Who makes special trips for gas?

[eljefino]

My parents do! They just get up from the couch, usually on Saturday, and usually in a 2-car parade, drive 5 or 6 miles to a gas station, fill up, and return home!

My wife's parents do this too, and about the same distance. Some grownup 20-somethings still bum around the house, and they do as well. Probably need their space.

Myself... I get gas on my way to or from work, or on other errands. Sometimes I can get a better price elsewhere but I don't seek it out. I will fill up "out of pattern" eg a 1/3 tank if I stumble upon a cheap station.

I use a rewards credit card and always fill up, and always pay it off fully. I understand *slightly* if folks like to fill up on payday... but making special trips? Egads.

 

[Colt45ws]

Not unless the car is going on a trip the next day, so I can roll out and head straight for my destination.

 

[javacontour]

Sometimes.

I know it's not cost effective. Yet some Saturday's, I'll empty a can in the generator gas stash into one of the cars, empty the lawnmower cans into the car as well, and take my car that I've planned to be nearly empty, turn on Car Talk on NPR and make the 20 minute drive to Missouri to save $0.15-0.20/gallon on gas.

Yes, I know I'm not really saving any money. It's just a relaxation thing I do about once a month. There are TWO shows I like to watch/listen, CarTalk and TopGear, and it seems the family has to interrupt. So I take one hour occasionally and just get away.

I try to have other errands, such as dropping by the recycling collection location so I can drop off my cans, bottles and paper as well. But yeah, maybe once a month I make that trip prior to a week I know I'm probably not going to be driving in MO.

I too use a branded card that saves me 5% on the price of the fuel, "saving" even more.

PS, next weekend, I'll probably dump ALL the generator gas into the minivan as we are going on our last trip for the summer before school starts in mid-August.

 

[Ausfahrt]

I am guilty upon occasion.

I spoil my wife and gas up her car for her every weekend. I try to combine the fillup with another errand but.....

 

[Pablo]

Quote:
Who makes special trips for gas?


Seems like most folks just let 'em rip where they stand or sit.

 

[bretfraz]

I am surrounded by gas stations and their prices are usually close to lowest in metro Atlanta. The only special trip I'll take is a "lap" around the area to see who has the lowest price. It's usually Walmart (Murphy USA). Total distance is about 2 miles.

 

[jigen]

No, but I make special trips to certain gas stations lol. I only go to a select few stations around my way.

 

[jcwit]

Never ever. Usually fill-up when needed, but if price jumps just $5/$10 till it drops. Time not important "retired", actually time not that important for the young folks either, they just haven't learned that yet.

 

[NHHEMI]

Originally Posted By: bretfraz
I am surrounded by gas stations and their prices are usually close to lowest in metro Atlanta. The only special trip I'll take is a "lap" around the area to see who has the lowest price. It's usually Walmart (Murphy USA). Total distance is about 2 miles.


Yeah me too. I have a lot of local gas stations so no need for any special trips. I just get it when I need it. I am usually out and around each day anyway so no need to pick a day to do it. 2 exceptions to that rule...

1 - a town about 5 miles away has 7 cent Monday's. They take 7 cents off a gallon every Monday. I will sort of plan an errand and fill up to takke me that way if I am getting low near the end of the week or on the weekend and can wait until Monday.

2 - in a town about 10 miles away every once in a while an Irving gas station drops their price WAY down compared to everyone else. We are talking 25 cents p/gal or more. Makes it worth the trip over there just to fill up. I will plan a trip there when they are doing this. I also empty all the gas cans in my shed into my boat or the truck and then refill the cans at that time along with the truck.

 

[TooManyWheels]

The two grocery stores we shop at both have gas facilities, and conveniently, they are almost always the cheapest in the immediate area. We go there several times a week, so there is seldom a need to search for anything cheaper.

However, I often drive about sixty miles (one way) to go to the auto races and gas is cheaper in that area, which I use as part of my justification for going.

 

[Paul56]

No special trip just to gas-up here.

