Have you heard the story of the grandpa or father who would drive miles out of his way to save $.01 a gallon on gas? I’ve heard that story tons of times. In reality we all know that grandpa spent more money on gas driving to that gas station that he saved filling up at the cheaper gas station.

While I don’t advocate driving across town to save $.25 I do like to plan ahead when filling up on gas. For people with long commutes where they start in suburbia and end up in the city the difference in gas prices can be huge. I personally see a difference of $.30 a gallon. On a full tank that is $6 for me and if I fill up once a week that is $24 a month. Having a Costco membership could make your fill up price even cheaper.

So the plan is simple, plan ahead. When you are close to the gas station that you know has cheap gas fill it up. Waiting until your tank is empty can end up costing you more. Filling up even though you have half a tank at the gas stations that are much cheaper can make a big difference in meeting your budget goals.