The Coupon Queen: Dealing with high gas prices

We are dealing with surging inflation and record-high gas prices. With the average cost soaring over $4 a gallon, it has hit motorists' budgets. Unfortunately, oil analysts predict that prices could stay elevated for months. Here are a few ways to keep some money in your pocket. Take care Keep up with your car's maintenance, and it will help out with fuel efficiency, which will reduce the number of trips to the pump. Be sure also to check your tire pressure and get regular oil changes. Staying within the speed limit will help you avoid an accident and ticket and keep gas in your tank longer. Avoid driving With the weather changing, pull out your bike before heading to the store. When possible, carpool to work or when you go out with friends. Instead of hopping into the car with the family to grab an ice cream cone or head to the park, see if you can add the walk as part of the fun! Join the program Most gas stations offer loyalty programs with some nice perks when you fill up. Shell, Speedway and Giant Eagle are just a few options. Some stations will keep track of your gas spending and reward you perks such as gift cards, while others will also include your in-store purchases. If you aren't loyal to one specific station, sign up for a few. Use credit If you are great at paying your credit cards off every month, you can save a bundle using a gas rewards credit card. Some stations offer their card, but your own personal card may offer a cashback percentage from time to time, too. Many of these cards offer 5 percent cash back on gas purchases and at $4 per gallon, which equals 20 cents savings per gallon. Not bad at all! Use apps There are several websites and apps that track national gas prices, but my favorite is GasBuddy. This user-friendly app uses gas price information provided by its users. It helps you to locate a gas station with the lowest-priced gas near you and allows you to filter search results by price, location, brand and station amenities such as car washes. I use it several times a week. Know when to pump My mom always said a quarter tank is an empty tank. While I'm not nearly as diligent as she is in this area, I try to fill up way before I need to. This helps me save by not having to pull into just any gas station at the last minute. I also try to avoid filling up on the weekends when prices rise. Instead, I try to get most of my fill-ups on Tuesday or Wednesday, when they tend to be the lowest. This week's deal Here's a deal to grab this week at Walgreens: Buy two select Colgate toothpaste products: $3.99 each Use the $3/2 Colgate Dental Care Products digital coupon (found the Walgreens app or website) Pay $4.98 Get back $5 Walgreens Cash when you buy 2 Final: Two for free! Rachel Krych is passionate about helping others spend less and save more. In addition to her weekly column, she has a blog, Couponing With Rachel, which earns her compensation from Google for ads it places there, and from entertainment marketers whose promotional codes she touts. She doesn't write about entertainment in her column. Email her at couponingwithrachel@hotmail.com.