gas

The Biggest Ways You're Wasting Money at the Pump

Ashley Eneriz — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 10:00:06 +0000

Ever feel conflicted at the pump when you need to choose between premium gas and standard grade? Consumers as a whole have been led to believe that items with the "premium" name tag are worth the money — and can even save us money long-term. However, this is not true when it comes to premium gas.

A recent AAA report found that the higher cost of premium gas offers little to no benefit for vehicles that are recommended, but not required, to use the fuel. The same goes for cars that do not recommend nor require the higher octane gasoline. According to the report, over 1.5 million new cars sold last year came with the recommendation to use higher octane gas, but it was not required for car functionality. So, unless your car requires the premium stuff, you're better off skipping it.

If you are in the market for a new vehicle, consider choosing a car that does not require premium gas. Driving a car that needs premium fuel will cost you about 20 to 25 percent more at the pump, which translates to about 50 cents a gallon. For a 15-gallon car, that can tack on an additional $7.50 per fill up. (See also: 7 Ways You're Wasting Gas Without Realizing It)

Here are other ways drivers are wasting money at the pump.

Not shopping around

Many times, drivers will pay more for gas due to poor planning. You are desperate to find the closest gas station before you run on empty, and you don't care if you have to pay more. If this describes you, stop living this way. Not only are you slowly draining your budget, but you put yourself at risk if an emergency were to happen.

Once your tank hits the halfway mark, use an app like GasBuddy to find the cheapest gas in your area. Plan to stop when you are near that station for another errand. When you find a good deal on gas, fill up the tank.

Not paying the right way

There are really only two options that are beneficial to your finances when it comes to paying for gas. The first option is to pay with cash. Some gas stations will offer a small discount per gallon if you pay with cash over plastic. The other option is to purchase gas with a credit card that offers rewards or cash back for gas. Make sure you're able to pay your credit card bill in full each month to truly benefit from the rewards.

Using your debit card at the pump doesn't benefit your bank account, and it can also put you at risk. Skimmers and card fraud are increasingly common at gas stations. If you pay with a credit card, it is easier to stop fraudulent charges, and your personal bank account will not be in limbo as the bank sorts out the mess.

Not keeping your car well maintained

Several small factors can add up to wasted money at the gas pump. For example, poorly inflated tires and dirty air filters can make your vehicle work harder than it needs to. This translates to more gas wasted on the road.

Similarly, the heavier your car is, the more gas you will burn. Having a little extra junk in the trunk isn't going to throw off your gas budget, but if you regularly keep heavy equipment or tools in the back of your vehicle, consider lightening the load on days you don't need the items.

Not driving smarter

It seems like common knowledge that a steady driving speed is better for your gas tank than overly accelerating or braking your car. However, each time I drive into Los Angeles, I am amazed by how many drivers accelerate for extended periods of time, brake hard for no reason, or drive over 90 MPH.

Driving at a slower, steadier pace will extend your time between gas fuel ups and keep you away from pricey speeding tickets. For longer commutes, plan your trip so you can avoid heavy times of traffic.

Using these tips can save you as much as $10 to $20 per fuel up, which adds up quickly. Wouldn't you rather spend that money on something fun than at the pump?

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This article is from Ashley Eneriz of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Best Money Tips: Ways to Spend Less on Gas

Amy Lu — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 10:00:14 +0000

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found articles on ways to spend less on gas, nearly 100 cheap date ideas, and how to cancel a flight without paying a hefty fee.

Are You Wasting $68,000 on Gas?

Tim Lemke — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 09:30:25 +0000

Commuting to work can be a real hassle, but have you ever added up what it's costing you financially?

With gas prices on the low side right now, it's easy to lose sight of the cost of driving. But if you have a commute and choose to drive, you may be losing out on hundreds of dollars a year and potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of your working life.

How is that possible? Well, let's crunch some numbers.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the mean commuting distance in America is about 38 miles. There are some parts of the country where commuters travel much further, and some mega commuters are known to average more than 200 miles each day.

