I grew up in California. Even though I now live in Utah, my parents and siblings still live there, as do my in-laws. Therefore, we often make the semi-annual migration down I-15 to visit - usually once in the summer and once during the holidays. We've made the drive so often, we know exactly how far we can get on a tank of gas, and which gas station's are typically expensive, and which ones are typically cheaper. As a result, we almost always stop at the same one on the way down and on the way back up. Rather than wait until we are low to start looking for a station with cheap gas, we fill up there because we know that 90% of the time it will have the cheapest gas. We also have a good idea which stations near our parents' houses will be cheaper than others, and carry some extra cash since one of them is significantly cheaper when you pay with cash.
This system works well if you are very familiar with the area, but what do you do if you are traveling somewhere new? My wife has an app on her phone (Gas Buddy) that gives her the prices of nearby gas stations. Once we reach a quarter tank of gas, she looks up what's available nearby. Then, based on how far we are from another city or town, we decide whether or not we should stop. This works out much better than relying on the signs we can see from the freeway because the gas stations next to the freeway are typically 5-10 cents more per gallon than gas stations located a few blocks away from the freeway. So, if you are going on a road trip, or even just driving around town, you might want to check out the app.
Have fun on your next adventure!
No comments:
Post a Comment