on a 4300 mile 12 day road trip where we have allocated $700 for gas. I plan on getting a tune up before leaving. Are gas cards worth it? I wouldnt mind opening an account for those two weeks and just paying the bill when we return if it would be worth it. What about prepaid gas cards? Any other way to save on gas prices per gallon?

[Lifemagician]

There are two types of cards. Do you mean, open an account with a certain chain? or a loyalty card, which gives you a minimal discount at some outlets?

The latter is not a bad idea, so long as it does not stop you from comparitive shopping. You have a discount card for outlet A... but can find that even so, fuel is cheaper at outlet B.

I have never considered opening an account with a chain as a good idea. Not only does it give you a false surety of how much you are spending, but, as above, it stops comparitive shopping, and could even find you low on fuel without an outlet nearby. Unlikely, but possible.

By all means go for the loyalty card, but think twice about opening an account.

Lifey who uses loyalty cards sparingly

[abchilds]

That answered my question. Thanks!

[Midwest Michael]

There are a couple options you could also look at.

Some companies will give you a discount or extra loyalty points for using a prepaid/gift card. Walmart, for example, give a 3 cent per gallon discount on fuel purchases with a gift card. Some Grocery Store chains have similar programs, and Also if you are already a Sams or Costco member, they often have cheaper gas.

Also, some companies are doing discount programs with debit cards. I have questions about the safety/security of the programs, but if you wanted to get a discount from a chain without signing up for a credit card, that's an option.