I'm out often enough with the car that I will fill then when needed.

I am guilty of going the extra distance to Petro-Canada stations to fill up... only because their gas, along with a few others, is considered top-tier.

 

[97f150]

I fill up when I need gas, I prefer not to waste time to save a dollar or so that I will pee pee away on a coke or something later. The biggest laugh I had was on a guy at work. His work week was ending and he had his wife buy a 5 gallon can and fill it up before she drove the 2.5 hours to pick him up because gas was $0.30 a gallon cheaper in his home town. His wife arrives with a headache from riding so long sniffing gas fumes from the trunk. He attempts to pour the gas into the car and spilled a good gallon and a half at least because the nozzle didnt fit into the tank that good. He drives a Neon, so that is what a 10 gallon tank, so he saved $3 by doing that. Now I know that gas can had to cost him at least $5. Some people drive so far out of their way to "save" a few cents and never think of the whole picture, when it all adds up, it equals nothing more than a dollar or two.

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted By: Pablo
Quote:
Who makes special trips for gas?


Seems like most folks just let 'em rip where they stand or sit.

As for fuel for my truck, I fill up on my way to/from the restaurants I'm visiting. I have a Shell in pretty much any direction at the starts of my trips as which I can fill-up.

Unless I'm going via back-roads somewhere I won't make a special trip for fuel. Also because my closest Shell is 30KM (18+ Miles) away.

 

[labman]

I try to make as few ''special trips'' as possible for anything. They are a waste of time and gas. Your car doesn't need another short trip. Stay home and post to BITOG.

 

[JTK]

I'll do it if I've got to get away from the kids for a minute or I'm in bad need of a coffee. (Tim Horton's usually nearby the gas station)

Joel

 

[Cutehumor]

Originally Posted By: 97f150
I fill up when I need gas, I prefer not to waste time to save a dollar or so that I will pee pee away on a coke or something later. The biggest laugh I had was on a guy at work. His work week was ending and he had his wife buy a 5 gallon can and fill it up before she drove the 2.5 hours to pick him up because gas was $0.30 a gallon cheaper in his home town. His wife arrives with a headache from riding so long sniffing gas fumes from the trunk. He attempts to pour the gas into the car and spilled a good gallon and a half at least because the nozzle didnt fit into the tank that good. He drives a Neon, so that is what a 10 gallon tank, so he saved $3 by doing that. Now I know that gas can had to cost him at least $5. Some people drive so far out of their way to "save" a few cents and never think of the whole picture, when it all adds up, it equals nothing more than a dollar or two.


co-worker =

 

[sciphi]

It's lumped in with other trips. I get gas at 1 station, which is a slight detour to get. This is because I've never caught them out of squeegee water or paper towels. And they say they're ethanol-free.

 

[Cutehumor]

I never make special trips for gas what a waste of time, money, and gas. I always combine my errands too. When I work 5 days a week, I pass over 10 gas stations on my 10 mile drive to work. So I never freak out over how low my gas gauge is. When I go to the grocery store twice a month, there's a Kroger gas station and Walmart gas station there to fill up if I need to. But to make a combined trip of 10 miles to a gas station and to come home, in most vehicles, this is a half gallon burned. oy vey!

 

[callbay]

About once a week I make a trip in a Jeep Wrangler with the back seat out to fill about 8 five gallon cans this time of year for boats, Waverunners, four wheeler, Polarais Ranger etc. When my older son could not drive yet years ago, I would put 16 five gallon cans in a 4'x 8' utility trailer and go about fifteen minutes away to fill them up. Every week all summer long for his Sea Doo and our boat. Gas was in the 95 cent range so it was not so bad.

 

[blackdiamond]

I always look for a top tier station and will sometimes drive a little farther for a lower price, but it's almost always on the way to where I'm going. I like to fill up on the fuel light to keep my mpg tracking more consistent.

My biggest reason for going to the cheapest station is the money savings, we just have a few here that always seem to be above the weekend fuel spikes and I like to support their business.

76 and Shell are the most common places that I use.