Tag Archives: Sheetz

Saving at the Pump

How much does a gallon of gasoline cost?  Nobody knows.  The price of gasoline is all over the place in Centre County right now.  A gallon of 87 octane can cost anywhere from $3.54 to $3.85, depending on what station you visit.  Even the prices from one Sheetz to another can vary depending on which end of State College you are on. It’s enough to make you crazy.  I’m accustomed to prices varying from city to city, but not such large disparity within one town!

I’ve never been the kind of person to drive around chasing the best price for a gallon of gas.  But a difference of 30 cents per gallon when I put 13 gallons into my Subaru is $3.90.  That’s more than the cost of one gallon.  And that’s worth driving a little further for—there’s no way that I’m going to burn a whole gallon of gas just driving across town to the less expensive station.

Luckily there are ways to lower your per gallon price, as well as ways to know how much your local stations are charging before you make the drive.  I’ll be honest….that $3.54 per gallon price is at Sam’s Club, so you can only take advantage of that with an annual membership (which I maintain for other reasons—gas prices are a bonus for me).  But there are stations in Bellefonte charging similar prices without a membership fee.  I’m a Sheetz loyalist, but my local Sheetz has the advertised price of $3.85.  I never pay full price for gas at Sheetz, though.  I save three cents per gallon by using my My Sheetz card, and an additional five cents per gallon for using my Sheetz branded credit card.  I also collect rewards and offers on my My Sheetz card, so right now I have an extra 11 cents off per gallon waiting to be used.  That will bring my next Sheetz gas purchase down to $3.66 at my local Sheetz, or $3.56 at one at the other end of town.  Sam’s is still cheaper, but not enough to make it worth going out of my way.

So how is a person to know where to go to get the best price on gas?  Just driving around defeats the purpose.  Thankfully, there is an app for that.  I use the Gas Buddy app on my phone to check the prices at local stations whenever it is time to fill my tank.

Someday I’ll get an electric car so I can avoid all this gasoline nonsense and just charge up at home.  But that’s not an option for me right now.  But I feel like I’m making the best decisions I can to fuel up in an economical way.  Are you getting your best deal on fuel?

 

 

Keeping the Coffee on the Cheap

With the start of the semester come early mornings, late nights, and long drives (well…at least for me as I hit the road between University Park and Carlisle on a regular basis).  This can only mean one thing:  COFFEE!!!!

I’m a big fan of this miracle elixir.  But I’m not a big fan of paying more than necessary for it.  The best way to save money on coffee is to make your own at home.  Every morning I brew a pot of Trader Joe’s Dark and leave for work with my favorite travel mug full and a backup Thermos to refill it from.  Sadly, sometimes this isn’t enough.  I keep a box of K-cups in my office just in case I need a little extra to get me through the day.  While K-cups aren’t as cheap as brewing at home, it’s a lot cheaper than buying a ready-made cup of Joe.

Coffee mug

But there are definitely times when I need to buy a cup of coffee, all ready to go.  I’m not a fan of the fancy coffees with the flavors and espresso shots and whipped cream.  I like my coffee black, with a bit of sweetener.  That definitely helps to keep the costs down.  But I’m always looking for a way to shave a bit of money off the cost of my java.  One of the easiest ways to do this is to bring my own travel mug.  The Sheetz store I always stop at on my way to Carlisle charges only $0.95 to refill my own mug, but at least a quarter more for a small in a cup they provide.  Plus with my My Sheetz Card I get a free cup after purchasing ten.  Kind of a frequent coffee drinker discount.  And for students at University Park, you won’t want to miss this special offer from Au Bon Pain.

Enjoy the start of the semester.  And keep your coffee on the cheap!