Fighting Summertime Gas Prices
Researching Gas Prices Can Save Big Bucks
Okay, so gas prices have taken a bit of a dip in my area -- I guess I'm one of the lucky few since about a half an hour from here, there's no sign of gas prices coming down at all. So what can you do to make sure you're not paying more than you have to? Gas price finders may be the answer.
The Crazy World of Gas Prices
How different are gas prices from one town to the next? It can be quite staggering. Let's say you live in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. That's right on the state line between Wisconsin and Illinois. Right now gas prices are about $2.95 a gallon for regular unleaded in that area.
Now, let's say you live in Libertyville, Illinois (which is like a 30 minute drive from Pleasant Prairie). You're going to pay a whopping $3.30 a gallon for regular unleaded. That's a 35 cent a gallon difference in gas prices from one place to the other. If you're like me and you drive a big vehicle (my tank holds about 40 gallons) you're talking about a savings of about $15 each time you fill up. Over the course of a year, that can really add up.
Planning Counts
Now, if I live in Libertyville am I going to drive a half hour out of my way to fill up in Pleasant Prairie? No. But if I'm going to be in Pleasant Prairie anytime soon, that's where I'm going to fill my tank. With some planning, you can make sure you fill your tank where gas prices are lowest.
So how do you know if gas prices twenty minutes away are significantly less than gas prices by you? There are a few different tools that I use. These sites will let you search gas prices by area, and they're usually pretty accurate: