Higher gas prices are about to make summer getaways a little more expensive this year. We’re ignoring the typical tips that rarely make a difference (“declutter your trunk,” really?) and giving you price discounts that really add up, from saving a dime a gallon or more on gas to over 50 cents a gallon on diesel.
Punch it, let’s go.
Cheapest gas station finder apps
GasBuddy searches for the best prices near you, even if you use the free version of the app. Select the grade you’re looking for (regular, premium, etc.), and you’ll see a range of prices near you from lowest to highest.
All prices are crowdsourced in real time by the 2.5 million GasBuddy cardholders, and you can update prices yourself if you see a change. Each station shows the current price and the GasBuddy discount, so you can see whether it’s worth stopping. When you find one you like, you “activate” the discount with the app and use a GasBuddy debit card to pay.
There is also a premium version of the app that costs $9.99 a month, but you will need to see if your savings outweigh the subscription fee.
One note of caution: A recent software update is causing a rash of negative reviews. Hopefully, GasBuddy is addressing these issues.
Another option may already be on your phone: Google Maps displays gas prices when you select “Gas” from the “Search here” bar. We’re not sure just how accurate those prices are. And the new “Ask Maps” feature shows a list of nearby gas stations with prices when you ask for the “cheapest gas near me” or “along my route.”
Read more: When will gas prices go down? Brace for ‘most volatile summer at the pump in years.’
Cash-back rewards apps and credit cards
Upside is one of the leading free cash-back gas apps. You select an offer in the app, pay with your regular credit or debit card, and then claim your cash-back rewards through the app. The available offers aren’t just for fuel; they can include groceries and dining deals too. When we checked, there were cash-back offers of 6 cents per gallon of gas in St. Louis, plus up to 20% back and more on dining.
Gas card rewards programs such as Shell Fuel Rewards and Exxon Mobil Rewards+ can give you 3 to 10 cents off per gallon.
Credit card rewards programs can also be used to earn cash back on gas purchases. Just watch out for annual fees that might eat up those rebates.
Read more: Best credit cards for gas
Membership programs offering fuel discounts
There are many grocery stores and wholesale clubs that offer “fuel points” or straight-up cash discounts of 10 to 30 cents per gallon. Walmart+ members get 10 cents off per gallon at Walmart, Murphy gas, and participating Exxon Mobil stations.
Kroger (and its related brands, Food4Less, Fred Meyer, King Soopers, and Ralphs) and Albertsons/Safeway offer fuel discounts at participating locations, and wholesale clubs such as Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s Wholesale Club are also in the gas discount game.
Amazon Prime members can link their accounts to the earnify app to get 10-cent-per-gallon discounts at participating BP, Amoco, ampm, and Thorntons locations. And Circle K convenience stores have a rewards program as well as “Fuel Day” discount events. Other programs to consider are available from 7-Eleven, Speedway, BP and Amoco stations, and Maverik.
Discounts from these programs mostly range from 5 to 10 cents. Membership fees may apply.
Diesel savings for RVs and heavy-duty trucks
If you’re driving or towing an RV, you can earn significant savings and gain some much-needed convenience by using a commercial fuel card program.
Open Roads is a discount diesel fuel program offered by TSD Logistics. Originally offered to major freight carriers deploying 18-wheel big rigs, the program is now available to the RV community, including motor homes, camper vans, trailers, toy haulers, and heavy-duty diesel trucks.
With a free fuel card, you can pull into more than 3,000 participating truck stops via the professional diesel lanes and pay at the pump. The charge is debited from your designated bank account and reduced by a discount of up to 40 to 50 cents per gallon. It also means you don’t have to navigate your rig through the sometimes tight consumer gas lanes up front.
You can apply for a card online, but it takes 15 to 20 days to receive it, so if you apply now, you should be all set for the Fourth of July.
Another diesel fuel discount app is Mudflap. Instead of using a fuel card, you select a truck stop on the price map and receive a code to activate the deal. Mudflap claims to offer discounts at more than 3,600 truck stops.
Of course, Love’s Travel Stops, Pilot/Flying J, and other truck stops have loyalty programs and fuel discounts of their own, but they usually offer consumer savings closer to 10 cents per gallon.