Let's assume you're an average person driving that average 38 miles to and from work each day. And let's also assume you're paying an average amount for gas, which is currently about $2 per gallon. If you drive a car that gets 30 miles per gallon, you're spending about $2.50 a day on gas, or about $12.50 a week. (See also: This Is How the High Cost of Cheap Gas Hurts You)

Assuming you may take a couple weeks off throughout the year from driving, this adds up to $625 annually.

That's a nice chunk of change, but it's not the end of the story.

Compound Interest Is Your Friend

Having an extra $625 in your pocket at the end of the year is great. But you could actually end up with a lot more, without doing a thing.

If you put that extra money away in a run-of-the-mill savings account with a 1% interest rate, that could be $631 by year's end. Okay, so just $6. No big deal. But extrapolate that out to 30 years and you end up with $842. And if you put in $625 every year during that period, it's a whopping $22,000, thanks in large part to interest compounding on itself.

Invest and Build True Wealth

So now we're at $22,000. That seems like a nice addition to the nest egg. But imagine tripling that total.

If you take $625 annually and place it in an index fund or another investment that mirrors the broader stock market, you can boost your savings significantly. Assuming a typical annual return of 7% from the S&P 500, you'll end up with nearly $68,000 at the end of 30 years.

That's $68,000 by not spending money on gas, even with prices as low as they are now. And that's just for an average commuter. Someone who drives 60 miles round trip for work could save $108,000 over 30 years. A long-distance commuter who goes 90 miles a day could save $163,000.

Total Commuting Costs

Keep in mind, too, that gas is not the only expenditure when you commute. The Citi ThankYou Commuter Index last year said the average American spent $2,600 a year commuting. This includes people who might pay for public transit, and also factors in the cost of repairs and depreciation on your car.

Using the same calculations as above, that $2,600 could turn into $3,504 over 30 years if placed in a savings account. And $2,600 placed annually in an index fund could turn into $281,000 within three decades.

Keep all of this in mind when figuring out how you'll get to work, what job to take, and whether you can get away with working from home or even being self-employed.

How much are you spending on a daily commute to work? Share with us in the comments!

This article is from Tim Lemke of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

This Is How the High Cost of Cheap Gas Hurts You

Emily Guy Birken — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 18:00:04 +0000

When I first started driving in the mid-1990s, gas prices generally hovered around $1.25 a gallon, and I could fill up my Chevy Cavalier with just $20 — and receive change back.

In the last few years, it seemed as though the $20 fill-up was a thing of the past. That's why the last several months have been pretty exciting for drivers, as gas prices have once again dipped below $2.00 a gallon and stayed there. And why shouldn't we be excited? Low fuel prices means cheaper goods and services, as well as fat wallets.

But that's not the whole story. While cheap gas certainly does help to stimulate our economy and improve household budgets, there is a dark side to the cheap gas. The low prices can often mask high costs elsewhere in the economy or the future. Here are four reasons why cheap gas costs more than you think.

1. Buying More Car Than You Need

Human beings have a hard time recognizing that things change, even when we have recent experience that tells us otherwise. This is called the forever changeless assumption, and it's the reason why drivers flock to large gas-guzzlers when the price at the pump is low, and then race out to buy hybrids when prices spike. The rise of fuel-efficient Japanese cars in the '70s and early '80s, followed by the ubiquity of SUVs in the '90s, then the rise of the hybrid in the 2000s, has lead us to this point.

The problem is something that automotive auctioneer and Yahoo Auto contributor Steven Lang refers to as "the 1% solution." Drivers will buy a vehicle because they are trying to solve a problem that only plagues them 1% of the time. For instance, when gas prices are low, a car buyer might focus on the need to haul the entire extended family and buy a three-row minivan, even though the family only makes family visits once a year. When gas prices go up, worries about the price at the pump make car buyers chase fuel economy and ignore the higher sticker price on the efficient car.

You might be thinking that this issue is relatively rare. Except for the Richie Rich types, not many people buy cars every couple of years, and the majority of drivers keep their gas-guzzling vans during periods of expensive fill-ups or keep their hybrids even when a gallon of gas is cheaper than a gallon of milk.

But America's fleet of cars is older now than it has ever been with a remarkable average age of 11.5 years. Though the cars produced in the past 12 years are durable, they will eventually need to be replaced. Americans were already buying cars at record rates in 2015, and the trend is expected to continue.

