$4 gas? How to cut what you pay
If you're getting pinched at the pump, a gas rewards card could help. There are more than 1,000 offers out there -- which one's best for you?
This post comes from Odysseas Papadimitriou at Card Hub.
With gas prices nearly 20% higher than they were at the beginning of the year, who wouldn't love to save at the pump? You could trade in your gas guzzler for a hybrid or start biking to work, but such options aren't for everyone.
A simpler alternative is to change what's in your wallet -- switching to a gas rewards credit card that offers substantial savings.
The best gas rewards card, selected from more than 1,000 offers, is the Pentagon Federal Platinum Rewards Credit Card. First you'd need to join the Pentagon Federal Credit Union, which you can do for as little as $15.
Highlights of the card:
- You earn five rewards points (equal to 5 cents) per dollar spent on gas purchases paid for at the pump, three points per dollar spent at supermarkets and one point per dollar on everything else.
- You receive 5,000 bonus points (equal to $50) after your first purchase.
- You get 20,000 additional bonus points (equal to $200) if you spend $1,000 in the first three months.
But if you spend at least $1,000 at Marathon gas stations each month, a better choice is the Marathon Credit Card, because of its 25-cent-a-gallon rebate. Most consumers, however, would be best served by the PenFed card because you can save no matter where you buy gas. Plus, the PenFed rewards are more lucrative than nearly all station-affiliated cards, including big names like the ExxonMobil Credit Card, the Shell Credit Card and the BP Credit Card (which used to be one of the best gas cards around but, after rewards program changes this month, is now one of the worst).
- See Card Hub's full list of the best gas credit cards
Whichever gas card you choose, there are ways to enhance the rewards it provides. Some of the best tips:
Be aware of corporate partnerships. Gas station chains often partner with other businesses, such as supermarkets, to create rewards-earning opportunities. For example, Shell has a deal with some of the nation's biggest grocery companies, including Giant and Kroger, so that every $100 you spend at the supermarkets gets you a 10-cent-a-gallon rebate on your next fill-up. Tack that on to the 5% cash back offered by the PenFed Card and you're looking at saving around 7.6% per gallon the next time you buy gas at a Shell station. The trick is to find savings opportunities that fit your spending habits, rather than changing where you shop or going out of your way to save.
Build a strategic rewards-card arsenal. The most effective rewards-card strategy is to use multiple cards that complement one another. For example, if your biggest expenses are Marathon gas, groceries and airfare, you'd be better off getting the Marathon Credit Card, the Blue Cash Preferred Card (6% cash back at supermarkets) and the Capital One Venture Card (essentially 2% cash back, provided you redeem miles for travel-related purchases) than a single card offering middling rewards across all purchases.
More on MSN Money:
These are Gas Pump Post-It Notes you can buy at the Patriot Depot website
Dear Voter,
Did you know that when Obama took office,
On January 20, 2009, the national average
for a gallon of gasoline was $1.84? Keep
that in mind when you vote in November.
Anyone But Obama in 2012
Stick Them On Every Gas Pump!
Where is the out cry for the president to do something??? When Gas prices were high when Bush was President, that is all you heard on the News! "President Bush was for Big oil! It's Bush's fault that gas prices are high. But now you hear nothing!!! Whats good for one has to be good for the next, WTH!
No one in Washington, DC seems particularly concerned about the public paying more and more for gas each week. The money we spend to dig deeper into our budget comes out of our money not the greedy s.o.b.'s in the nations capital! They are selling us down the river!
It's time for a change in how we do business in Congress and the oval office. I voted for Obama in the last election and he talks a good game but his game doesn't cut it anymore. I am tired of us paying to keep big business in power and having them stick it to the rest of us for these failed incompetent policies enacted by the corrupt Congress and Obama who lacks backbone to deal with them.
Most of you are ridiculous, teaming up with parties and arguing against each other, getting no where because someone's always got an arguement for something. Wake up, we shouldn't have been separated by political parties in the first place They've divided us and our beliefs. Once again, wake up, it's America, the people running it that are corrupt...most Federal organizations (maybe all of them). AND it's not Government we should get rid of btw, Government is good, to a certain degree, but the people running it?....many of us have no idea how much the people in office are controlling us, the people, the people that should be taking this country back to serve US, not make Corporations more and more rich. So far, most administrations, except a few, have been running this country for the benefit of profits. The officials have, basically, worked MINIMALLY in the people's interest, and MORE SO in the interest of their profits...personal profits. It's all there, the evidence, the facts, the SOLID PROOF... you just have to look for it. You'll find it.
No, I'm not some constitutionalist or extremist...I just want America to be the way it should be.........so many illegal actions taken by them, so little time for us. BUT, it doesn't have to stay this way...Technically, some people tend to forget, WE are in power, YOU are in power.
The United States of America sits atop one of the largest untapped oil reserves located below the Rocky Mountains near Colorado. Studies have shown it to have:
but our fantastic Government will not allow drilling there. Getting to this oil with our current technology is easy and safe. This would create jobs and would flood the market taking away the grip that OPEC and the speculators have on our country. One area alone is estimated at having between 2 to 3 trillion barrels of oil.
Thank you Obama!! You acted as if this was all Bush and you would turn this all around...It's been almost your entire term and things have either stayed the same or went worse, is that Bush's fault? perhaps someone else's fault...well this is why I didn't vote for you nor did I believe in you. I doubt the american citizens will make the same mistake twice, I can not wait for your term to be up!
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