Fuelperks!: Saved $20 at the Gas Pump

May 18, 2013 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: fuelperks!

Long are the days of searching for fuel prices under $1. Holding steady around $3 to $3.50 per gallon in our area, I continue to earn fuelperks! via shopping at our Bi-Lo.

Though only one of many grocery store chains offering fuelperks!, Bi-Lo offers bonus savings and ample opportunity to cash in your rewards at the pump.

Using the lessons I have learned about the fuelperks! program, Paul and I drove up to our local Spinx/Sunoco gas station to redeem our $1 off per gallon fuelperks! rewards.

Pumping the maximum 20 gallons into our van and gas container, we paid a total of $43.98 for 20 gallons of fuel which is $2.19 per gallon or a savings of $20.

Thankful for the savings at the pump, I keep track of our fuelperks! as I make purchases at Bi-Lo. Allowing our savings to build, we wait to use our rewards until prior to our rewards expiring.

Having shared the basics of fuelperks! and how to maximize fuelperks! savings in previous posts, I am executing those strategies to save our family money. With summer activities and a family vacation plan in the works, all these savings add up.

As you look to shave pennies and dollars from your budget, using a program like fuelperks! requires no additional time. I shop at Bi-Lo for groceries, and my fuelperks! balance prints at the bottom of my receipt. A quick glance lets me know where I stand.

In using time wisely and stretching our dollars with fuelperks!, our family saved $20 at the gas pump. If you use fuelperks!, please share your successes in the comments. Happy saving at the pump!

Question: How does your family save at the pump?

2012: Walmart Gas Promotion

September 1, 2012 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Walmart

Yeah! Walmart has brought back their gas promotion. Though I did not take advantage of the Walmart gas promotion last year, I know many of you did.

Having had a year to get accustomed to Fuelperks! and now with the additional trips to school, I am ready to see the savings at the pump.

Finding a gas promotion that works in your area and accepted at locations you frequent can prove tricky. In using Fuelperks!, I tried a couple of locations before discovering that redeeming at our Sunoco station gave the deepest discount.

With the Walmart gas promotion, only participating Murphy USA stations grant the discount. (NOTE: Not all states will see the full discount. 🙁 )

The Walmart Gas Promotion

Walmart is rolling back their gas prices from August 31 to December 24, 2012, with two tiers of savings for customers using one of these Walmart cards:

Walmart Gift Card – get $.10 off per gallon

Walmart MoneyCard or Credit Card – get $.15 off per gallon

Getting the Walmart Cards

Gift Cards are available for purchase in the store or on-line. The gift cards have no fees. The balance is non-refundable if the card is lost or stolen.

MoneyCards, similar to a debit card, are available in store and on-line. The MoneyCard carries a $3 monthly fee, but your money is safe if the card is lost or stolen. Depending on where and how you obtain your MoneyCard, you may incur extra fees.

Credit Cards are limited to either a Walmart Discover or Walmart Credit Card. Both require an application process with no annual fee. The Walmart Discover offers the added benefit of earn 1% cash back on your purchases.

In using time wisely to purchase and load or apply and receive your Walmart card, you can save on each refill at the pump while stretching your dollars.

As you consider the Walmart gas promotion, check for participation at your Murphy USA location, determine the cost of the Walmart card, estimate your savings, and evaluate the savings at other gas stations.

Though the Walmart gas promotion is a great deal, it may not end up stretching your dollars. Happy calculating!

Question: How are you stretching your dollars at the pump?

Gas: Walmart Promotion

July 9, 2011 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Walmart

Are you looking for ways to save at the pump? I am! With the fuelperks! program through our local Bi-Lo, I was able to save $.70 per gallon on my last refill. Of course, I pumped all 20 gallons, 16 gallons into my vehicle’s gas tank and the remaining 4 gallons into our gas container. Even with the promotion, I still paid over $50 for a tank of gas. Yikes! I’m probably dating myself, but I still remember when gas was $.87 a gallon. (I guess those days are l-o-n-g gone.)

With gas prices remaining above $3 a gallon (here in South Carolina, USA), every little bit of savings helps keep the out-of-pocket expenses to a minimum. In an effort to stretch hard earned dollars, Walmart is offering customers, at participating Murphy USA and Walmart gas stations, a savings of 10 cents a gallon. To take advantage of this deal:

Visit Walmart’s announcement to find a participating location,
Use a Walmart card: reloadable gift card, MoneyCard, or credit card, and
Purchase gas between now and September 30, 2011.