That's not to say that you'll jump from driving a Honda Fit to a Ford F-350 just because gas is cheap. According to Steven Lang, "Car buyers tend to take two steps to the right when gas prices are low. If they would normally look at a sub-compact, they'll buy a sedan instead."

The problem with the 1% solution is not just the sticker price, which tends to be higher on larger vehicles. Everything from the cost of regular maintenance to the price of tires goes up with larger cars. And there is no guarantee that cheap gas will remain forever changeless — and good luck unloading your gas-guzzler when the price of oil spikes again.

2. Wear and Tear on Your Vehicle

There is some debate as to whether consumers are likely to drive more when gas prices are low. One study has shown that Millennials in particular are likely to drive more when the cost of gas is low, while the Energy Information Administration (EIA) claims that gasoline is an inelastic resource, which means demand does not change when prices fluctuate.

However, AAA calculates that 46.6 million Americans traveled for Thanksgiving 2015, which is the highest number of travelers for that holiday since 2007. The low cost of gas certainly played a factor for many travelers.

But driving more — even if it's just additional, special occasion driving — does put wear and tear on your car. Calculating the exact cost of wear and tear is difficult, but AAA found the average cost per mile in 2014 to be 44.9 cents per mile for a small sedan driven about 15,000 miles per year. (This cost does include the price of gas.)

3. Traffic Fatalities

Driving your car more is not just potentially costly for your vehicle. It also increases the statistical likelihood that you will get into a wreck. According to sociologist Guangqing Chi of South Dakota State University, a 20-cent decline in gas prices in Minnesota correlated with an additional 15 traffic-related deaths per year. He surmises that a $2 drop in gas prices could translate to an additional 9,000 traffic fatalities per year nationally.

There are a number of reasons for this. Cheaper gas means drivers often take more trips — both long road trips and regular errands — rather than staying home or combining local trips to save gas. In addition, the fluctuating cost of gasoline has a larger effect on young drivers. When gas prices are low, there are more young and inexperienced drivers on the road since they can afford a tank of gas — and those are the drivers who are at the greatest risk of being in a car accident.

4. Environmental Concerns

We all know that driving is not great for the environment. Not only do the emissions of hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and carbon dioxide from each and every tailpipe contribute to ground-level ozone and global warming (not to mention the human health implications of carbon monoxide), but the production of fuel creates a significant amount of similar emissions, accounting for 19% of the emissions produced during the life cycle of the average car.

This is problematic both because cheap gas can potentially encourage more driving, and because low prices at the pump make society as a whole less interested in fuel efficiency. According to Michael Sivak, research professor at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, "Fuel economy for new cars, light trucks, and sport utility vehicles rose fairly steadily from 20.1 miles per gallon in October 2007 to 25.8 MPG in August 2014… [but] since then, fuel economy of the new-car fleet has reversed course, dropping to 25 MPG in November [2015]."

Even environmentally-conscious consumers are less likely to make decisions in the best interest of the earth when gas is cheap. Without the immediate pain of costly fill-ups, it can be difficult for drivers to remember that every trip they make contributes to the deterioration of the environment.

Striking a Balance

Cheap gas is not as cheap as it may seem, since our behavior adjusts to low prices in ways that can be very costly. It's a good idea to think of gasoline as an expensive and precious resource, even when a gallon costs less than a bottle of water, since that will help you to remember the hidden costs.

Do you buy cheap gas? Share your opinion on this trend in the comments below!

This article is from Emily Guy Birken of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

The Best Gas and Military Credit Card: USAA® Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Card

Kris Majaski — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 05:14:31 +0000

Editor's note: This offer is currently unavailable.

This is one of the newer rewards credit cards added to the USAA family. While some of the other rewards cards have featured a couple disadvantages such as a tiered program based on spending, the USAA® Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Card has handled these issues, resulting in an improved product. Because of the new and improved features, this card is not only one of the best USAA credit cards available, but one of the best all around rewards cards as well.

