Gas Prices Are Up – Here's How to Save
You already know this: gas prices are up. Way up.
How much does gas cost?
The national average has swung up to $3.16 for regular unleaded according to AAA. And prices vary based on where you live – and even those vary too. The highest average prices are in California, at almost $4.83 per gallon, while in Kansas and Missouri, it’s about $2.85 per gallon.
There are a few reasons why prices are up (including Vladimir Putin’s devastating war in Ukraine). At WorkMoney we’re:
Calling on Congress and the president to pass a real plan to address high gas prices.
Watching oil companies closely, so they don’t unfairly jack up our prices.
We also launched a discount program with gas coupons to help you save.
We also found a few more things you can do today to save at the pump.
First, drive differently
You need to get to work, you need to buy groceries, you need to drive. So we don’t find it particularly helpful to hear that ways to save include “cut back on driving” or “drive less.” We won’t say that here.
But according to Consumer Reports, driving a little differently might help.
You can:
Slow down. Keep it under 75 miles per hour. Otherwise, you’re fighting wind resistance, and that eats up gas. And…
Check your tire pressure (which you can usually do for free). The right tire pressure means the car is driving as efficiently as it can.
Next, shop around… with apps
We just learned on this map that not only are gas prices different in each state, they’re different in each town. So a gas station a few blocks away could actually be cheaper than the one you’re used to going to.
However, no one has time to drive around to look for gas – and driving around to look for gas is a waste of gas.
Start by checking out Google Maps or Waze and searching for gas in the search bar, it will list gas prices.
You can also use gas apps to shop. (Consumer Reports lists AAA and Gas Guru.)
A lot of the apps are free, and the ones we downloaded let you see things by distance and price. So before you leave the house, you can check out if there’s a gas station on your route that’s significantly cheaper than your normal stop.
Finally, buy the right gas
Not all gas is the same and you probably knew that. Premium gas, which costs more, doesn’t mean it’s better for your car. In fact, AAA says that a lot of drivers are wasting money by buying that more expensive gas.
A lot of cars run just fine and are designed for regular fuel. So look up what gas is actually best for your car because it could be cheaper. Using this math from Consumer Reports, you could be paying almost $10 more for a 15-gallon fill-up using the premium stuff. That adds up.
We hope this helps, at least a little, the next time you’re filling up.
Need help paying for gas?
Check out WorkMoney, to get coupons for gas stations in your town.
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