Comment Re:Is that even worthwhile? (Score 1) 113
If I have to spend even 5 minutes looking up gas prices and driving out of my way to go to a cheaper gas station, it's not worth saving 30 cents a gallon on gas. [...] Maybe my 11 gallon gas tank just isn't big enough for significant savings, but I really wonder whether these gas price apps are worth it.
If you get 30 MPG and drive 12000 miles/yr, a 30 cents/gallon savings works out to $120 over a year.
But it's pretty pointless to find a new station every fill-up or to drive too far out of the way to get a lower price - the time you waste is usually not worth it. What it's good for is to get an idea what the average gas prices are so you know if a station is regularly priced high or low, and to find a station that's consistently low-priced in the area you normally drive around. That way you can just go to that station most of the time instead of having to constantly check prices. But you can do all that via their website. I downloaded the app for my phone, and immediately uninstalled it when it demanded I create an account before I could use it.
My local Costco regularly has 20 minute lines of drivers waiting to buy cheaper gas (though it's possible that one family member is shopping and the other is waiting for gas). If I see a line at my preferred gas station, I'll use the one down the street that I know is 15 cents more expensive.
You should only wait in the Costco line if you're waiting while a family member shops, or if it's nearby and you need gas that day and have time to waste. Most Costco gas stations are open a few hours after the store closes. If you go there an hour or a half hour before they close gas service (usually around 9-11pm), there's no line.