Special Discounts Help You Save at the Pump

From Yahoo News:

If you haven't filled up your gas tank in a week, you can expect sticker shock when you pull up to the pump. But wait. Before you go, check out these gas breaks to help ease the pain.

Find a Cheap Station with GasBuddy.com

GasBuddy.com compares gas prices in your local area, helping you choose one with low prices for your fill-up. On Gas Buddy, you can search by city or zip code and find out which local gas stations had the lowest prices in the last 24 hours. But even knowing where the cheapest gas is doesn't help pay for it. That's where the following list of gas breaks comes in.

Shell Gas Partners with Grocery Chains

Shell has gotten together with Giant Foods and other major chains to offer gas discounts. Every dollar spent on groceries at a participating chain is worth one point, in this Giant-Shell promotion. One hundred points is worth a 10 cent per gallon discount on Shell gas, with up to $2.20 in discounts usable on a single fill-up.

Some of the other major chains in this promotion include Kroger, Stop & Shop, Winn-Dixie, and Bi-Lo.

Shell Saver Cards

If you're partial to Shell gas but don't shop at a participating grocery, you might want to look into Shell Saver Cards. Through April 30, one of these cards will get you a 10 cent per gallon discount; after that the savings drops to 2 cents per gallon.

BP's Thank-You Days

Shell isn't the only station offering loyalty discounts. British Petroleum, still trying to restore its reputation after the Gulf oil spill, will give you gift cards if you buy enough of its gas. It takes five 8-gallon credits to get one $10 gift card, and there's a three gift card per person limit.

Special promotions don't always equate with the best bargains, though. In my local area, that station with the $3.63 per gallon gas is a Shell. Those special deals Shell is offering wouldn't compensate for that extra high price today. Maybe another day. That's why with gas prices sky-high, it's worth checking out the options before heading to the gas station.

Carol Bengle Gilbert writes about consumer issues for the Yahoo! Contributor Network.