Making the Best of Gas Prices

The rise in gas prices has made its impact across the economy, and news reports insist that this increase will not subside anytime soon. With the sometimes dramatic gas price increases, consumers are making ends meet by cutting down on other spending. Retailers, restaurants, service providers, and manufacturers are all experiencing the brunt of the cost. Production, transportation, and industrial spheres are also finding the challenge difficult to overcome.

In an effort to diminish the consumer impact, the internet may be a great resource to map a plan of action. Listings of gas stations online are available, and highlight the best and worst gas stations to purchase your next fill-up at the pump. GasBuddy.com is a growing website that reports the national averages for the week across the U.S. and Canada. GasBuddy.com boasts a network of over 173 cities and gas stations, offering a comprehensive listing to users as they enter a city or zipcode. The trend reports, along with historical data, provide some striking contrasts from the last 24 months. Your city + gasprices.com is usually the site location, and you can register to log in points and information about each visit and track your progress.

Another popular site, Motortrend.com, offers an up-to-date search with their Fuel Finder. Here the search is defined by state, county, and city, where users input a zipcode. The lowest prices are highlighted for easy search results, and thousands of gas stations across the country are covered in this database listing. InternetAutoGuide.com is a similar website, and offers the same interface.

Finally, the AAA WebFuel report displays a daily national average, along with the highest recorded price. State by state averages over a 12-month average are also available, and an easy drop-down menu containing your city and state will display current, recent, and previous gas price listings in and around your area. This site doesn’t highlight specific gas stations, but does provide some valuable comparison shopping: think ‘gas price perspective.’

If you find yourself in dire need of additional gas price relief, cash in on these smart consumer strategies:

� Look towards discount stores and non-gas stations such as chains or department stores; sometimes these offer lower prices than market leaders in the area.
� Make use of gas credit cards that offer rebates on all purchases. Your savings can quickly add up and even provide cash back in some cases.
âÂ?¢ Seek out suburban communities with gas stations if you’re located in a large city.
� Carpool or organize a rideshare for your common routes
� Stick with a fuel-efficient vehicle, and make the investment if you can!