8 Ways to Save Gas in Philly

If you’ve been out to fill up your car lately, then you know that gas prices are on the rise. You can thank Isaac and the holiday weekend–Labor Day–for gas being more expensive.

However, just because gas costs more, that doesn’t mean that you have to pay more for gas.

Here are 8 ways you can save on gas in Philly. A handful of these tips are courtesy of Andrea Woroch, a nationally recognized consumer and money-saving expert who has guest posted on Suddenly Frugal before. If you’d like, you can follow Andrea on Twitter for daily savings advice and tips.

Get Gas at Walmart. Walmart just rolled out its Great Gas Rollback program that allows you to save on gas in three different ways. If you use a Walmart gift card at the pump, you will receive a 10 cents per gallon. Also, if you use a Walmart MoneyCard or Walmart credit card, you will save 15 cents per gallon. This program continues through Christmas Eve 2012.

Stock Up on Free Gas at CVS. Last month pharmacy store CVS offered a gas promotion program that allowed you to earn free gas gift cards by spending $30 on certain items in CVS. There is always the chance that CVS will bring this program back in time for the holidays.

Shop at Safeway. You’ll earn one point for every dollar you spend inside Safeways stores that you can apply to your purchase at the pump outside at Safeway gas. Each month you can earn up to $2 off per gallon (2,000 points), but any points totaling less than 100 will expire at the end of the month. The only Safeway location near Philly is in Dover, Delaware.

Try Turkey Hill/Kroger. I used to shop at Kroger Supermarkets when I lived in the Midwest. While there aren’t Kroger stores that I can tell in our area, there are Turkey Hill locations in the Lehigh Valley, and they seem to be a part of the Kroger family/participating in the store’s summer fuel savings program. Basically, you’ll save money at both Kroger/Turkey Hill fuel stations and select Shell stations with your Kroger Plus card. Rewards can be used toward the purchase of up to 35 gallons per car, per transaction. For every dollar spent on groceries you earn 1 point, and every non-federally funded prescription earns 50 points. Gift card purchases earn double points, so a $25 gift card will yield 50 points.

Get Your Gas at Warehouse Clubs. Warehouse gas stations offer fuel to their members at an average of five to 10 cents less per gallon compared to surrounding gas stations. If you’re already a member of BJs, Costco or Sam’s Club, it’s a no-brainer to save money on gas by filling up during one of your shopping trips. Otherwise, evaluate the cost of the club membership against the potential savings in gas before you sign up.

Go To Giant. Giant Bonus Card holders can earn money towards gas savings just by swiping their card every time they buy groceries. According to the Giant, you’ll earn $.10 off per gallon when you earn 100 points, $.20 off per gallon when you earn 200 points, $.30 off per gallon when you earn 300 points, and so on. Basically, you earn 1 point for every dollar you spend with your Giant card. Not all Giant locations have gas stations but you can take your bonus points with you. For example, my Giant in Central Bucks County does not have a gas station, but I have filled up at the Giant in Quakertown (Upper Bucks County) and been able to cash in bonus points to save.

Look for Gas Promotions. In addition to using your supermarket loyalty card to earn fuel points, look for promotions that come with free gas, such as this one I heard about through Eversave, one of my affiliate networks: For $29 you’ll get an Exxon/Mobil gift card worth $20 and 6 months of 24-Hour Roadside Assistance and car maintenance discounts ($140 value) from AutoAdvantage. You must buy this deal by end-of-day on September 7th.

Fill Up in Jersey. When in doubt Pennsylvanians should take advantage of New Jersey’s lower gas prices and fill up whenever they are in the Garden State. I find that crossing the Delaware River can often save me up to $.20 per gallon of gas.