How far is too far to drive for cheap gas?
There is a Mobil station on Ventura and Winnetka that I drive to (out of my way) because the prices always seem low. I never knew whether the extra drive was worth it until now.
A Rhode Island newspaper has a calculator and chart that tells you if going the distance to get cheap gas saves or costs you money. Enter the number of gallons you will buy, the price per gallon, your car's mpg and how far away the station is.
The site spits out a chart that is a little difficult to read but comes with good directions. You basically find the dollar amount you will save at the cheaper gas station as listed in the left column (say $.05 per gallon), then scroll to the left until you find how many many extra miles it takes to get to that cheaper station (say 3 miles). A green number reflects how much you will save overall at the cheaper station. A red number reflects how much you will spend getting there. For my car's stats I would save $.18 by driving 3 miles to a station if the gas was a nickel less per gallon than the closest available station.
Confused? Read the site's explanation.
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About The Bargain Hunter
Daily News staff writer Julia Scott loves to find bargains on everything from groceries to Gucci. Her tips will help keep your hard earned cash where it belongs - in your pocket.
Actually, United Oil at Corbin and Winnetka (down the street) is usually cheaper than the Mobil you mentioned!
Julia -
I thought Ventura & Winnetka was the best deal too, until today when I was shocked to find it at 4.15. The best at this point is still the 76 at Fallbrook & Oxnard at 4.04. It's getting scary, huh?