The Most Expensive Mistake Minnesotans Make When Buying Gas
While less than a year ago, gas prices are still rather high as we head into the summer travel season in Minnesota. So if you're looking to save money when filling up here, be sure you DON'T make this mistake.
When I was a kid it seemed like my dad would drive all over town so he could find the absolute cheapest gasoline price. (This was way before apps like GasBuddy tracked the price for you.) Even though the price might have only been a few cents cheaper at a gas station way on the other side of the city, he thought-- hey, at least I'm saving money. (Of course, that didn't include the gas we wasted driving all over just to save a few cents per gallon...)
But, according to AAA, there is another mistake some of us make while buying gasoline-- and it could be costing you some serious cash. So what's the most expensive mistake we make while filling up at the pump here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes?
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It's buying premium gas. Because, yeah, it's way more expensive than regular unleaded (which, as we all know is *still* kind of expensive enough right now.) AAA Minnesota says a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline is selling for around $3.50 a gallon across the North Star State right now. That's up about 3 cents from a week ago, and while it's still fairly high, it's way less than the $4.50 we were paying heading into the Memorial Day weekend in 2022.
But here's the thing. Buying premium gasoline not only costs more, your car likely doesn't even need it. This NBC news story from KARE-11 says that even if your car's instruction manual (or note on your gas cap) says that premium gas is 'recommended' for your car, it actually *doesn't* really need it. Sure, there are some cars where premium gasoline IS required, but those cars are in the minority, the story said.
In fact, 84% of cars don't need premium fuel, but people are still buying it anyway. And, the average driver could save around $600 a year if they switched from premium fuel to regular, the story said. So, yeah. Stick to the regular unleaded and you'll be saving yourself from making an expensive mistake at the pump here in Minnesota.
Luckily, I've never been able to afford one of those expensive, fancy cars that require premium gasoline, so this hasn't been an issue for me. Of course, if you can afford to buy one of those really expensive cars, paying extra for premium probably isn't a problem either, is it? (And speaking of the cost of gas, keep scrolling to see how little gas cost the year you started driving!)
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