How to cut gas costs for your summer road trip

As previously reported by the Deseret News, gas prices are on the rise across the U.S. because:

• Fuel refineries are transitioning from cheaper winter gas formulas to pricier summer blends.

• There’s higher demand for gas in the spring and summer.

• There have been drone attacks on oil refineries during the Russia-Ukraine war.

Before spending a ton on gas during summer road trips, check out these strategies for saving money on gas.

How to save money on gas

When planning trips, families may find themselves limited by the car they own. If you have an older or bigger car, you may get bad gas mileage and therefore feel like you shouldn’t go on a long journey.

But instead of driving less to save fuel costs, consider using gas station reward programs, joining a membership warehouse club or downloading gas apps.

Gas station reward programs

Gas station reward programs typically let you earn points to put toward free or discounted merchandise or gas. And they’re typically free to join. Just identify the gas stations you frequent the most and, if available, enroll in their rewards program to start accruing benefits, per Bankrate.

According to CNBC, examples of popular gas reward programs include:

• BPMe Rewards: At participating BP and Amoco stations, individuals get five cents back per gallon during their first month.

• Exxon Mobil Rewards+ program: This program rewards users for gas, convenience store or car wash purchases. The program offers various membership tiers. Most members earn three points per gallon of regular gas and two points per dollar spent at the convenience store or car wash. For every 100 points earned, users receive $1 worth of rewards.

• Shell Fuel Rewards: New members automatically qualify for the Gold tier for six months, entitling them to either three or five cents in rewards per gallon. In the Gold tier, members receive five cents back on each gallon, up to 20 gallons.

• Circle K Rewards: Cardholders accumulate 10 points per gallon of gas and 20 points for every dollar spent on snacks, food and non-alcoholic beverages. Upon reaching 2,000 points, members can redeem them for $2.

• Speedy Speedway Rewards: Members receive 10 points for each gallon of gasoline and 20 points for every dollar spent on merchandise. These points can be redeemed either through the app or at the register for food items or discounts on future gas purchases.

With reward programs, sometimes there are incentives for just downloading the app.

For example, besides earning points to get discounts on fuel and in-store transactions, downloading the Chevron app allows individuals to get $1 off per gallon on their next three fuel purchases.

Join a membership warehouse club

Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, told Consumer Reports, “Gas prices at warehouse clubs are nearly always lower, ranging from 5 cents to 25 cents less per gallon. And when prices rise, they hold their prices down for longer.”

While these clubs, such as Costco, have membership fees, depending on location or what products your family needs, the total saved from gas discounts might make up for that fee.

For reference, the average cost of membership for warehouse clubs per year are:

• Costco: $60.

• Sam’s Club: $50.

• BJ’s Wholesale Club: $55.

Download gas apps

Gas apps can help save individuals money by highlighting the closest or least expensive gas stations. Some apps also offer cash back options.

NerdWallet shared the five best gas apps to try that are independent of major gas stations:

• GasBuddy: Save on gas by checking local gas prices and earning discounts per gallon when using the GasBuddy card for payment.

• Upside: Earn cash back on gas purchases without requiring a new payment method.

• Checkout 51: Receive cash back on gas purchases in the form of a check.

• Google Maps: See the locations of and prices of gas stations.

• Carfax Car Care: Helps for understanding when car maintenance is needed and monitors miles per gallon.

What are the cheapest days to get gas?

According to GasBuddy, which analyzed gas price data from its app, the best days to fill up and save on gas are Monday and Friday. If you only need to top off, Sunday and Tuesday are also great days, just not the least expensive ones.

Conversely, Wednesday and Thursday are the least favorable days to purchase gas, per GasBuddy.