Why We Like This Card

5% cash back on gas and military base purchases
Exclusive military benefits
No annual fee and no foreign transaction fee

How This Card Works

Earn 5% cash back for gas and military base purchases such as those made at commissaries, exchanges, and shoppettes on base, up to a total of $3,000 in purchases per year. You also earn 2% for grocery store purchases up to $3,000 in purchases per year, and 1% cash back for all other purchases. Once you have reached the annual cap, your purchases in those categories earn 1% cash back for the rest of the year. You can earn an unlimited amount of cash back in the 1% category and your rewards do not expire. You'll receive a rebate of your rewards annually in January for the cash back earned in the prior year. There is no annual fee.

Other Benefits

USAA MemberShop. MemberShop is a free shopping portal online where cardmembers can earn extra rewards with popular retailers such as The Home Depot and Macy's. These rewards and savings opportunities are in addition to the rewards earned when you use your card.

APR Rebate. Those who participate in a qualified military campaign such as The Global War on Terrorism or Operation New Dawn, can receive a rebate of all finance charges accrued during the military campaign. USAA membership also includes qualified experts for assisting with military-related questions and for help preparing for, during, and after deployment.

Pros

5% cash back for military base purchases. There are very few cards that award as much as 5% cash back for purchases of any type, except for cards with rotating quarterly categories. Even fewer cards reward extra cash back for purchases made at commissaries, shoppettes, and exchanges, which, for many military members and family who live on base, are their primary stores.

5% gas and 2% grocery stores. Even if you don't frequently shop on base, 5% cash back on gas and 2% on grocery stores purchases are both among the highest cash back rates available for these categories.

No rewards tiers. Unlike the other USAA credit cards, the amount of cash back you earn isn't dependent on how much you spend with your credit card. Regardless of how much you spend per year, you earn 5% cash back on gas and military base purchases, 2% on grocery store purchases, and 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Military benefits. The most significant perks of USAA credit cards are the military benefits which not only help you save money with opportunities for reimbursement of fees and lower APRs, but when you have questions or concerns, you can work with experts who are familiar with your lifestyle and situation. (See also: Best Credit Cards for Military Personnel and Families)

No foreign transaction fee. No-annual-fee cash back cards which also do not carry foreign transaction fees are rare. Fortunately, this card is a part of that rare group of credit cards that carry no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee, which lets you maximize on your rewards no matter where you shop.

Cons

Annual rebate. You only receive your cash back once per year in January, for the cash back earned the prior year. While other rewards credit cards allow you to redeem when you reach a certain amount, often as low as $10 or $20, you must accumulate your cash back for the entire year before you receive it.

Low limit on bonus categories. The limit on the 5% cash back categories is $3,000 per year, which only allows approximately $250 per month. If your spending in these categories is regularly more than $3,000 per year, you can earn more cash back with a card that offers a higher limit.

Who This Card Is Best For

Of the USAA rewards credit cards, the USAA® Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Card offers the best opportunity for earning the most cash back on your purchases. It is best for members of the military and their families, who frequently shop the 5% categories, but not significantly more than $3,000 per year.

This article is from Kris Majaski of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

8 Apple Watch Apps That'll Save You Money

Kyle James — Thu, 20 Aug 2015 15:00:49 +0000

Technology is a pretty amazing thing. It has the ability to make our lives easier and more complicated at the same time. Ask any parent with a teenager on social media.

The recently released Apple Watch has certainly lifted the technology bar in terms of what you can now do directly from your wrist. The days of glancing at your wrist to only get the time are a thing of the past, especially when it comes to managing your finances. There are some pretty amazing Apple Watch apps out there, many of which are free, that can help you save and manage your money. Here are the eight apps worth knowing about.

1. Mint for Apple Watch

Cost: Free on iTunes

The folks at Mint.com have entered the smart watch market by releasing a Mint app designed specifically for the Apple Watch. Once you pair your watch with your iPhone, the app lets you set up your monthly budget and helps keep your spending in check. You can review your day-to-day spending directly on your watch face and quickly glance at how much discretionary spending money you have left.

