# How far will you go for cheaper gas? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 17, 2001, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-will-you-go-for-cheaper-gas/82199 "2001-09-17T17:33:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AM\_PM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/db5fbb/32.png) [@AM\_PM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AM_PM)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-will-you-go-for-cheaper-gas/82199/1 "2001-09-17T17:33:56Z")
I know some people won’t cross the street, I see this every day, and even when both the expensive and cheap stations (both brand names) are vacant. ---
**Author:** ![Another\_Primate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Another\_Primate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Another_Primate)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-will-you-go-for-cheaper-gas/82199/2 "2001-09-17T18:00:47Z")
Depends how much cheaper. I won’t switch for a nickel a gallon… the cheapest station on my commute from Grants Pass (Oregon) to Medford makes you go inside to pay for your gas, (and never washes windows) so I avoid them. I think it’s stupid that you have to wait in line just to save the pump guy the trouble of making change or swiping your credit card. (No self-serve in Oregon, thank goodness.) I wouldn’t go there even if it saved fifteen cents a gallon. The stations I hit most are the two on the route that are have pump dudes that are fast, friendly, and wash windshields. No, they’re never the cheapest. Oil House! U-Save! You guys rock! -Sue ---
**Author:** ![Jane\_D\_oh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/839c29/32.png) [@Jane\_D\_oh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jane_D_oh)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-will-you-go-for-cheaper-gas/82199/3 "2001-09-17T21:24:30Z")
I am obsessive about this. I watch gas prices religously. I always know where the cheapest gas is within about ten miles of my house. I will go across the street or around the block or to the place right by work, if it is the cheapest. I started doing this last year when the prices started going up. (Around Memorial Day maybe?) I just decided that I was not gonna give the oil companies not even one more cent than I had to. Now, it second nature and almost sport. People do ask me where the cheapest gas is. (I am getting a reputation.) I DO NOT have too much time on my hands. ---
**Author:** ![beegirl13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/848f3c/32.png) [@beegirl13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beegirl13)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-will-you-go-for-cheaper-gas/82199/4 "2001-09-17T21:41:20Z")
When I’m home, I drive about 20 minutes to the nearby Tonawanda Indian Reservation. The gas there is usually 20-30 cents cheaper because it isn’t taxed. When I’m here at school, I get gas wherever I can no matter what the price, since the nearest gas station is 10 miles away. ---
**Author:** ![Sylkyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@Sylkyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylkyn)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-will-you-go-for-cheaper-gas/82199/5 "2001-09-17T22:21:05Z")
If it is considerably cheaper, say, ten cents or more, per gallon, then I don’t mind a bit driving an extra five or seven miles to get it. However, around here, almost all of the gas stations are within a penny or two of each other, so I just go where I always go…to whichever one of them has a sale going on Marlboros! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-will-you-go-for-cheaper-gas/82199/6 "2001-09-17T23:17:10Z")
I’ve been going to WaWa for gas about 10 minutes from my house. They have been consistently 3-6 sends cheaper per gallon. I filled up the other day for 125.9 a gallon in NJ ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-will-you-go-for-cheaper-gas/82199/7 "2001-09-17T23:21:31Z")
I’ve never really thought about this. I don’t really notice gas prices. I know it would have to be less than half-a-tank’s worth of gas away. I may be stupid and bad at math, but I got that much figgered out. ---
**Author:** ![blur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dbc845/32.png) [@blur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blur)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-will-you-go-for-cheaper-gas/82199/8 "2001-09-18T00:25:18Z")
The place where I usually get gas is the cheapest in town, but I honestly only go there because its convenient. Its about 5 cents cheaper than the rest, who are all within a penny of one another. ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2001, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-will-you-go-for-cheaper-gas/82199/9 "2001-09-19T23:35:07Z")
- - - I will drive roofing nails into my forehead with a framing hammer. - I will pry my kneecaps off with a screwdriver and play hockey with 'em. - I will set myself on fire with Ronsonol, and jump through a plate glass window into the porcupine exhibit at the zoo. - I will -uh, , -what? ~ - I saw one of those gas-electric cars a couple days ago. A Honda, maybe? I forget. Anyway, that thing was _really_ small. Like, it was about as big as a CRX, but the windows tilted inwards more, so it had even less interior space than the CRX does. _Tiny._ I had never seen one IRL before—I was kind of stunned, they want what, like- $35,000 for those things? If I had to drive one, I’d have to pull a Hightower and yank out the front seats and sit in the back. (-that being, do note, the best scene of the entire Police Academy movie series-) - MC ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-will-you-go-for-cheaper-gas/82199/10 "2001-09-20T11:29:38Z")
I used to be a bit obsessive about this till I did the math. Generally, I fill up before I need 20 gallons (I think my tank holds 21.7) and a 5-cent difference per gallon means $1 per tank. I may pay the extra dollar to avoid the bother involved in seeking out a cheaper alternative. I figure my time is worth that much. Fortunately, there are a number of stations between home and work that are withing a few cents of each other, so I have lots of choices, no matter which route I take. However, I will not go to a station where I have to go inside to pay. I love pay-at-the-pump! Again, it’s a matter of the value of _my_ time. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-will-you-go-for-cheaper-gas/82199/11 "2001-09-20T13:45:54Z")
You’re all wrong of course, (it’s called petrol 😃 ) - anyway, OI never even look at the price, I waste a lot more money on buying stupid computer magazines and stuff that I would save on a few fractions of pennies per litre; If I was serious about personal economy, I suppose I would check the prices, but there are quite a few things that I’d sort out before I got round to that. ---
**Author:** ![Drew\_Blade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/958977/32.png) [@Drew\_Blade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drew_Blade)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-will-you-go-for-cheaper-gas/82199/12 "2001-09-20T13:53:59Z")
I always try to buy at the cheapest price within 5 miles–not only for MY savings, but to _reward_ the station with the lowest price. ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-will-you-go-for-cheaper-gas/82199/13 "2001-09-20T14:09:44Z")
I go for convenience. Doing the math show a ten cent difference in the price, knowing I get about 8 gallons about every 10 days, gives me a savings of about $29. And I can’t think of any two places within a large radius that have that big a difference - the usual difference within town being about 4 cents a gallon. Why should I waste time? ---
**Author:** ![Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirka_T_Bawa)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-will-you-go-for-cheaper-gas/82199/14 "2001-09-20T15:18:53Z")
When I was younger, (like 3 years ago) I went ALL the way aross town to get gas at .77 a gallon, when by my house it was .80 Now, there is two gas stations I go to, one is by my house and the other by work. Both are about the same price and are .05 cheaper then the people around them.