The two gas-mart stores across from the shop are having a gas war.

When I closed this evening, one sign said $1.99.9, and the other had dropped to $1.89.9.

Gas, most everywhere else is about $2.25.

The mid-grade gas was fourty cents higher than the regular grade on the sign.

Diesel actually had went up a few cents.

It is funny to see people line up to save a few cents on a few gallons of gas.

 

I don't find it funny. I promote it. If everybody bought their fuel at the cheapest pump in town the other fuel stops would have to drop their prices to meet it, or go out of business. They don't want to go out of business, so they will drop their prices. When you patronize anyone except the lowest seller you are telling them it's OK to overcharge you.

 

So what if it was Diesel like that, Would you buy Diesel for $2.25 if it was $1.89 at the station up the street? I drive an extra 1/2 mile to get gas that is 3 cents cheaper then anywhere else

 

I can see lining up to save 45 cents/gallon. That could easily work out to $10 for a tank on a pickup or big SUV.

When Wawa (local convenience store chain) got into the gas business a few years ago, there was a location that actually wrapped around the back of a Gulf station. The Wawa was charging 10 cents a gallon less for gas the first few weeks, and there were half hour long lines to get in. This I found mind-boggling. Why would anyone wait a half hour in line to save at most $3 on a tank of no-name gas when there was name-brand gas with no waiting next door? My time is worth more than $6/hr to me.

 

What I don't get is there is a 76 station in a town about half our from me that is selling diesel at 2.75 a gallon if you drive another half hour to a neighboring town that is a 76 that gets its fuel from the same distributer and he is selling it at 2.55 a gallon.

 

Of course nobody likes to waste time. It's your choice. For whatever reason you do it, when you buy from other than the lowest seller (assuming equal quality) your message is that it's OK to rip you off. He doesn't know you bought there to save time, just that a higher price is acceptable. Is it acceptable?

 

So are you going to fly over to Iraq so you can get gas for 30 cents a gallon instead?

I stop at whatever store is nearest. The individual gas station owners dont have enough margin to even consider the few cents difference. They depend on you buying other things from their inside convenience store to make $$.

 

Back in the olden days, when we had a full service station, the refineries set the price of gas and we only got a nickel per gallon.

We got a nickel a gallon when gas was 29.9, and we got a nickel a gallon when gas was $1.29.9.

Many filling stations, today, still sell gas for five cents per gallon profit.

If gas was the only thing you bought, the profit the station-owner got wouldn't pay to have the rest-room cleaned up behind you.

What gets me is the big refineries will sell gas at their owned stations for less than they will sell it to independent stations.

 

There has been a "gas war" in my town here since early September. In a town that already has 7 gas stations, they opened 2 more in the same week. People were lining up at the two new stations that had dropped their prices to $1.99. They've pretty much been holding the prices steady around $2.10/gal +/- 5 cents. ($2.05 right now). But what gets me about the current state of fuel prices is that as soon as the drop the price of regular unleaded they run the price of premium and diesel especially through the roof. So what if regular gasoline is cheap? If I need diesel or kero I get shafted. I drive through 4 different towns throughout the week on my way to school and work and I will stop where ever the price is the cheapest. Usually that requires planning ahead on when Im going to fill up so I can stop at the bank on my way to skool so I can pay cash for diesel at the Flying J in Carlisle...

 

What is this "Gas" stuff that you speak of?
Are you perhaps refering to parts cleaner?.....

As for shopping cheaper prices:
Diesel a mile from my house = $2.59 gallon.
Diesel 40 miles west = $2.26 gallon.
Filled the truck and 6 five gallon cans on the way back from the daughter's house yesterday. That should keep me going for another 2-3 weeks.
At their prices, ....$93 and change.
At local prices, ~$106 for the same amount of fuel.
Savings $13.00. or ~5 gallons FREE.