Gas prices to continue rising; drivers can save up to $250 per year by shopping around
Americans’ wallets have been hit hard by high gas prices, now about 50% higher than they were a year ago and forecast to potentially hit $4 per gallon in the coming months. GasBuddy, the leading fuel-savings platform providing North American drivers the most ways to save money on gas, today released a new study that found the best and worst days of the week to fill up in order to maximize savings.
Best Day to Save Money: Monday
The first day of the week offers the lowest average gas prices in the majority of the U.S. -- 17 states including Illinois, Michigan and Virginia. Monday was also the best day to buy gas on GasBuddy's 2017, 2018 and 2019 studies. Contrary to previous years, Friday became one of the cheapest days of the week to buy gas in 2021. This trend refutes 2019’s results, which placed Friday as one of the most expensive days of the week at the pump, and can perhaps be attributed to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the emerging prominence of work from home lifestyles.
Worst Day to Save Money: Thursday
In 2019, Saturday was named the worst day of the week in 16 states. In 2021, Thursday topped the list as the most expensive day of the week by far in 28 states. In 2021, the middle of the week became far more expensive to fill up than on Mondays or Fridays. While the weekend previously held the title for the most expensive prices, Wednesday now follows Thursday as the most expensive day to fill-up.
“When it comes to saving money at the pump, Monday becomes more than the dreaded end of the weekend. GasBuddy analyzed gas price data and found that the first day of the work week offers the lowest average gas price in 17 states, making it yet again the best day to fill-up,” said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “Though there is variation in daily gas prices across different states, the consensus is that filling up at the beginning or end of the work week, on Monday or Friday, is the best way to save money. Following Monday, Sunday is the cheapest day to fill-up. But even if you can’t always time your fill ups, the golden rule is to always always shop around before filling up.”
Individual state insights can be found here.
Methodology
To find the cheapest and most expensive days to buy gas, GasBuddy analyzed gas price data from the GasBuddy app from Jan 1 - Dec 16, 2021.
About GasBuddy
GasBuddy is the leading fuel savings platform providing North American drivers with the most ways to save money on gas. GasBuddy has delivered more than $3 billion in cumulative savings to its users through providing real-time gas price information at 150,000+ stations, offering cash back rewards on purchases with brand partners, and through the Pay with GasBuddy™ payments card that offers cents-off per gallon at virtually all gas stations across the US. As one of the most highly-rated apps in the history of the App Store, GasBuddy has been downloaded nearly 100 million times. Acquired by PDI Software in 2021, GasBuddy’s publishing and software businesses enable the world’s leading fuel, convenience, QSR and CPG companies to shorten the distance between the fueling public and their brands. For more information, visit www.gasbuddy.com.