MONEY MATTERS
by JEFF WOURIO
Sav GAe ATM S PTHUEon M ey P
Discover the fuel-buying bargains and smart-
driving tips that can save you big bucks
f King Midas were alive to-
Iday, he might try to turn
everything he touched into
gasoline instead of gold.
Small wonder. According to the
Energy Information Administration,
the average price per gallon nationwide was $4.08 at press time and expected to hit $5 by summer’s end.
Compare that to just 15 years ago,
when the going rate floated in the
watery neighborhood of $1.10.
But there are ways to fight back
against the gouge of gas prices:
SURF FOR SAVINGS higher gas prices than less-ritzy locations. “I’ve seen
Web sites such as GasBuddy.com and GasPrice as big a difference as 20 cents a gallon between
Watch.com let users pinpoint the lowest prices in neighborhoods,” says Diane MacEachern, author of
any area of the United States and Canada. For Beat High Gas Prices Now!
instance, a search of gas stations throughout Cali- BE HIGHWAY SMART
fornia (you can also narrow it down to counties and Highway rest stop gas stations are notoriously
individual cities) found disparities of as much as 30 expensive, so get off at an exit and find a station
cents a gallon. Fill up a 20-gallon tank and that’s $6 nearby where it will be cheaper. If you have GPS in
saved every fill. Sites such as MapQuest.com also your car, you may be able to scan for exits with gas
provide pricing information: Just click on the gas stations close to the highway.
price icon at the top of the home page, then enter COMPARE BULK CLUBS
the name of a town or city. Membership clubs such as Costco and BJ’s Whole-
LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION sale Club can fill you up for less: A random call
Even close to home it can pay to shop around for to a New England BJ’s found $3.87 per gallon,
savings. Often more-affluent neighborhoods have a few cents cheaper than at CONTINUED on page 96
