Want to Save Money on Gas? Buy It This Day of the Week

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Gas prices fluctuate over time. Here’s when it’s usually cheapest to fill up your tank. 

Owning a car makes it a lot easier to get from Point A to Point B, especially if you live in a rural area without a great public transit system. But it comes with a lot of extra expenses. You’ll need auto insurance, regular maintenance, and of course, gas.

It’s not unusual to spend hundreds of dollars per month just to commute back and forth to work and run errands. Fortunately, there are quite a few strategies you can try to keep your costs down. One of the simplest is to fill up on the cheapest day of the week. Below, we’ll look at what this is, plus some other ways you can reduce your gas costs.

Make this part of your new weekly routine

The cheapest day to fill up your gas tank is Monday, according to the latest research from GasBuddy. It looked at daily gas price data from 2021 and found that the beginning of the week, between Sunday and Tuesday, is generally a much more affordable time to buy gas than mid-week.

Interestingly, the latest survey found that Friday was also one of the cheapest days to buy gas, despite the same survey finding Friday to be one of the most expensive days to buy gas in previous years.

You may not always be able to purchase gas on a specific day of the week all the time. But aiming to fill your tank in the early part of the week as often as possible could help you shave a few dollars off your monthly gas bill.

Other ways to save on gas

In addition to buying your gas early in the week, you can try the following tips to save even more:

Use public transportation: If you live in an area with a good public transportation network, this is a great alternative to using your own vehicle. It could even save you time compared to driving in high-traffic areas.Walk: Walking may not be an option in every case, but it’s worth considering if you live in an urban area and don’t need to go far. In addition to saving on gas, it can also help you fit in a quick workout.Try carpooling: Those who live near a coworker, family member, or friend could consider carpooling to save money. You’ll still have to put some money toward gas if you do this, but it’ll be less than if you had to commute separately.Combine errands: Limit how frequently you drive so you don’t have to fill your gas tank as often. Plan out your week’s errands ahead of time and do your best to combine as many as possible so you don’t have to make multiple trips to the same areas.Shop around: Compare prices at gas stations in your area before you buy to make sure you’re getting the best deal. Apps like GasBuddy can make this a lot easier.Consider a hybrid or electric vehicle: Those in the market for a new car may want to consider an electric or hybrid vehicle. There’s usually a higher upfront cost associated with these cars, but they can save you quite a bit on gas over the long run.

If you really want to maximize your savings, consider putting the money you’re no longer spending on gas in a high-yield savings account. You can save this for an emergency fund or put it toward a big-ticket purchase you have coming up. The high annual percentage yields (APYs) on savings accounts right now — combined with your monthly savings on gas — could grow your balance by quite a bit.

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