These 4 Gas Saving Apps Saved Me A Ton In 2024!

I managed to save up to 10 percent on my gas bill by using different gas-saving apps and I’m going to share how I did it. I tested all of these apps on my XP Pen Magic Drawing Pad.

Saving gas money is a three-pronged strategy:

1. Finding the cheapest gas station from apps
2. Maximizing rewards from credit cards and other apps
3. Efficient routing using a navigation app

The logic is simple.

The price that you pay at the pump is the highest cost you’ll incur.

Then, you’ll whittle it down by getting cashback or an instant discount using some membership or credit card.

Finally, by always using a navigation app, you’ll be able to avoid jams and inefficient routing caused by imperfect information such as not knowing that a new highway has opened up. This increases your miles per gallon and hence makes cost per mile more efficient.

Finding the Cheapest Gas Station

Before you buy gas, make sure to do a quick search on the cheapest gas station near you.

In this case, you have two gas-saving apps that you can use.

Google Maps

Google Maps is pretty amazing because you can just type in “gas” and it’ll show you a bunch of icons with gas prices.

I recommend Google Maps because you don’t need to install any other app in order to get the prices of gas.

As you can see in this screenshot, east of St. Louis, Mo., gas prices can go below $3 per gallon, but east of the Mississippi, it’s all above $3.

What I noticed on long trips is before you cross state lines, make sure to check. You might be going into a more expensive state with higher taxes or levies on fuel.

I also mentioned you should avoid going out of your way to save on gas money. And there’s an easy way to do that when you’re navigating with Google Maps.

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• Type in your destination, and then press “Start” to navigate
• Once you’re in Navigation mode, click on the Search button
• Choose “Gas station” from the left sidebar
• View the suggestions on the screen

The suggestions are pretty comprehensive in that you can see what the prices are and how much time it’ll take to detour. The rule of thumb is to keep both the detour short and the cost as low as possible.

Google Play Store: Google Maps Download

Apple App Store: Google Maps Download

GasBuddy

Essentially, GasBuddy’s app is an aggregator of gas prices in the US and Canada with over 150,000 gas stations.

The app is significantly more focused on giving you the best gas prices than Google Maps. 

For example, I noticed in Los Angeles, there was a $1.24 per gallon spread between the most expensive and cheapest gas station. But the cheapest gas station was five miles away while the most expensive gas station was only two miles away.

And hence, you can sort the gas stations by price and distance (because you shouldn’t go out of your way to buy the cheapest gas).

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As well, you can also choose whether you want to pay with cash or credit card because sometimes paying with cash will lead to a lower price.

Google Maps does not give you so much granularity, so GasBuddy is definitely superior if you want more information to make more decisions.

However, The New York Times does not recommend using GasBuddy because of privacy concerns and instead use Google Maps. Their logic is, yes, Google isn’t exactly a big protector of privacy, but since you already have information with them, you might as well continue using them instead of offering up fresh info to another company.

Google Play Store: GasBuddy Download

Apple App Store: GasBuddy Download

Maximizing Gas Rewards From Credit Card And Apps

I have a credit card that has a 2 percent rebate on gas and it represents one of the ways I try to claw as much money back from the gas pump as possible.

On a $100 fill-up, my bank gives me $2 back every September.

But 2 percent is pretty low. You can get even more money back if you qualify for a higher-tier credit card or if you get a credit card that’s like a loyalty card with a specific brand of gas station.

Beyond that, you have these apps that can help you get cashback.

Upside

Upside is a general cash-back app where you activate offers and get cashback on your purchases with specific stores, restaurants and gas stations. 

You’ll find a deal, claim it through the app, and complete the purchase with a debit or credit card as usual. Verification of the transaction is required to secure the cashback, which can be as simple as a button tap in the app or, in some cases, uploading a receipt.

You must remember to activate offers before making a purchase, though, so it can be an additional step before you save money on gas. Users can choose from direct deposit, PayPal, or gift cards for their cashback rewards.

Google Play Store: Upside Download

Apple App Store: Upside Download

Checkout 51

This cashback app is similar to Upside in that it’s a general cashback app that can be used at the gas pump… except you get a check for the cashback.

Once the accumulated cashback reaches $20, you will have the option to cash out and await the check with the cashback.

The app works by offering you weekly offers, which you’ll have to be aware of. Then, you’ll also need to upload your receipts on a weekly deadline in order to enjoy the deals offered by Checkout 51.

Google Play Store: Checkout 51 Download

Apple App Store: Checkout 51 Download

Efficient Routing Using A Navigation App

The best part about Google or Waze (which is owned by Google’s parent company) is that they have a lot of data on which they can make better decisions on your routing.

Google Maps

The best way to avoid jammed routes or accident zones is by using Google Maps.

Jams and accidents waste gas because of the stop-and-go traffic, but there’s no way to know about it unless you listen to the radio or use a navigation tool.

But unlike the radio, Google Maps can suggest an alternative route for you, which can really help.

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Furthermore, Google Maps helps you save gas by suggesting an eco-friendly route, as seen in the GIF from Google, which is available in about 40 countries including the US and Canada.

It’s pretty thorough. You will be asked what type of car you drive and Google uses that in its consideration of your route. Other non-configurable aspects include the consideration of real-time traffic, route simplicity and road conditions.

Regarding road conditions, Google considers the average fuel or energy consumption for vehicles in your region and also considers the steepness of hills on your route, stop-and-go traffic patterns and types of roads (local vs highway).

Don’t be surprised if you are asked to rat-run through a neighborhood, especially in traffic hellholes.

Stack Up The Gas Savings With A Layered Approach

Let’s walk through how I save gas money with the help of apps.

App	Price	Potential savings
Google Maps/GasBuddy	$2.60 – $3.90 per gallon	Maximum saving I’ve seen is about a dollar per gallon
Cashback or Rewards Credit Card	Variable annual fee	I get 2% cashback but there are better cards out there.
Cashback App	Free	4-10 cents per gallon (my observation)
Google Maps eco-friendly navigation	Free	A few percent less gas used; a few minutes more of driving

The overarching strategy is to use a combination of apps, a good credit card and efficient driving to achieve these goals. 

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