This promotion requires a little advanced planning (purchasing or obtaining a qualifying Walmart card and finding a location), but using your time wisely to prepare for your visit can stretch your dollars at the pump.

Do you have a great tip for stretching your dollars? If so, please share in the comments.

Gas: Murphy USA Coupon and gasbuddy.com

May 21, 2011 by Tracy

With the fluctuating prices of gas, most individuals are looking for ways to stretch their dollars at the pump. For the last two weeks, I have shared how I maximize the fuelperks! program to stretch our dollars: Part 1 and Part 2. Another option for saving on fuel is to find coupons. Though I have not found many coupons, there are some out there.

Jenny over at Southersavers.com posted how to get $2 off a $20 gas purchase at Murphy USA gas stations in her post Major Gas Discount from Murphy USA. To get this coupon you must register with Foursquare, a web site that allows you to ping back your location via a downloaded app on your phone. If you are comfortable signing up for this free web site to get the coupon, then go for it.

Since I don’t feel comfortable “checking-in” with my exact location and I want to stretch my dollars at the pump, I check www.gasbuddy.com. By searching by state and zip code, I can locate the best gas prices in my area. If you will be traveling this summer, this web site can help you stretch your dollars while you’re away from home.

Please leave a comment with other ways to save and stretch our dollars while filling up our fuel tanks.

Fuelperks!: Lowering Gas Prices at the Pump – Part 2 of 2

May 14, 2011 by Tracy

Bi-Lo and Spinx Gas Program

Last week, I shared the basics of the Bi-Lo/Spinx partnership program called fuelperks!. For each $50 purchased in products at Bi-Lo, I earn $.05 off per gallon. I can then purchase my fuel at Spinx to redeem that discount. The fuelperks! program is also available through Winn-Dixie, Martin’s, Copps, Pick ‘n Save, Giant Eagle and Rainbow.

To maximize my savings through the fuelperks! program, I give you these additional tips:

Purchase items in the fuelperks! bonuses. I can earn more fuelperks! by purchasing these items. I shared last week how I purchased the Huggies diapers and earned an additional $.40 in fuelperks!. I like to scan the fuelperks! bonuses, but I only purchase items that our family will use and that I can pair with coupons. For me, paying much more at the grocery store for a small savings at the pump is not worth it. Now if I can get the product at the same price I would normally pay and then get the bonus on top, then yes, I will pay at the grocery store for those items.

Not all Spinx stores are the same. I always use a credit card to pay for our fuel purchases. I do not like to carry cash, and I don’t want a hold placed on my debit card. Since my credit limits on my credit cards handle the holds on the accounts, I choose to use a credit card when purchasing gas. With that said, most of the Spinx stores charge an additional $.10 if you pay by credit card. If you purchase your fuel at one of these locations, then your savings decreases by $.10. Since I am visiting their location to use my fuelperks!, I am not going to fork over $.10 of my savings to their establishment to use my credit card. I have found that the Spinx/Sunoco stores do not charge extra for credit. Their gas prices are about $.02-$.04 more per gallon than the regular Spinx stores, but there is no surcharge for using a credit card. With this knowledge, I always choose a Spinx/Sunoco store when redeeming my fuelperks!.

Pump all 20 gallons. If your gas tank is smaller than 20 gallons, then get creative! When the low fuel indicator light comes on in my car, the tank will take 16 gallons of fuel. To take full advantage of the discount, I will pump my tank full and then pump the remaining 4 gallons into our portable gas container used for the lawnmower. Another option is for my husband to follow me to the gas station in his car. We could then fill up one car and use the remaining available gallons in the second car. By pumping all 20 gallons, we are assured of maximizing our savings.

Use before expiration date. If I have saved and earned these rewards, I do not want to lose them. I will build up my savings, and then head to the pump when my car is near empty. Since I can find gas less expensively at other stations, I only use Spinx to redeem my fuelperks!. To stretch my dollars, I will build up my fuelperks! savings, and then get a deep discount on one tank of gas. The rest of the time, I purchase fuel at another location that is usually $.05 to $.07 less expensive.

If you have a fuelperks! program or another similar program available in your area, I hope these tips and tricks that I have learned along the way can help you stretch your dollars as you fill your tank.