2. Daily Bread

Cost: $1.99 on iTunes

The Daily Bread Grocery app with Apple Watch integration, helps you save money by keeping your spending in check when at the grocery store. The app allows you to create smart shopping lists, and avoid expensive impulse purchases, by using a "predictive algorithm" which shows you the groceries you'll likely need based on your buying history. You can shop from your grocery list directly from your wrist and tell Siri to add specific items to your list without having to write anything down.

3. Pennies

Cost: $3.99 on iTunes

The Pennies app with Apple watch integration is a very easy to use "everyday money tracker." The app lets you set-up specific budgets, both recurring and one-offs, and allows you to track your spending when on-the-go via your smartphone or Apple Watch. For example, if you have a $200 monthly entertainment budget you can simply enter your "fun money" expenses and check your wrist to see how you are doing throughout the month. You can also set "Daily Targets" to track your spending today and see how it will affect your spending tomorrow. The app is a fantastic tool to not only keep your spending reigned in, but also provides a useful way to see where your money goes every month in an attempt to find your budget-busters.

4. iBank

Cost: $9.99 on iTunes

The popular iBank app now has Apple Watch integration that'll display budget and expense details directly on your watch. You can also get information on how your investments are currently performing. It doesn't stop there — you can dig even deeper and check your linked credit card and bank accounts via your "timepiece." For the $10 price tag, the app is by far the most expensive on my list, but you end up getting a lot of useful features for your money.

5. Unspent

Cost: $0.99 on iTunes

Unspent for the Apple Watch is a great way to keep your spending in check. The app connects to your iPhone and allows you to create spending categories, both seasonal and every day, and then lets you enter new transactions directly from your wrist. You can then view a summary of what you have left to spend in each category. The beauty of the app is in its simplicity; no charts, no bank connections, and no decimal points. According to their website, "Unspent is for people who want to track spending balances, but don't want to overthink it."

6. MoneyWiz 2

Cost: $4.99 in iTunes

The MoneyWiz app has been around for iOS devices for some time now, but they just recently added Apple Watch integration that's pretty powerful. The app allows you to track your spending, manage your budget, and get bill pay reminders that'll make late fees a thing of the past. Almost all of this information is now just an arm's length away via your Apple Watch. The budgeting tools are very intuitive and easy to set up, and the money saved by avoiding late fees makes this app worth a look.

7. Chronicle

Cost: $4.99 in iTunes

The Chronicle app, with Apple Watch integration, allows you to track your spending, keep track of your monthly bills, and set-up bill reminders to make those costly late fees a thing of the past. The ease of use with the app, and how you can access your financial information with a glance at your wrist, makes it a winner. For example, you can immediately see what bill is due next along with a chronological list of all your bills that are coming due. The app saves you money by helping you avoid late fees and documents your spending so you can keep your monthly budget on track.

8. Gas Guru

Cost: Free in iTunes

The Gas Guru app is free on iTunes and helps you locate the cheapest gas in your vicinity. To the excitement of many, the app has recently been integrated for use on the Apple Watch. Your watch display will show you the cheapest gas stations around you based on the grade of gas you select, and give you the address of the station and how far you are from it. While the GasBuddy app has been a long-time favorite among the frugal sect, Gas Guru takes it to a whole new level by letting you use it directly from your wrist.

While many of these apps are available to anyone with a smartphone, the Apple Watch integration is pretty cool, and quite handy. With that said, the hefty price tag of an Apple Watch makes it a hard to justify purchase. But if you're an Apple junkie and already own an Apple Watch, these apps are definitely worth a look.

Are you an Apple Watch owner? If so, do you take advantage of any of these apps, or perhaps one not listed, that helps you save or manage your money?

This article is from Kyle James of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Here's How Rich You'd Be If You Stopped Driving

Amanda Meadows — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 17:00:15 +0000

Cars are useful, but they can also be an unnecessary burden on your budget. My first car was a sky blue 1993 Mercury Sable. It was a boat of a car, but it was lovely and near-mint because I bought it from a senior citizen who only used it for church and the grocery store. I lived in the suburbs, but I would often carpool with coworkers or take the bus to save money. Eventually, I sold my car and moved to a place walking and biking distance from work and school. With the money I saved, I paid for two years of college tuition!

