Groceries for Gas

Many stores are now doing programs where if you buy $XX in groceries, you get reduced gas prices.

WinnDixie has been doing their fuel perks program for sometime now. The WinnDixie in High Springs, Florida just started the program this weekend however. For every $50 you spend at WinnDixie, you get 5 cents off per gallon of gas a specific stations. Some items in the store will give you more cents off/gallon if you purchase them. Look in the weekly ad to find those items. You can also earn 5 cents off per every $50 you spend online at special retailers if you go through the WinnDixie site first. That's a 1% savings. Personally, if I can get cash back through ebates, pennyful, mrrebates, or fat wallet, I'll do that first as long as it's more than 1%. If I can't shop somewhere through them or I'll get less than 1%, I'll go through WinnDixie.

Hitchcocks just started their own fuel program, PumpPerks. Certain items are marked with a cents off/gallon tag. If you purchase those items and scan your card when  you check out and get gas a specific stations, you'll get that amount off when you fill up.

Walmart will give you a 5 cent discount off per gallon if you use a Walmart gift card at Murphy's stations, and a 10 cent discount/gallon if you use a Walmart credit card.

CVS is running a promotion this summer for $10 gas cards if you spend $30 in specific items during the week. That's a good return on your money, 30%. You can also use coupons on the $30, so you don't actually have to spend $30 out of pocket. Watch the items though and make sure you're buying things worth the $30 and not just junk you won't use or don't need to get $10 in gas.

Gas is Expensive

Did you know you can change the mpg you get in your car?

Here are some things to think about:
58 mph is the ideal speed for gas consumption.
Every mph over 60 is the equivalent of paying 5 cents more per gallon.
When traffic isn't an issue, you can coast to stop lights, signs, and turns using existing momentum to get there rather than additional gas.
When  you need to sit idle for more than 1 minute, it's more efficient to turn the car off.
Keep the car cleaned out. Excess weight in the car equals excess gas usage.
Keep the air filter clean.
Keep the tires inflated to the ratings listed on the driver door.
Doing regular maintenance checks can seem expensive but it will help keep the expenses down in the long run and help the car run more efficiently.

I'm sure there are other ideas, but there are some good ones to start with.