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Find Cheapest Gas/Diesel Near You When Traveling

How An App On Your Phone Helps You Find The Cheapest Gas Nearby

Finding the cheapest gas in your area while traveling can be tricky.

In your hometown, you probably already know where to find the cheapest gas or diesel, but when traveling it’s easy to feel lost in a new town.

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My wife and I used to drive to the nearest gas station thinking that the prices wouldn’t differ that much, but then I got an app on my phone and that has now changed.

Now I can easily find out if it’s worth it to drive to the next gas station for a better price.

The app I am talking about and that I will review today is GasBuddy (Apple App Store / Google Play Store).

It works in the United States, Canada, and Australia.

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GasBuddy Features

Let’s go through the features of the GasBuddy App.

Searching With Filters

You can let the app find gas stations based on your location, or by entering a name of a city.

You then use the filters that show up to get more specific results. Right now these are:

  • Sorting based on price or distance to a gas station
  • What kind of gas you need (regular, midgrade, premium, diesel, E85)
  • Amenities like a car wash, propane, restrooms, ATM, etc.
  • Brands

Results Views

Your results can be shown either on a map or a list.

On the map, you will see the location, brand, and price of the kind of gas you’ve chosen.

If you click on one, it will tell you when the price was last updated, the address, directions, reviews, and you can also report the price if it’s incorrect.

Your maps app will open when you click the Directions button.

GasBuddy app list and map view how to find the cheapest gas/diesel near you when traveling
List view and map view of the cheapest gas in Pheonix, AZ when I was looking for the cheapest gas for my RV.

The list view will tell you the distance, the name of the gas station, and the price.

You can use it to filter the gas stations based on price and distance.

It’s a quick way to find the cheapest option in your area if you aren’t concerned with where the gas station is located.

Adding Prices & Reporting Incorrect Prices

When you report prices you earn points which will enter you in drawings and different promotions by GasBuddy.

The prizes can be pretty awesome and they make it worth entering the gas prices you see at different gas stations worth it.

The drawing/giveaways are usually every day and it’s often something like $100 worth of free gas.

By reporting incorrect prices, you will not only help others but also be rewarded with more points for the giveaways.

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GasBuddy app in iphone used when finding the cheapest gas/diesel when traveling
GasBuddy app in the travel section on my phone.

My Review Of The GasBuddy App

GasBuddy is an app that I use regularly to find the cheapest gas and diesel prices, even when I am in my hometown.

I have realized that there can be relatively large price differences every day at different gas stations.

It has helped me save money, and it’s all free, so it’s an app that I recommend.

When traveling, it has been helpful to find gas stations with restrooms and propane.

Being able to know before you leave, that you will be able to stop here and there to fill up on gas amongst other things in specific places takes away some of the stress with travel.

If it’s something really important, it’s easy to Google the gas station’s address to get a phone number you can call to confirm the availability of certain amenities.

I wish phone numbers would be available directly in the app.

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In any app where users report information, accuracy can be an issue, but I have not found that to be true with GasBuddy.

I haven’t done any math to check my claim but I believe the prices on the app have been right about 9 out of 10 times because people are updating daily.

It’s important to check when it was last updated because prices fluctuate a lot day by day.

The app can be less useful in smaller towns where there are not a lot of users.

Sometimes a gas station shows “—” because it doesn’t have a “current” price.

The main con of GasBuddy is that it’s only available in the USA, Canada, and Australia.

So if you’re anywhere out of these countries, this app won’t be any help to you.

Is GasBuddy Worth Downloading?

If you’re somebody who’s traveling a lot, you probably have to fill up your tank every week.

This will quickly become a big expense and that’s why this app is helpful.

I recommend using GasBuddy when planning a trip, not when the empty gas light comes on in your RV, truck, or car.

If you’re going to drive from one campground to another, and you know you’re going to be driving by a town or city, look up the best prices before you leave.

This way you won’t be doing unnecessary driving hunting down gas stations and get discouraged.

I can open the app and have the best gas price in that city in 30 seconds.

Are 30 seconds worth it to save money when you fill up a 34-gallon diesel tank? I believe it is.

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Adding “My Car” On GasBuddy

In the app, you can add your vehicle based on VIN or brand, model, and the year it is.

You can then keep a fuel log to keep track of your fuel purchases and your fuel economy.

In this tab, you can also see existing recalls on your vehicle and be notified about future recalls.

Pay With GasBuddy

GasBuddy has a system that will let you save money when filling up your tank.

I have not tried this and have read mixed reviews about it so unfortunately, I can’t give any information about it.

How To Get GasBuddy On Your Phone

GasBuddy can be downloaded for free through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Have any questions about how to find the cheapest gas/diesel when traveling or at home? Leave a comment below.

by Jesse
Jesse has always had an interest in camping, technology, and the outdoors. Who knew that growing up in a small town in Sweden with endless forests and lakes would do that to you?

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