2022-08-26
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How To Get Free Gas

Ways to make your bank account smile by keeping the costs down ⛽

Illustration of gas pump flying in the sky
IN THIS ARTICLE:

On average, people in the US spend $250 on gas per month, which equates to $3,000 per year 🤯

And if you use your car to commute to work, you’ll be spending even more of your precious hard-earned bucks.

So if you’re wondering whether there are ways to get free gas, you’re not alone. Gas prices are no longer at their peak, but they still remain higher than previous years, and with inflation taking its toll on everyday life, it’s no wonder we’re looking for ways to cut the costs.

PSA: don’t worry, this blog post isn’t gonna be us saying “it’s easy, just don’t use your car”…

Nope.

We’ve got totally legitimate ways you can get free gas and save money.

Let’s go 🙏🏻

CAN YOU ACTUALLY GET FREE GAS?

The answer is yes but you'll need to put a bit of work in yourself. No one’s gonna be turning up on your doorstep with gallons of free gas (we’re not crying, it’s just hay fever).

Gif of the kardashians at a photoshoot
Via Giphy

BUT, by making a few smart moves, you’ll be able to get some extra cash for your gas (what a tongue twister).

And if you want those moves, keep scrolling 💙

COMPLETE SURVEYS FOR GAS

💵 Swagbucks

It’s a rewards program which gives you vouchers, gift cards, cash, and gas cards for completing surveys via their site.

All you need to do is take a few surveys, earn some SB (Swagbucks points) and exchange the SB for gas gift cards or prepaid gift cards to spend on gas 💰

So, if you have a bit of spare time for an easy side hustle, this might be a good way for you to get some totally free gas

FYI, Swagbucks has an ‘excellent’ rating of 4.3/5 stars on Trustpilot, based on 28,000+ reviews.

💵 Survey Junkie

Another popular online survey website where you can earn money just by sharing your opinions and behaviors via surveys and focus groups.

Once you’ve built up 1,000 points (equivalent to $10), you can redeem them instantly by buying a gift card for retailers including Amazon, Starbucks (caffeine, mmm), iTunes, Target, and Walmart.

Or, if you’d rather just get the cash to spend on gas (duh, that’s why you’re here), you can just get the cash through PayPal.

Survey Junkie also has an ‘excellent’ rating of 4.3/5 stars on Trustpilot, based on 38,000+ reviews.

USE A GAS FINDING APP

To get the best price for gas in your area, you can use a gas-finding app like GasBuddy and easily save money on gas (up to 25 cents a gallon) if you sign up for GasBuddy’s free card.

How does it work?

  • Save 5x as much as the app and more than either a debit or gas credit card
  • Fill-ups are deducted from your linked debit card
  • No credit check required (yaaass), and signing up takes a few minutes
  • No bills, just pure savings 💅

How to use it

  • Get the free card and link your checking account, you’ll then receive your card in the post
  • Find and activate ‘Deal Alerts’ in the app
  • Pay for your gas using the card (it works at around 95% of gas stations) and the discount will be applied automatically - easy

Other free apps include:

  • Waze – the popular navigation app can not only get you from A-B, it can also direct you to the cheapest gas station
  • WEX Connect – it shows gas prices within a certain radius near you, and for those with electric vehicles (lucky), it’ll show you which charging points are available

BUY GAS ON A MONDAY OR FRIDAY

According to GoBankingRates, Monday consistently offered the lowest average price for gas in 17 states in 2021 between January to December, making it the best day to buy gas

Friday is also one of the cheapest days but we're probably all too busy planning how we're gonna spend our weekends to even give gas a thought. But if you’re not doing that, sure… go fill up your tanks.

Apparently Thursday is the worst day to buy gas so yeah, just avoid all gas stations on a Thursday.

GROCERY STORE FUEL REWARDS

You can earn free gas from your local grocery stores just by hopping on down to the store, getting your weekly groceries and scanning your loyalty card.

💵 You can get 1 fuel point for every $1 you spend at the below stores:

🍏 Acme

🍏 Food 4 Less

🍏 Fred Meyer

🍏 Price Chopper

🍏 Smith’s

🍏 Ralph’s

CARPOOL

Carpool’s a pretty easy win.

If you regularly commute to work in the car, check with colleagues to see if they’re en route. If so, you can all chip in (don’t let them hitch a lift for free).

Gif of man playing air guitar in carpool
Via Giphy

HOW TO GET GAS WITH NO MONEY

If it’s an emergency and you need help with paying for gas, there are ways to get vouchers and gas cards from several charities.

Some of these include:

💙 The Salvation Army – they operate across the US and should be able to assist if you’re in need of help with gas – they can provide free gas cards, vouchers, or general transpiration for individuals and families with a low income. When you apply, you’ll just need to show proof of your situation

💙 Churches – your local church may be able to help with free gas or with transportation costs for people in need. It might be best to call a few church organizations first to see if they can help. A few organizations include Saint Vincent de Paul, Love INC, and the United Methodist Church

Let’s wrap up with a couple of questions about gas you’ve probably thought about at some point this year 🤔

WHEN WILL GAS PRICES GO DOWN?

Something we’re literally thinking about every day…

Back in June (WHY does the beginning of summer feel so long ago?), the AAA reported a record high of $5.02 a gallon, however, recent reports have shown gas prices have dropped to $3.89 a gallon from $4.38 a month ago.

So yeah, good news as gas now costs less but there’s no telling how long this will last, or when they’ll drop even further. That’s why it’s a good idea to start saving where possible.

DOES AC USE GAS?

Definitely something we’ve been thinking about during these scorching summer months…

Brent Brown Toyota states “the air conditioner draws energy from the alternator, which is powered by the engine.” And if that sounds like complete jargon (which it did to me), basically all you need to know is the answer is yes.

Air conditioning does in fact use gas (damn).

Maybe pick up a $3 handheld fan from Walmart or something and tape it to the inside of your car… that should do the trick.

Jokes aside, hopefully you’ve now got a few ways to save money 🚀
And if you’re looking for a side hustle to help pay for gas or bills, check out the best side hustles we found in 2022.
FAQs
Still have questions? Find answers below.
Is it really possible to get free gas?
How do gas-finding apps work, and are there any recommended ones?
When are the best and worst days to buy gas?
Does using the car's air conditioning consume gas?
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