Filling up your gas tank for FREE is a challenge, but it can be done. The first thing you’ll need to do is find out if grocery stores and warehouse clubs in your area offer discounts on fuel. Next, you’ll need to learn how this program works. Most of the time fuel programs work by giving you a certain number of gas points or cents off per dollar spent. The more you spend, the more you’ll save per gallon. If your store offers a fuel program, you’ll first need to sign up for a store loyalty or rewards card. If you already have one, then you’re ahead of the game. After you sign up, what you spend will be tracked on your loyalty card and converted into points or cents off to use at the gas pump. When you need gas, scan your loyalty card and the amount you earned will be deducted at the pump.

We use the Giant Eagle fuelperks program. The way their program works is a customer will earn $0.10 off per gallon for every $50 spent. Giant Eagle is great because they also give their customers other ways to earn fuelperks as well. You can get $0.20 off per gallon for every $50 worth of gift cards purchased. This is one of the best ways to save because if you know you’re going to make a large purchase, buy the gift cards at Giant Eagle to save BIG at the pump. If you need a new computer, pick up a gift card for the office supply store. Want a new book, pick up a gift card for the book store. Going out to eat, grab a gift card for the restaurant. I’m sure you get the point.

You can also earn Bonus fuelperks by purchasing specific items each week. These items are noted in the Giant Eagle weekly ad. Here’s an example of how to work the bonus fuel perks deals.

Suave Shampoo or Conditioner $1.50
Get 10¢ Fuelperks wyb 3 (= $3 wyb 30 gallons)
-$1/2 from 1/8 RP
Final Cost = $0.17 each wyb 3 after fuelperks

You can use the fuelperks you’ve earned over several shopping trips to save on gas at any time but the best thing to do is wait until you have enough fuelperks available to get a FREE tank of gas or pay nearly nothing. Giant Eagle allows you to pump up to 30 gallons in one transaction for one vehicle. Purchasing 30 gallons at a time helps you save the most money. If your car doesn’t hold 30 gallons, purchase gas cans (this is what we do). Once you choose to use your fuelperks, the discount resets to zero (unless your fuelperks exceeds the price per gallon). Using this method will help you get FREE gas at the pump.

We’ve earned a FREE tank of gas (pictured above) on several occasions and also cheap gas ($3.48 for 30 gallons here) using the steps I mentioned above. We do this by purchasing some of our grocery shopping at Giant Eagle, always buying gift cards for places we plan on purchasing from anyways and by taking advantage of bonus fuel perks each week (as long as we use the item). Then we save our fuelperks until we can get a FREE tank of gas and we purchased as close to 30 gallons as possible. My car holds 15 gallons and we have (3) 5 gallon gas cans. If you can get 30 gallons of free gas why would you only buy 15 gallons? That’s like wasting money, honey.

Below is a list of several grocery store fuel programs.

• Baker’s fuel program
• Fred Meyer fuel rewards program
• Fry’s fuel program
• Giant Gas Rewards program
• Giant Eagle fuelperks! program
• King Soopers fuel program
• Kroger fuel program
• Martin’s fuelperks! program
• Price Chopper Fuel Advantedge program
• Ralphs fuel program
• Winn-Dixie fuelperks! program

Do you use a fuel program? If so, which one?