GASOLINE PRICES

[mountainborn]

As the pending date of our departure to drive the Jeep trails in Colorado neared, we began to fret over the rising gas prices. We began to strategize. And arrived at this conclusion:

Never stay at a Hotel or Motel on the trip.

Only stay at a State Park or campground where our Senior Pass would knock off half.

Reduce the number of meals eaten out.

Shop for gas prices on the internet before arriving at our next fill up site.

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What we discovered:

Gas prices were only signifigantly higher in some states. Colorado was the highest at $4.39.9 in Lake City.

We only stayed at one State park, it was $9.00. We dumped, filled with water and ran the A/C all night, no genset gas needed.

We filled up the genset once at a cost of $7.31 .

We ran a bit slower on the interstate and a more leisurely pace on secondary roads, and We concluded that we enjoied more.

When calculating the actual cost against the former un adjusted travel style cost, we found that we saved aproximately $230.00 .

Not bad for such minor changes, or so we thought. It more than off set the rising gas prices.

The cool thing about shopping for gas prices on the internet was that our Jeep is designed for the lower quality fuels of third world countrys and the cheapest fuel in town ran just fine in it. We also knew ahead of time which town, exit and name brand was the cheapest at our next fuel stop. Should we need it the web site had a map of the station location available to display.

Is it worth all the trouble ? We thought so, but you will have to decide if it might be for you. In this photo I point to the pump price per gallon at a restored Phillips 66 station.

PS. Note the way I am dressed. In two days we will be jeeping in Alpine tundra, dressed to the max.

[tumbleweed]

There is NO CAMO on you!!!!!! Are you changing styles on us now that retirement is looming???

Great ideas, what are you using to check fuel $$? Slowing down with Geri is NOT an option...it is mandatory!!!!

Your posting on this trip have been great!!!! Thanks!

Chuck

[mountainborn]

There is NO CAMO on you!!!!!! Are you changing styles on us now that retirement is looming???

Great ideas, what are you using to check fuel $$? Slowing down with Geri is NOT an option...it is mandatory!!!!

Your posting on this trip have been great!!!! Thanks!

Chuck

Chuck, was trying to fly under the radar ! But no camo didn't help, in one place someone said, " is ya'll mountainborn & butcherknife from that cute li'll camper outside ?" Why of course we showed it to them !

Used gasbuddy mostly:

http://www.gasbuddy.com

[mountainborn]

Thanks, Tom. We have a couple of cards that I don't like as well as I did when we first recieved them. You know how they buy each other out all the time and their policys change. For example, I feel that having a card with a company or bank is actually a relationship. A business relationship. But none the less a relationship. Should they do things that are not in my best intrest, for example, fund a terrorist group, either foreign or domestic, I will dump them as soon as I learn about it.

We will be leaving for Fort Benning the first week of August. Maybe we will have that thrifty card in hand by then !

[SeaDawg]

Tom, interesting info on the BP Visa card... 5% is a lot on $4.00 a gallon... I noticed other brands are offering similar deals to take some of the sting out and retain brand loyalty. Here's one

 

Mountainborn... I'd never looked at gas buddy before. On the regular trip we make to NC, I've started keeping a log of the least expensive (with the prices these days, "cheapest" just doesn't work any more...) gas stations and exit numbers. It's amazing how gas prices can differ by 20 cents or more a gallon, one exit apart on the interstate.

 

On our last trip, we found prices ranging from a low of $3.69 in South Carolina, to a high of almost a dollar more in Connecticut. New York wasn't far behind CT. About a dollar spread in less than a thousand miles... I guess taxes are just much higher in the northeast.

Thanks for sharing the gas buddy website.

 

Sherry

[SeaDawg]

Three months later, what a difference. On our last trip to North Carolina, we paid a high of $2.59 and a low of $2.06 for gasoline. Nope, not a typo. In one week, gas prices fell almost 20 cents in the Carolinas and Georgia. Never thought I'd see $2.06 in the same year that we paid over $4..... but it sure was nice.

For anyone travelling I-95, the $2.06 was at an Exxon at the last exit in South Georgia (#3 I think) . The Exxon has an attached Krystal Burger with free wifi. My brother in Minnesota was reporting $2.12 in Brainerd, a dime higher in northern Missouri was the report from my other brother.

 

Sherry

[mountainborn]

We are in Springfield Mo at the Bass Pro Festival. The lowest gas we have seen here is $1.86 .

[SeaDawg]

Well, isn't this just amazing. We towed about 17,000 miles this year to ever-increasing gas prices, most of the summer around three fifty to four, to the very highs well over $4.50 a gallon for regular in New England. Now, hometown prices (Florida) are well under two bucks... Wow! Never thought we'd see that again. My dad reports prices around a dollar fifty in Missouri! I think it's time to take the Oliver out of winter mode and go camping... somewhere! .... Okay,so it's not gas prices making me want to go, it's just, well, not being on the road, I guess. Walking out to the side of the house and hanging out in the Oliver is just not quite the same as camping, and I, for one, miss it! I'm almost beginning to think that winter rally in middle TN wasn't such a bad idea, Mountainborn!

Sherry

[mountainborn]

WooHoo ! Let's do it !