As the gas prices continue to rise, I am seeking options to lower the price I pay at the pump. To help stretch our dollars, I use the fuelperks! program at Bi-Lo, a local grocery store chain located in the Southeastern United States. Bi-Lo has joined forces with the The Spinx Corporation, a chain of gas stations serving North and South Carolina.

Bi-Lo and Spinx Promotion

Here is how our program works:

When I make a purchase at Bi-Lo, I earn fuelperks! for each dollar spent. For example, I go shopping at Bi-Lo and scan my Bi-Lo BonusCard at checkout. I purchase $47.55 of product, use $21.26 in coupons, and pay $26.59 (including tax) out of pocket. I receive a printed receipt stating that I have earned $26.59 toward my next fuel purchase.

After I have purchased $50 in product at Bi-Lo, then I earn $.05 per gallon in fuelperks!. At my next shopping trip to Bi-Lo, I scan my Bi-Lo BonusCard, purchase $56.76 in product, use $32.36 in coupons, and pay $24.46 (including tax) out of pocket. My receipt will print showing I have earned $.05 per gallon in fuelperks!, and I have earned $1.05 toward my next fuel purchase.

I can also stack my fuelperks! earnings. Bi-Lo runs fuelperks! bonuses where you can purchase a set of items in one transaction and earn additional cents per gallon. One such bonus was purchase $20 in Huggies diapers and earn $.20 per gallon. I paired the Huggies diaper sale with coupons and the fuelperks! bonus to increase my fuelperks! earnings. I had enough coupons for 2 transactions, so I earned $.45 the morning I shopped. (I earned the $.40 for the Huggies transactions. I then earned an additional $.05 since my out of pocket spent reached $50.) Having already earned $.10 per gallon the previous weeks, I had a total earned of $.55 per gallon in fuelperks!

By earning $.05 off or $.55 off per gallon, I am able to go to a Spinx station, and purchase gas at a discount. As my gas gauge lowers toward empty, I choose a nearby Spinx station to purchase fuel. At the pump, I scan my Bi-Lo BonusCard.

TIP: I must use the credit card sized version rather than the keychain version. The keychain version will not fit in the outside card readers. I just carry the larger BonusCard in my wallet. If you don’t have the larger BonusCard, then you will need to pay the cashier in advance. You will want to pay more than you plan to pay to be sure you get the full discount. You don’t want to pay $50 and find that to fill your tank would cost $60. You will only get the discount on the gas pumped with your $50 payment. When you overpay, you can return to the cashier for a refund of your overpayment.)

Once the gas pump computer recognizes my BonusCard, the display indicates a discount. (Unfortunately, I have not used a Spinx that displays the amount off at the pump.) I then swipe my credit card and pump the gas. After replacing the nozzle, I check my printed receipt. I will then notice that instead of paying $3.70 per gallon, I paid $3.65 per gallon ($3.70 minus the $.05 Fuelperks! discount) or $3.15 per gallon ($3.70 minus the $.55 fuelperks! discount). The result of my $.55 per gallon discount was a savings of $11.

The fuelperks! expire. I will lose my fuelperks! discount if I have not used them within 3 months. After earning your $.05, then you have 3 months to use them. If you earn an additional $.15 in 3 weeks, then you have 3 months from then to use them. It is possible to lose $.05, but then be able to use the other $.15. Having the savings at hand, I assume you would be using them sooner rather than later.

Fuelperks! is limited to 20 gallons. When I use the fuelperks! at the Spinx station, the pump will cut off at 20 gallons. If you need more fuel, you will need to start another transaction.

Fuelperks! can only be used in one transaction. Once you swipe your card or have the cashier access your fuelperks!, then that discount is gone. You cannot use 15 gallons in one transaction and then use 5 in another. Once you access your fuelperks!, your amount earned returns to $0. To stretch my dollars, I wait to fill up when my tank is almost empty.

When the program first began, I did not receive any information about the program. I just noticed the savings at the bottom of my receipt. As cashiers would indicate my fuelperks! savings, I inquired about the program. From numerous conversations and using the program, I have perfected my system for maximizing my savings with the resources at hand. Next week, I will share how I have used this program and found additional ways to stretch my dollars.

Do you have a fuel program near you? If you do and you don’t use it, try it! A little savings here and little there adds up. I hope you can fuel your vehicle with a little savings to help stretch your hard earned dollars.