The summer travel season is in full swing and you might be looking for ways to save on gas prices that are still well north of $3.50 a gallon in most parts of the country. You probably are already aware that Wal-Mart is discounting fuel prices by 10 cents a gallon through the end of the September, but other retailers have jumped in as well, trying to lure shoppers by giving them a bit of relief at the pump.
Andrea Woroch, a consumer-savings expert, points out a few opportunities:
Drug store chain CVS is offering a free $10 gas gift card to members of its ExtraCare Rewards program who buy $30 worth of selected products by Aug. 28.
Kellogg’s is offering a $10 gas card in exchange for 10 cereal box UPC codes in a deal that lasts through Dec. 31. The limit is five per household, so if you eat a lot of cereal, you can get $50 in gas cards.
Kroger is partnering with Shell to offer a discount of 10 cents a gallon to anyone who has 100 points on its rewards card. The discount rises to $1 a gallon for 1,000 points. This one gets a bit complicated, but basically you can get 100 points by buying $100 in groceries.
Want more tips to save money on gas? Our friends at Bankrate offer these ideas:
- Choose an unbranded gas station. “Gas stations that are not affiliated with a specific oil company or gasoline brand often have cheap gas prices per gallon because they purchase excess gas from multiple oil companies.”
- Use your smart phone.There are lots of apps and website to help you find cheap gas through crowdsourcing, including Automotive.com, FuelMeUp.com and GasBuddy.com.
- Pay cash. Some gas stations offer a substantial discount for leaving the plastic in your wallet.
Share your own gas-savings tips in the comments field below.