At the station where I buy gasoline, there are new signs warning that credit card companies impose $50-75 USD limits on pay-at-the-pump transactions.
What?
Not very long ago, few of us would have dreamed of shelling out $50 to refuel a vehicle. But the SUV boom, sky-high crude prices and limited refining capacity all contribute to a season that leaves many of us perplexed at the pump.
This is not a story about oil exploration, oil company profits or Middle Eastern politics. For those who are interested, the U.S. government has compiled a 42-page document that details how prices are set. Happy reading.
The goal here is to look at ways for limiting this service station sticker shock. It's becoming more difficult, but it's still possible.
Click "next" at the bottom right of this page to read more, or follow the annotated links below:
Few things are more foolish than driving all over town to save a few cents on the price of gasoline. But what if you could do the shopping without leaving your computer screen?
In the years since the long gas lines of the 1970s, the world has seen the advent of the Internet, the Superstore and the Grocery Discount Card. Each now lends credibility to the previously dubious concept of gasoline shopping.
A few turns of the screw or shots of air pressure could save you lots of money. If you don't believe it, consider the benefits of increasing miles per gallon by five: it adds 75 miles of driving to the typical tank of gas. With gas prices high, it can cost $7.50 USD to travel that distance. Multiply that by the number of times you fill up the tank, and the savings can surpass $350 per year.
That money will be more fun to spend at the cruise counter than at the neighborhood gas station, right?
Most of us waste gas with inefficient driving patterns.
That's just around town. How many more miles are wasted when we go on vacation, and routes are unfamiliar?
Fortunately, there are planning tools designed to minimize those wasted miles. It can usually be done without sacrificing any enjoyment.
