The Best Days to Buy Gas for Less Money (and No Lines At the Pump)
Get smart about filling your tank.
Gas prices ebb and flow, as any car owner or driver can attest to (and likely complain about). One day, filling up the tank feels quick and easy; the next, a full tank seems like it might as well be filled with money instead of fuel. There are hacks and tricks for learning how to save money on gas and increasing mileage and car efficiency, but stopping by the pump every couple weeks is still necessary.
Buying gas on the right days can mean saving some money, though. Gas tracking site GasBuddy has figured out the prime days to fill up—and the days when it can cost the most. To put together “The Best and Worst Days of the Week to Buy Gas,” the GasBuddy team analyzed gas price data and foot traffic data. Just like prices change from day to day, gas stations are more or less busy on different days of the week. Stopping to fill up on a day where gas prices and foot traffic are both low is the sweet spot: cheap gas, no line, can’t lose, right?
According to GasBuddy’s analysis, filling up a nearly empty gas tank on Monday or Tuesday will get you the best possible deal, helping saving a little money to put toward those financial goals. (Gas prices are expected to soar until—and maybe even beyond—Memorial Day, so go ahead and forget about getting the cheapest tank of the year.) Wednesdays and Thursdays are also decent days, but they won’t get drivers the best possible deal of the week; attempt to just top off the tank on those days, and only if absolutely necessary.
Drivers should absolutely avoid buying gas on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. On these weekend days, gas prices are the highest of the week, likely because demand is high. The most budget-savvy drivers (probably the type of people who also keep personal finance tips top of mind and drive organized cars) will try to coordinate their schedules to make trips to the gas station on Monday or even Tuesday.
For the more crowd-averse, Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays are the least busy days at gas stations. Foot (or wheel) traffic is low, so drivers can expect a quick stop at the station. In terms of timing, the best hours are Mondays and Tuesdays between seven and ten a.m.—good news for commuters able to swing by the gas station on the way to the office.
That elusive sweet spot, then, is Monday or Tuesday. Stop by during these early weekdays to get gas at a low price, without waiting in line—it might even be enough to ward off those Monday blues. Just try being in a bad mood after getting a good price on gas without dealing with a crowded gas station.