Here in Los Angeles, walkable neighborhoods are flourishing, plus bike lanes and new rail routes are opening regularly. I rarely need a car to run basic weekly errands. My household shares one Honda Fit and we invest the money saved by not owning a second car. Here's why you should try it, too.

Here's What a Car Costs You Every Year

Let's break down all the costs associated with driving, using average numbers crunched by AAA, assuming annual driving of 15,000 miles.

1. Car

Many people lease their cars; but let's assume you buy yours outright. A car actually depreciates in value everyday you drive it — at an average total of $3,571 per year — depending on the type of car you have, of course.

2. Gas

Let's assume you don't live in major cities like L.A., Seattle, or NYC, where gas is the most expensive in the nation. In most other places, the average cost totals $2,168 per year.

3. Insurance

Another money-pit, insurance is legally mandatory almost everywhere. Depending on your age and driving history, it can be very pricey. The average cost overall is $1,029 per year.

4. Repairs

Depending on your car's age and whether it's domestic or imported, repairs can also be an unavoidable money drain. On average it can be 4.97 cents per mile, or $745.50 per year.

5. Services Like AAA or OnStar

While having a AAA membership is highly recommended, it is an extra cost of $66–$126 per year.

Total Yearly Cost of Driving = $7,513.50*

*Counting for depreciation of the average car per year, so that we can calculate a yearly savings. Car prices vary by make, model, and state of purchase, so I recommend subbing in the first value with your own. Here's a car depreciation calculator.

What if You Invested That $7,513.50? Answer: $$$$

If you thought cutting out $5 lattes was a big investment, this one will make your eyes pop right out of your skull!

I calculated a 10 year plan with a compound interest calculator. Let's say you invest the same amount every year for 10 years, with a conservative 6% interest rate. At the end of year two you're looking at $16,408. In five years, you'll have $44,899. In 10 years? $104,983!

Honestly? If you got rid of your car, you could buy real estate in just 10 years.

Some might argue: "If I ditch my car, I'll spend more on other costs like public transit and Uber!" True, but the difference could be negligible. The costs of those extras is generally not enough to compete with saving what you'd spend on a car — unless you use them with unusually great frequency.

Absolutely Need a Car? Consider Only One Car Per Household

In my household, my husband and I only need one car, as only one of us works outside the home part time. The rest of the week, we work together on our small business. We drive together on business trips. This means better fuel efficiency and ability to use the carpool lane.

Try planning a carpool strategy that allows everyone to get to work and come home together. Here's why. You will benefit from cutting your commute related costs nearly in half, but you will get to spend more time together as spouses, family members, or friends.

How do you decide whose car to keep? See who has the most of the following:

Newest model;
Best fuel MPG;
Fewest recent repairs;
Lowest insurance rate.

If one car is at least three out of four, that's the one to keep! Alternatively, try these six ways to cut car ownership costs.

How are you controlling your transportation costs?

This article is from Amanda Meadows of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

6 Creative Ways to Save Money With Bulk Buying

Kyle James — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 13:00:08 +0000

When it comes to buying in bulk, warehouse clubs get all the publicity. But there's a lot of stuff they simply don't sell, or the amounts they do sell just aren't big enough. It's times like these when some out-of-the-box thinking on bulk buying comes in handy. (See also: 10 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Buy in Bulk)

Below are some bulk buying ideas that you've probably never considered, but could end up saving you significant money.

1. Home Improvement Materials

If you're considering a significant home improvement project and want to tackle the work yourself, look into buying in bulk at the Home Depot Pro Desk. If you spend at least $2,500, you're eligible for exclusive savings and rewards when buying building supplies like lumber, masonry, nails, screws, and sheetrock.

If you're doing landscape work at your house and the idea of hauling 25 bags of bark is overwhelming, consider buying landscaping materials in bulk from a local supplier. If you don't own a truck, borrow a friend's and haul things like bark, rock, and soil directly to your home and easily save 25% to 50%, depending on the material.

