Don't be Bamboozled by Lower Prices @ the Pump!

"Really? Are you sure?"I questioned my Hubby as made a James Bond-like u-turn in the middle of a crowded boulevard last night. He was certain that he'd eyed a sign touting gasoline at just $2.37 a gallon. We almost took out three Punks and a Goth that were bicycling their ways from club to club. Apparently they think it's better to be drunk behind the handle bars than the wheel--but it's a great way to save gas!

Anyway, my husband was right about the price and we filled the tank for about $10 less than we had just two weeks prior. By "we" I mean "he". I almost never have to touch the filthy handle of a gas pump because I am loved and spoiled!

Do you remember the last time gas was under $3 per gallon? According to AAA, it's been about 7 months. It's about 25% of the price just a few months ago. And many people view the savings that way - as if they now have to spend 3/4 of what they were paying to fill their tank. I don't view myself as a pessimist, but as a realist when I view it as still costing me 33% more than a year ago.

We are a frugal gas family. We do our very best to stretch our gasoline budget as far as we can and these are some the lesser known tricks that we use to do that.


Wants vs. Needs

Good stewardship requires that you determine your wants vs. your needs when you shop, however you also have to determine your wants vs. needs when you are going shopping. Ask yourself the following questions before you pull out of your driveway:

• Do I really need to go on that errand?
• Do I really need to go on that errand today?
• Would it be more efficient to piggy back it onto another trip that I have to make?
  
  

Route Your Day

If I don't know the shortest routes between point A and point B (and C and D and...) I Mapquest it. http://www.mapquest.com/ Just plug in the stops in a logical order and it will spit out step by step directions to guide you through your entire route.


Trade Cars for the Day

This is the one that seems to surprise people the most. Generally speaking, you probably have a car that you consider "your" car and your husband probably sticks to driving "his" car everyday. We recently put an end to that mind set in our household. We decided that whoever is going to drive the most miles in a particular day drives the car that gets the best mileage. Some days I drive the wagon, some days I drive the van. It took a bit of adjustment and it requires a bit of advanced planning, but the potential savings can really add up.


Pay Attention to your Hubby's Route

My husband has started running a lot more of the errands for me. Often he is going to drive past the post office and the library on a day that I am going the opposite direction. He'll run in to pick up my hold items and ship a package that ordinarily I would have taken care of while he was at work.


Be Neighborly

Tell your neighbors when you are running to the grocery store or Walmart. Ask them what you can pick up for them. Once you have made the effort to pick something up for them, you can feel free to ask them to get something for you the next time you know they are going out. As it becomes habit, everyone benefits.

Also, my neighbors and I have started doing a lot more borrowing across the fence. Instead of sending our hubbies to the market, we send our kids across the street if we need a bit of milk for the morning or a few eggs to make supper.


Check for the Lowest Gas Prices

MSN has a fabulous website. Just enter your zip code to find the 30 lowest gas prices in your neighborhood.

http://autos.msn.com/everyday/gasstations.aspx

It's also fabulous for road trips. Plan ahead where your stops will be, find the best gas price and then print out the map. This eliminates the previously inevitable driving around a town you don't know in hopes of stumbling across a good price. So, you aren't wasting gas to find a station and you know you are getting a grand deal.

Leave a comment and share your best gas budget stretching tip! I'd love to hear them!