when to fill up?

[Debonair]

Originally Posted by Sven7

If your gas prices vary by 30 cents it might be a good idea to get gas earlier, when it's cheap. However I really don't pay attention to prices because they usually don't vary much from place to place.

This is what i was thinking, though in the last few months it has skyrocketed.

Originally Posted by redpoint5

I do recommend running tanks near empty regardless of what prices are doing. Fuel expenditures average out over time whether you make many small purchases, or less frequent full tank fills.

By making less frequent stops at the station, you spend less time at the pump and waste less fuel driving to the station and waiting in long lines for a pump to become available.

However, I am considering a bulk diesel purchase before those prices spike too high. I can store about 500 gallons at my parents house.

I don't go out of my way to the gas station, its literally in a direct route on my way to work.

And you do think it will average out? i mean right before Christmas i filled up for 2.97. I got gas yesterday from the same station and it is now 3.53.

[gone-ot]

Thursday afternoon $3.599...

Friday morning $3.619...

[reb01501]

There are two stations on my way to work. One of them consistently raises its prices a day before the other. it's like clockwork - I can remember only one occasion where the pattern did not hold true - in that case the cheaper station waited 3 days before raising its prices. Anyways, when I see the price go up at the first station, I stop at the other and fill up before its prices go up, unless I'm only down a gallon or two.
When prices are steady or on the way down, I wait as long as possible before filling.
The strategy doesn't save me a whole lot of money, but every little bit helps.

[CigaR007]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

Thursday afternoon $3.599...

Friday morning $3.619...

Last week, where I live, the price at the pump jumped from $4.80 to $5.44... overnight

[Kincurd]

This thread inspired me to reset the trip odometer to see how far I can get on a tank. I use the Scangauge, but this is just an added layer of MPG awareness.

Off to a good start. Actually got 57mpg for the last half of my trip to work. The first carpooling half, I got only got 34mpg though. 22.4 miles total.

[gone-ot]

...when I read "carpooling" I immediately think "added weight" being carried around, so mpg expectations have to be accordingly reduced.

[bestclimb]

When I have people in the car I think the distraction of conversing with them affects the mileage more than the weight. This observation is reinforced as when I have carried objects and my mileage does not drop by much, and most of that is due to missing judging EOC points and needing more brakes. Also the my assumption is that the first half and second half likely are different types of driving.

[Ken Fry]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

...here in Tucson, it's FRY's, instead of Kroger's, but same "food-for-gas" scheme.

Thanks for the plug. Checks in the mail.

[Ken Fry]

Originally Posted by Debonair

And you do think it will average out? i mean right before Christmas i filled up for 2.97. I got gas yesterday from the same station and it is now 3.53.

The airlines do "economical tanking", using pretty sophisticated math to determine when it makes sense to buy cheaper fuel and carry it around, vs running with less weight but buying the fuel later at a higher price.

Adding market trending makes the calculation really difficult -- it becomes about the same as buying stocks. You buy Ford when you think it is low, and two days later the price drops! arrrrgh.

I'd be willing to bet that gas will drop to $3.00 sometime in the nearish future, and then resume its climb. Who knows when that point will be?

[Kincurd]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

...when I read "carpooling" I immediately think "added weight" being carried around, so mpg expectations have to be accordingly reduced.

The added weight is there and I think more city-type driving for the half of the trip. Second half, I get to hop on the highway and I'm the only one in the car. There's a nice gradual hill that leads to my work parking lot for the last 2 miles as well.

I had to deal with stop-n-go traffic for part of it, but still pulled ahead with 57mpg according to my well-calibrated Scangauge. I think that's a record for me.