2. Online "Subscribe & Save" Programs

It seems like every other person you see at Costco or Sam's Club pushes a cart around with a huge package of toilet paper or dog food hanging over the edge. While these are often good bulk buys, did you know that you can typically get the same products mailed directly to your home via online "Subscribe & Save" programs? The two big players are Amazon and Target, and their pricing is surprisingly competitive. They both offer free membership, free delivery, and Amazon even offers 15% off if you have at least three items mailed to your home on a regular schedule.

If you are a busy parent, and love the idea of having certain items sent to your doorstep on a regular schedule, you should definitely look into it. Some of the popular items include diapers, toilet paper, laundry detergent, dog food, shampoo, soap, and paper towels. The best part of both programs is the flexibility. If, for example, you have enough toilet paper to last six months, you can easily postpone future deliveries with no penalty.

3. Meat

If you have the freezer space, consider teaming up with friends or family and buying half a hog or a quarter of a steer.

First, consider purchasing a 4-H project animal from your local county fair. You'll pay more than market price in most cases, but you'll be supporting local 4-H kids and end up with very high quality, antibiotic-free meat.

Second, check out your local butcher shop for bulk meat buys. For example, my local butcher shop has a "beef deal" for five pounds of each of the following: round steak, chuck steak, 7-bone chuck roast, short ribs, and ground beef. Total price = $89.99 or $3.60/pound. If you have the freezer space, it's a great way to stock up and save.

4. Gift Cards

I have two kids who play youth sports year-round, and we are constantly buying coach gifts. Gift cards make awesome presents, especially when you buy in bulk from Costco. I recently bought five $10 Jamba Juice gift cards for only $30. So the next time you are hard up for a gift for a coach, teacher, or friend, swing by Costco and stock up on the cheap. Another cool thing about buying gift cards from Costco is they often feature local restaurants and businesses in addition to the usual chains.

5. Gas

For a $30 annual membership fee, MyGallons will allow you to buy a large portion of gas at the current price. The service basically protects against a gas price increase over the coming months or years. You fill up at the station of your choice, and get a credit to your checking account or MyGallons debit card whenever you buy gas for more than your "buy-in" price. If gas prices go down, you can hold your gallons indefinitely until prices go up again, which they undoubtedly will. (See also: Best Gas Rewards Credit Cards)

6. Fruit and Veggies

If your family devours fruits and veggies like they are going out of style, you know just how expensive it can be to keep the fridge stocked. The absolute best way to stock up and save is by purchasing straight from the grower. Summer and fall are terrific times to hit up local farms, roadside stands, and farmer markets. I buy apples, apricots, peaches, and nectarines by the bushel basket from a local farm and typically negotiate a price 25%-40% cheaper than the grocery store.

Also, ask local farmers if they have any "seconds" available to score a great deal on fruit and veggies that may not be perfectly shaped or colored, but still taste amazing. We are talking 50% off compared to the price of "perfect" varieties. By building a rapport with the farmer, they'll let you in on some great bulk buys.

What is the most out-of-the-box bulk purchase you have ever made and how much did it save you?

This article is from Kyle James of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Best Money Tips: Secrets to Save Money on Gas

Ashley Jacobs — Fri, 10 Oct 2014 19:00:05 +0000

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some amazing articles on secrets to save money on gas, things you'll be proud of doing, and things you are likely paying too much for.

Best Money Tips: Ways to Save on Gas

Ashley Jacobs — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 19:00:05 +0000

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some fantastic articles on saving on gas, upcycling ideas that will blow your mind, and how to keep your identity safe.

Best Money Tips: Save Money at the Gas Pump

Ashley Jacobs — Fri, 14 Mar 2014 11:00:32 +0000

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some awesome articles on saving money at the pump, plugging your financial leaks, and conversation starters that make mingling fun.

Ask the Readers: How Do You Save on Gas?

Ashley Jacobs — Tue, 03 Sep 2013 10:48:29 +0000

Editor's Note: Congratulations to Carolyn, Elena, and Peg for winning this week's contest!

If you drive a car, you can count on gas to eat up a decent chunk of your budget on the regular. Different people use different strategies to save on gas, like using a fuel efficient car, changing their driving habits, or giving up on driving altogether.

How do you save on gas? Do you use any apps, programs, or websites in your strategy? Have you made big lifestyle changes in response to high gas prices?

