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Are you struggling and need to get to work, but your tank is on empty?
Gas is an ongoing expense that many people struggle with, but there are many ways to make a saving when it comes to fueling up your vehicle. Let’s take a look at ways you can save money on your gas bill!
Key Takeaways
Yes, there are several potential ways to get free gas, though they may not always be easy or reliable. If you are having car trouble or broken down with the tank on E, the quickest way to get free gas is to open a credit card at a gas station chain (more details on this below). Some credit cards offer rewards that can be redeemed for gas, effectively giving you free gas when you use those rewards.
Many gas stations have rewards programs that allow you to earn points or discounts on gas purchases, potentially leading to free gas after accumulating enough points.
Have you caught yourself searching "free gas near me"? Well, certain charities and nonprofits may offer assistance with gas costs for certain individuals or circumstances. Some ride-sharing services offer incentives or bonuses that can offset the cost of gas for drivers.
It's also worth checking with local government agencies or community organizations for any programs that may offer assistance with gas costs for specific needs, such as medical appointments or job interviews. While these options exist, they may not always be available or practical for everyone.
There are things you can do to get free gas, or at least much cheaper gas when you’re in a tight spot financially. Let’s check out the top 21 tips for this.
Firstly, joining a wholesale membership club can give you access to much cheaper gas. Places like Sam’s Club, Costco, and BJ’s Wholesale Club all sell fuel, at much lower costs than most retailers charge.
These special deals can massively reduce how much you spend on fuel, especially if you use them frequently, rather than depending on regular gas stations, which are more expensive.
These clubs do tend to have a cost associated with the membership, but this can lower your overall spend on gas, and may even offer you other savings too.
A gas station credit card may also give you access to lower costs. Most have credit cards and rewards programs that let you access savings every time you buy gas, and you may be able to save several cents per gallon. This won’t help with immediate costs but will allow you to reduce your gas costs in the long term.
It’s well worth comparing what the stations around you offer, as many will provide points, cashback, and other kinds of rewards, letting you get money off for every gallon of fuel you purchase. This will make gas more affordable.
Certain credit cards will also give you access to free gas gift cards, although this is dependent on who you have your credit card with. These may save you even more than gas cards in some cases, paying you back significant chunks of money on your purchases.
If you’ve got a good credit rating, you’re much more likely to be able to get a credit card that has gas-related rewards. However, it’s important to make sure you’re doing a thorough comparison of your options, rather than just choosing the first one you find. Many major credit providers have gas-related incentives.
As mentioned above, GasBuddy is an option for finding the cheapest gas in your area – and it’s important to bear this in mind, even in moments where funds are not as tight. Set aside the money in a savings account and use it next time your funds run low.
It’s not just GasBuddy either, there’s also Waze and Upside, both of which will tell you the cheapest gas prices in your area. Check out all three of these and see which gives you the most up-to-date, useful information.
If your car is fine but the tank is empty, you can get discounted gift cards that are for fuel, and this is well worth considering when funds are tight, as it can reduce the amount that you pay each time you fuel your vehicle.
These aren’t available everywhere but you may be able to find cheap ones online, especially on second-hand selling sites, where people are looking to turn unused gift cards into cash.
The Swagbucks platform lets you earn points, and these can be converted into gift cards once you’ve earned enough points. 5,000 points can be converted into a $50 gas card, which could make a big difference to you when you’re struggling for funds. If you’ve got a bit of free time available, turn Swagbucks into real money and enjoy the benefits!
Many gas stations have loyalty programs that are available to customers, and if you’ve got a particular station that you use more often (perhaps it’s on your commute or close to your house), this is very worth considering. Find out if they offer a loyalty program, and then make use of this every time you fill your car up.
Of course, you should compare this to other methods, such as filling up at a membership club, as one is likely to offer you a better deal overall – but certainly do consider both options and work out which one is cheaper.
In some cases, a lucky win at sweepstakes could give you access to gas, and sometimes a lot of it. Some even have “free gas for life” as a prize, while others will offer more limited supplies, but could still make a big difference to your gas costs.
If you have a long commute and your gas costs are high, a win at sweepstakes could make an enormous difference to your weekly spending.
The Salvation Army is a charitable organization that sometimes gives free gas vouchers to people who are really in need. If you’re going through a particularly difficult financial period, you may want to reach out to find out if they could offer you gas vouchers.
These vouchers are intended for families and individuals who are having trouble covering essential travel purposes. There is an application process that you’ll need to go through to check whether you’re eligible, but this can be a short-term solution to financial problems when you can’t cover your fuel costs.
The Upside mobile app, which we mentioned earlier, can also be used to earn cash back when you buy certain items, including groceries and gas. It may be used in restaurants too, so if you’re going out to eat somewhere, you could also earn a little cashback.
It’s a very simple way to get money back on your regular costs, including your groceries —
If you need gas to get to work, a lot of grocery stores also offer their users rewards cards, and these can often be turned into vouchers for gas stations. If you’ve got a family, you might rack these points up pretty quickly, allowing you to pass those savings on to your fuel costs. Combine this with various other strategies, and you can enjoy some very serious savings in terms of gas.
