I got Hucks Rewards, so I get instant 10 cents off per gallon. Now I got enough points to take another additional 10 cents off per gallon.(up to 20 gallongs) My question is do I get more out of my points if I use this coupon when prices trending up vs prices trending down?
Is it better to take 10 cents offPerGal when price trend up or down?
- Thread starter Vern_in_IL
- Start date
Amount saved is fixed, so it doesn’t matter. You save the same amount per gallon regardless.
Fuel tax has no retail tax. Fuel tax is baked in to the cost per gallon. It's a flat savings regardless of what the price is.
As others have said, it is a flat rate, so the savings will be the same no matter what. If you buy all 20 gallons you will save $2.00 whether gas is $2.50 per gallon or $4.00 per gallon. But as a percentage, you will save more when gas is cheaper. If gas is $2.00 per gallon and you save $0.10 per gallon, you saved 5% on gas. If gas is $4.00 per gallon and you save $0.10 per gallon, you're saving 2.5%.
I understand it´s a flat rate, but I feel robbed when the next day the price drops 10 cents overnight. Points wasted as far as I´m concerned.
You would have this feeling regardless.
You should compare Hucks with other places and save your rewards for later if the other place is competitive.
Wait til the price drops, then use it that day or the next. Also, wait til your tank is as empty as it can be while still being able to get to the fuel pump. Good luck trying to coordinate all that.
Seriously, if you have more than one vehicle, I've seen people have their spouse drive their other car and fill them both up from the same pump. More gallons bought at discount = more savings.
Interesting statements...
The knee jerk reaction is to use it when prices are at their highest. This has impact, but as far as percentages go, it has the smallest impact.
From an analyst (engineering type) approach, it makes the most sense to use the coupon when prices are at their lowest. You actually save a higher percentage of total cost in this situation. Either way you fill your tank, and save exactly the same amount of money based on gallons, but when prices are low, you are saving a higher percentage of your expenditure.
10 gallon fill...
$3/gal with $0.10 coupon = $29 (savings of ~4.3%)
$2/gal with $0.10 coupon = $19 (savings of ~5%)
Both save you the same $1, but one is a higher percentage of total cost. Would you rather have a coupon for 5% off or 4% off?
The knee jerk reaction is to use it when prices are at their highest. This has impact, but as far as percentages go, it has the smallest impact.
From an analyst (engineering type) approach, it makes the most sense to use the coupon when prices are at their lowest. You actually save a higher percentage of total cost in this situation. Either way you fill your tank, and save exactly the same amount of money based on gallons, but when prices are low, you are saving a higher percentage of your expenditure.
10 gallon fill...
$3/gal with $0.10 coupon = $29 (savings of ~4.3%)
$2/gal with $0.10 coupon = $19 (savings of ~5%)
Both save you the same $1, but one is a higher percentage of total cost. Would you rather have a coupon for 5% off or 4% off?
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I do question whether to take 16 cents off with upside or not. Reason is I work in NJ and it's usually 35 cents less there.
BUT, the costco is like 5 miles from work, so that's 10 miles out of the way. If I go in to shop, no brainer. If only for gas, unless the tank is empty, it's not worth the 10 miles. So I settle for the 16 cents off, BUT, the upside dealers are more too, so it's not a true 16 cents, more like 10. So wonder if OPs deal is a true 10 cents, or it's a higher priced station offering 10.
BUT, the costco is like 5 miles from work, so that's 10 miles out of the way. If I go in to shop, no brainer. If only for gas, unless the tank is empty, it's not worth the 10 miles. So I settle for the 16 cents off, BUT, the upside dealers are more too, so it's not a true 16 cents, more like 10. So wonder if OPs deal is a true 10 cents, or it's a higher priced station offering 10.
Where I live the gas is less expensive than Costco if you drive 15-30 miles out of town. I quit buying gas in my truck because I drive out of town all the time to go fishing and it's about 10 cent less per gallon than Costco. Costco has the fuel tank farm literally across the street from their location and they still charge more than the fancy stations out of town. Plus you can get those clean hot dogs on the rollers that having been lightly baking all day long right next to the restroom hahaha.
The upside app is pretty sweet, but I'd go the Jersey route all day long LOL.
Someone here turned me on to upside a year or so ago. I've "earned" around $120 so far.
The little mom/pop top tier gas station minimart down the road from me participates in it , and is where I get my gas 90% of the time, so it's a no brainer IMO.
In this scenario, we'd never buy gas 'cause it might go down the next day.
This is a totally different question. $.10 per gallon versus 10% per gallon. One is fixed, the other is variable.
Of course I would rather have a higher percentage, but the original question is about a fixed discount. You save $1 on a 10 gallon purchase regardless of how high the fuel cost is.
Maybe you need to re-read my example. Yes, you are saving the same amount of money...but you are saving a larger percentage of your spend.
You must buy 2 gallons of milk per week...you can't control the cost, but have to spend the money to buy it. You have a coupon for $X off of the purchase. Would you rather spend it when the price is high, or the price is low?
If you are on a limited budget, you might choose when the price is high to help offset the "temporary price increase"
If your budget is not influence by the cost of milk, I would argue it makes sense to use the coupon when prices are low, as you save a larger % of your required expenditure.
The coupon is irrelevant in your milk example. It’s always better to buy when the price is lower whether you have a coupon or not. The only time it ever makes economic sense to buy at a higher price is when you have a discount that exceeds the price difference, and when that discount is not available at the lower price.
As others have said fixed discount per gallon so doesn't matter when you use it from the discount point of view but more how much you fill up.
Of course from a general point of view you will always want to fuel at the lowest point in any price cycle to save more.
Of course from a general point of view you will always want to fuel at the lowest point in any price cycle to save more.