Tell us how you save on gas and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

Win 1 of 3 $20 Amazon Gift Cards

We're doing three giveaways — here's how you can win!

Mandatory Entry:

Post your answer in the comments below. One commenter will win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

For extra entries:

You can tweet about our giveaway for an extra entry. Also, our Facebook fans can get an extra entry too! Use our Rafflecopter widget for your chance to win one of the other two Amazon Gift Cards:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you're inspired to write a whole blog post OR you have a photo on flickr to share, please link to it in the comments or tweet it.

Giveaway Rules:

Contest ends Monday, September 9th at 11:59 pm Pacific. Winners will be announced after September 9th on the original post. Winners will also be contacted via email.
You can enter all three drawings — once by leaving a comment, once by liking our Facebook update, and once by tweeting.
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered, or associated with Facebook.
You must be 18 and US resident to enter. Void where prohibited.

Good Luck!

Tell us how you save on gas, and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

This article is from Ashley Jacobs of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Best Money Tips: Fighting Killer Gas Prices

Ashley Jacobs — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 10:00:35 +0000

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some great articles on fighting killer gas prices, hidden money wasters, and shrinking your smartphone bill.

Best Money Tips: Ways to Save on Gas

Ashley Jacobs — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 10:00:44 +0000

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some stellar articles on ways to save on gas, the best things to buy in October, and avoiding Craigslist rental scams.

News & Events

Money Crashers Tweetchat (#MCChat) — Don't miss Money Crashers #MCChat at 1pm PST! They will be giving away prizes!

Be sure to check out our News & Events Calendar to see all the awesome upcoming events in the personal finance world!

This article is from Ashley Jacobs of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Best Money Tips: Save Money on Gas

Ashley Jacobs — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 09:48:41 +0000

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some awesome articles on saving money on gas, how keeping a budget can improve your finances, and creating a will.

gas

The Biggest Ways You're Wasting Money at the Pump

Not shopping around

Not paying the right way

Not keeping your car well maintained

Not driving smarter

Like this article? Pin it!

Best Money Tips: Ways to Spend Less on Gas

Top 5 Articles

Other Essential Reading

Are You Wasting $68,000 on Gas?

Compound Interest Is Your Friend

Invest and Build True Wealth

Total Commuting Costs

This Is How the High Cost of Cheap Gas Hurts You

1. Buying More Car Than You Need

2. Wear and Tear on Your Vehicle

3. Traffic Fatalities

4. Environmental Concerns

Striking a Balance

The Best Gas and Military Credit Card: USAA® Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Card

Why We Like This Card

How This Card Works

Other Benefits

Pros

Cons

Who This Card Is Best For

8 Apple Watch Apps That'll Save You Money

1. Mint for Apple Watch

2. Daily Bread

3. Pennies

4. iBank

5. Unspent

6. MoneyWiz 2

7. Chronicle

8. Gas Guru

Here's How Rich You'd Be If You Stopped Driving

Here's What a Car Costs You Every Year

1. Car

2. Gas

3. Insurance

4. Repairs

5. Services Like AAA or OnStar

What if You Invested That $7,513.50? Answer: $$$$

Absolutely Need a Car? Consider Only One Car Per Household

6 Creative Ways to Save Money With Bulk Buying

1. Home Improvement Materials

2. Online "Subscribe & Save" Programs

3. Meat

4. Gift Cards

5. Gas

6. Fruit and Veggies

Best Money Tips: Secrets to Save Money on Gas

Top 5 Articles

Other Essential Reading

Best Money Tips: Ways to Save on Gas

Top 5 Articles

Other Essential Reading

Best Money Tips: Save Money at the Gas Pump

Top 5 Articles

Other Essential Reading

Ask the Readers: How Do You Save on Gas?

Win 1 of 3 $20 Amazon Gift Cards

Mandatory Entry:

For extra entries:

Giveaway Rules:

Best Money Tips: Fighting Killer Gas Prices

Top 5 Articles

Other Essential Reading

Best Money Tips: Ways to Save on Gas

Top 5 Articles

Other Essential Reading

News & Events

Best Money Tips: Save Money on Gas

Top 5 Articles

Other Essential Reading