Fetch is another great app that will give you rewards quickly and effectively. All you need to do for this app is snap photos of your purchase receipts and upload them to the app. Every receipt that you upload to the app will give you points, which you can then turn into gift cards, including gas station gift cards.
It takes very little time to earn money like this, and if you’ve got a few free minutes to spend after each shopping trip, it’s very effective.
The government may be able to help you with your fuel costs in some cases, depending on your circumstances. You will need to fill out applications to find out whether you qualify and the criteria will vary significantly depending on which state you live in, but this is worth exploring if you’re struggling to meet your fuel costs for essential travel.
If you’re on benefits and you have a SNAP EBT-Cash card, you might be able to use this to pay for your fuel, as well as for other essentials such as groceries.
However, it’s important to be aware that not all gas stations accept SNAP cards, and you’ll need to find one that does. Fortunately, you can often research this online so you don’t have to drive around searching for one, saving yourself precious time (and gas).
Many churches and charity organizations will also offer assistance with fuel costs. They recognize that if you need to get to work or you’ve got to collect children from school, gas is essential, and therefore they can frequently assist with it.
However, you’ll have to speak to organizations directly to figure out what their eligibility criteria are, as this will vary from place to place. The best way to check if you qualify is to speak to somebody directly.
Many low-income families are also eligible for free gas from other sources, and you can find out more about this by phoning 2-1-1 or going to the associated website, www.211.org. This site will give you information about financial assistance available in your local area, directing you to organizations that can help with various essentials, including gas vouchers.
Another good way to decrease your fuel bill is to increase your vehicle’s fuel efficiency. There are quite a few ways to do this. One of the easiest is getting rid of unnecessary clutter in the car; this costs fuel to cart around. Get rid of everything unnecessary, including bike racks, roof racks, and more, and your car will use less fuel.
You can also limit idling, keep your tires at the optimum pressure, and get your car regularly maintained to further reduce your costs.
Safer driving habits may give you more miles to the gallon, too. Obeying the speed limit and sticking to around 45 or 50 mph can improve your fuel efficiency, as can gentle braking. Slamming the brakes on and speeding up fast repeatedly will reduce the mileage you get from a tank of gas, so bear this in mind when driving.
These things can also make you a safer driver and may reduce your risk of getting into an accident, which might otherwise cause your insurance premiums to spike. Safe driving lowers your costs in multiple areas and keeps you and other road users safe.
Other ways to reduce your fuel costs include not using the car more than you have to – and this is a greener approach too. If your destination is nearby, consider whether you could walk there, or swap for a bike or e-scooter. If that’s not feasible, is there a public transport option? This is often cheaper than fueling up your car.
This won’t always work, but considering these alternatives can dramatically reduce your overall gas bill, making it easier to cover the costs when you do need to use the car.
A carpool is another viable alternative for many individuals looking to save money. If somebody you know frequently drives to the same places as you (such as a neighbor who goes to the same grocery store or a coworker heading to work at the same shift), it’s well worth considering whether you could carpool with them.
You could then chip in a bit for their gas costs without having to find the money to fuel your own car. Alternatively, you could reverse this arrangement and offer to take others when you’re running errands or heading to work, in exchange for some gas money. If you’re going to be making the trip anyway, this could be a good option.
A cashback credit card can also help you save money on gas in many cases. These give you money back when you make a purchase, whether that’s for gas, groceries, or something else. Usually, you’ll get a percentage of what you spend back in rewards. For example, if your credit card offers you 1% on your purchases, you’ll get $1 for every $100 you spend.
That might not sound like a lot, but it can add up fast, and if you’re purchasing items that you would be buying anyway (such as gas or groceries), it may make a big difference!
As you can see, there are lots of options that will allow you to save money on gas or even access gas for free if you’re struggling at the moment. Check out local charities and funds, contact the government, or consider public transport to reduce your fuel costs.
For our readers who are researching free gasoline, here is an additional question our readers looked up.
There are no apps that will give you access to free gas directly, but there are some that will give you cheaper gas or help you save money when you purchase it. Some apps will give you information about where the cheapest gas prices in your area are.
For example, there’s the GasBuddy app (mentioned above), which doesn’t even require you to make an account. It’s based on users sharing information about gas prices in their area, and everybody can get a heads-up on what the cheapest prices are. It lets you monitor the cheapest prices and always choose the best as the prices fluctuate.
No, getting free gas at the pump is not common, but there are occasional opportunities to obtain free gas through promotions, contests, or rewards programs.
Gas stations or brands may offer free gas as a prize in contests, or you may earn free gas through rewards programs offered by certain credit cards, gas stations, or apps. However, these options will not be immediate and no one will come and just pay for your gas at the pump.
If you run out of gas and have no money, you can walk to a nearby gas station and ask for assistance. Some gas stations may offer to help or provide you with a small amount of gas to get you to a nearby location where you can purchase more.
First, we should say that rarely in life are things free. Yes, you may be able to get some temporary gas from a charity or church, but it is not going to work regularly.
Government programs, such as those providing aid to low-income individuals, may also be able to help, but they will do an income verification check. You may want to consider using cashback credit cards, earning rewards through grocery store loyalty programs, or participating in apps that offer cashback or rewards for purchases, which can help offset gas expenses.
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