It is always great to save a few cents here and there on gas but when you are filling up a large RV tank with 50+ gallons, it is especially satisfying! To learn a few tricks on just how to do that, keep on reading!
Get a warehouse club membership
A lot of Sam’s Club locations have gas stations with prices sometimes almost a dollar cheaper than other places in town. On December 6th, 2021, I filled up my tank at a Sam’s club gas station for $2.69 a gallon while most other places around Franklin, Tennessee, were selling it for $3.49. If you have a 55-gallon tank, as we do, it would cost you $147.95 to fill it up at Sam’s compared to $191.95 at another place. That’s $44 in gas savings you can spend on your lunch, a few drinks with your partner in crime, or a campground stay!
That sounds too fabulous to be true. What’s the catch? You need a Sam’s Club yearly membership in order to use their gas station. The cheapest plan is $45/year and the plus plan is $100/year. You get $10 cashback rewards for every $500 you spend within a year, you can have an additional card member to help you spend and accrue rewards and hopefully, by the end of the year, you will have enough rewards saved up to cover your membership renewal cost. But even if you don’t, you can easily save more than that in gas if you fill up your RV tank there a few times.
I have been a plus member since 2014 and I love it. I get free shipping, special offers, and since I gave my brother the additional card and his family helps me accrue rewards, I haven’t had to pay for the $100 annual renewal fee out of pocket yet. My cashback bonus has been enough to cover that cost and a few big and free grocery trips.
Some credit cards, like the Amex Platinum and Amex Delta Skymiles, will also offer to reimburse you for at least part of the initial Sam’s Club membership fee from time to time. All you need to do is add the benefit to your card when it becomes available and then purchase the membership using that card. Now and then you will also see Groupon deals for Sam’s Club and Costco memberships. You can also get a FREE $20 Sam’s Club eGift card when signing up for a new membership.
Now, the gas price difference isn’t always that pronounced, but it is usually at least 5-10 cents cheaper than the next cheapest gas station in town. I do not have a Costco membership but I believe they have a similar structure for membership plans and also offer discounted gas prices. Not all Sam’s Club and Cotsco locations offer gas stations on site but you can check online on their website before you head over. Sam’s oftentimes will also display the gas price for a specific location on their site. Click here to sign up for Sam’s Club and get a FREE $20 gift card.
Join a gas station loyalty club or sign up for certain credit cards
Some gas station chains, like Shell, offer loyalty rewards plans that will give you a 5 cents discount per gallon just for signing up at the pump with your phone number. There are also credit cards you can sign up for that will give you cashback, extra discounts, and perks. Since credit card deals are always changing, I am just going to show you my top favorites and not extend myself too much on this section.
Shell Fuel Rewards Program
What I like about this program is that is very simple to sign up and to use. You don’t need to fill out any applications, get your credit checked, or wait for the approval. All you need to do is accept the offer that is prompted at your pump screen when filling up at a Shell gas station and enter your phone number. That will automatically sign you up for the program in participating locations and save you 5 cents per gallon.
To continue to take advantage of this discount on future fill-ups, just enter your phone number again or swipe the card they will mail you if you choose to sign up online instead. From time to time they will also offer you the option to link credit cards to your account so you can earn additional gas discounts by making everyday purchases on popular department, grocery, and home improvement stores featured in their program.
Sam’s Club Mastercard
Aside from saving money at the pump with a club membership, you can stack up additional savings by signing up for their credit card. Perks and promotions change every so often, but at the time I am writing this post, you can get:
- 5% cashback on gas purchases (at Sam’s club gas stations only),
- 3% on eligible club purchases,
- 3% on dining and take put,
- 1% on all other purchases made wherever Mastercard is accepted,
- and last but not least: no annual fee.
You can check their current credit card deal here. I don’t know about you, but I am a big fan of saving money and stacking up deals!
Get a Good Sam’s Membership
Not to be confused with Sam’s Club, Good Sam is an RV club that offers a variety of benefits for its members. You might have heard it will get you discounts on campground nightly rates, usually 10% off. But did you know you can also get 5 cents off gas at participating Flying J gas stations with the basic membership and a 7 cents per gallon discount with the Elite one?
We have stayed in several RV resorts and campgrounds that gave us 10% for being either a AAA or a Good Sam’s member and at $29/year for the cheapest plan, signing up for it seems like a great deal. Here’s what you get on the basic plan:
- 10% on nightly rates on over 2000 RV resorts and campgrounds
- 5 cents off per gallon of gas and 8 cents off per gallon of diesel at participation Flying J locations
- Discounts on Gander RV and Camping World merchandise and services
- 40% off HearHere membership (location-based interesting information app)
- 15% off propane fills at Gander RV and Camping World
- Free RV and boat dump service at participating Gander RV and Camping World locations
There is also a 2-year plan that includes a $15 merchandise certificate for $55, and a 3-year Elite plan with a $30 coupon, 7 cents off gas, and 9 cents off diesel.