Gas Prices Online

If you can walk it, walk. If you can't walk it, bike it. If you can neither walk or bike it,don't drive an empty vehicle, or make a single trip.

Between gas price finders online, never driving an empty vehicle ["S'long as you're going to _____, can you take me to ________..."], and planning all errands on a single loop drive [farthest destination first, then one straight run back home] you can stretch the bottom line a little better.

Be sure your fuel lines, filter, and such are up to specs, and check tires for good inflation. Also be certain you have plenty of transmission fluid and that the lines are clear. If your vehicle is "the one" that gets the group going, you want to ensure it's in top condition.

I'm pretty sure these sites are only good in the US. We Canadians have to fend for ourselves.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Did you look at GasBuddy.com? There's a prominent link on the home page to all Canadian provinces.

I've been using GasBuddy.com for awhile now.

One thing to be aware of, is that these prices are sometimes manipulated by unscrupulous dealers who price inaccurate "low" numbers for their own gas station, hoping you'll buy the gas anyway when you get there. There is one station in this area that consistently has the lowest price showing online, but when you get there, it's actually 10 cents higher. I've begun boycotting that particular guy, and I hope others do as well.

So, GasBuddy.com is great. Just beware of the fraudsters!

BUY YOUR GAS ON THE WEB

This article is an outstanding public service. The internet is popular enough to make web-based public scrutiny of oil prices a strong force for rapid downward movement of oil prices.

Readers, please link this article to all your friends and family-- they will thank you for it. The stations which honor their customers with lower prices are very likely to see more business volume, which, as every young tycoon learns, is another word for more profit.

And for those corporate PR chiefs who pretend to sing the hymn about capitalist competition in the "free market", we can offer only the wry observation all gas companies post the same general prices, with no real effort at downward price movement. Instead of price competition, their prices have been the signature upward, ratcheting pattern of a market in purest cartel monopoly.

How petty of us to endanger the environment even more, just to save a few cents. Think of the gas you burned and time wasted just going to that other gas station! And, most importantly than the few measly cents, if all of us used common sense in planning our day and anticipating spending more, and adjusting our lifestyles accordingly it would make your dollar go a lot faster. Do the math, is it really worth it? NO!!! How about instead of b------g at the pump, why don't you b----- to your politicians for affordable electric cars for all. DUH! Oh, I forgot, oil is limitless and we could care less if we kill everything on the planet except us, and we will be last.

And for those that live in England, there's : http://www.petrolprices.com/

BUY YOUR GAS ON THE WEB

Web-based price aggregators let consumers buy at the best price. As gasoline soars in cost, consumers suffer price increases as direct economic injury. Price aggregators not only help consumers find relief at the best local price, but keep the industry competitive-- gas vendors know consumers will seek out low-price vendors.

Price aggregator web sites already help us find good prices on everything from building supplies to air fare. Finding a good price on any product adds up to benefits for consumers and business, alike-- as prices rise, merchants which honor their customers with consistently lower prices will see more profit.

As reader "Bill" notes, there are a few gas vendors who try to game the system and report false low prices. The best remedy is drivers should visit only well-maintained and honest price aggregator sites which respond immediately to your concern about price misrepresentation. In many cases, price aggregator web sites, themselves, face competition, and understand consumer trust is their principal source of income.

When prices rise, but incomes stay the same, this defines a budget crisis. At that moment, everyone becomes an economist. In rebuttal of corporate oil chiefs who pretend to sing the hymn about capitalist competition in the "free market", there is a simple observation-- all gas stations post the same general prices, with no significant downward price movement. Instead of reflecting vigorous price competition, all gas prices-- vendor by vendor-- show the signature upward, ratcheting pattern of a market in purest cartel monopoly.

Be aware that a lot of stations are doing the pump jump. My station (Circle K) is using it. They have it fixed so you get cheated out of 3 or 4 cents worth of gas (it goes right back in the tank on starting up the pump.