How to Find the Cheapest Gas on Travel Routes
Not long ago, finding cheap gas on a trip was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Today, however, the combination of Internet and mobile technology makes it much easier to find the best gas prices along the road. Not only does the Internet provide this information, but there are gas-price applications available for smart phones. If you know where you are and where you're headed, you can save extra money by thinking a few minutes ahead.
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Things You'll Need
- Device for Internet or satellite access (laptop computer, iPhone)
- Wireless Internet service (wi-fi or mobile web access from your cell phone)
Instructions
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Determine the towns along your route where you want to stop for gas. You can do this with a GPS system or a map.
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Access the Internet and go to a website that offers gas price information, such as fueleconomy.gov or autos.msn.com. If you don't have web access from your cell phone, stop at a location with a wi-fi hot spot and use a laptop computer.
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Type in the city and state where you are looking for cheap gas and hit "Enter." The website will pull up a list or map of stations and their gas prices. Msn.com's gas price feature will even highlight the station with the lowest price.
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Determine the quickest route to the gas station from your current location and drive there to fill up. Most gas price websites will have an option of giving you directions to the gas station you choose.
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Tips & Warnings
If you're using an iPhone or something similar, there are gas price apps available that will make the process even easier, because they can track your location and automatically give you directions. Also, many GPS manufacturers now offer real-time gas price information as part of their extended subscriptions.
According to an article in the March 1997 issue of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety newsletter "Status Report," cell phone usage in an automobile quadruples the likelihood of a serious accident. Using a text device is even more distracting. Never attempt to access the Internet or program a GPS while driving. Pull off the road to access the web or have a passenger do it for you.
