How to fool the fueling-up system

By Mr. Cheapskatin'

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Remember when we used to gripe about gas prices? Lately, the only numbers we’ve noticed at the pump are the ones rolling up gallon after gallon as they replenish our tank. North of four bucks per? Who cares?

When (if?) normalcy returns, we’ll start paying attention again to those digits after the dollar sign. I stumbled across some tips on how to buy smartly, many of which are old hat to me. A few fresh ones are shared here:

*Wednesday mornings is the optimum time to fill ‘er up. Prices tend to rise as the weekend approaches, then settle down by mid-week.

*Stations adjust their prices in the morning, often around 10 o’clock.

*Some stations jack up their prices more steeply than others. Scout out the ones whose bumps are least painful.

*Stations at exit ramps off highways often charge more than the norm because they can lure long-distance travelers.

Now, one continuous theme you’ll find in this blog is how to make frugality fun. I like to monitor price per gallon at stations in my ‘hood or along my normal routes. Rather than cast my loyalty with one, I turn into the lowest-priced place.

I also track the wildly shifting price of a barrel of oil on the open market. If it’s dipped significantly, I will patiently wait to fill my tank because the retail cost of fuel will trend downward. Should it escalate, I’ll either put in the max pronto or, if I feel like gambling, quench my tank’s thirst only when necessary with a sip here and there until it declines again.

Besides saving pocket change, the strategy also provides the satisfaction that you are beating the system. And, leaves you enough left over to buy a Big Gulp.