[paulmd]

My strategy has always been to just plan on refilling around a half tank, and at that point I just fill up the next time I'm near one of the gas stations that I know to have cheap gas. Gives me a little cushion if it's a holiday weekend or something (which always have higher prices) and I avoid driving way out of my way just to save $0.10 per gallon for gas. If it's real insane, you put $10 in the tank to hold you over until prices drop or you can get somewhere cheaper.

Thought that was how most people did it, but I guess my gasoline-investment strategies may not be as savvy as I thought. Gotta pump up those numbers! /s

(it's a bad idea anyway to drive on less than half a tank - during the summer you can overheat your fuel pump, and during the winter you will tend to pick up water in the tank)

Long term you don't really have a choice about not buying gas, it just is what it is. It's funny how people obsess over it, or will go way out of their way for cheaper gas, when most of the time you're talking about a full tank costing you an extra buck or two, and you burn maybe a tank a week. The greedy strategies (fill up when you need it, with a slight preference to cheaper gas when you can get it) are going to produce pretty optimal results so why obsess about it?

[jpetso]

As a city person, I have to disagree about the lack of alternatives. Walking to the grocery store, or if it's really far, cycling to the grocery store, will do wonders for the gas bill.

Yes, that may mean relocating to a part of town where the next grocery store is not 10 miles away.