Unique way to save money…….

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I have posted on several occasions about saving money by using coupons and shopping the sales. Well, in my area there is another way that I am taking advantage of that I want to tell you about.

It is called FuelPerks. The grocery store chain that I frequent to do most of my shopping is called Bi-Lo. They have a program called FuelPerks that track your shopping (pre-sales and pre-coupon amounts) and provide you discounts on gasoline purchases.

Here is how it works:

Scan the FuelPerks card prior to purchases.
You recieve .05 cents fuel discounts for every $50 spent on groceries.
Certain items purchased can double or triple the FuelPerks.
Balance of your fuel discount is on each receipt.
Simply go to certain gas stations, scan your card – and the price per gallon is decreased by whatever your balance is.

Think about it – you probably go grocery shopping every week or so. Even if you use coupons and shop sales – this additional benefit is on top of all of that. As I mentioned already – your FuelPerk Reward is based on your pre-sale and pre-coupon amounts. So – if I shop the sales and use coupons and the pre-savings total is $125.00 but I only pay $40.00 – I still will receive .10 cents in FuelPerks.

So – I have to go to a local BP to get my savings. I simply scan my card at the pump and if I have .90 cents on my card – the price per gallon drops by .90 cents per gallon and I fill my car up. The benefit is only good for up to 20 gallons. Once I am done pumping – my balance drops to zero and I start over.

Now – here is the kicker: BP offers a free $10 Gift Card for every 5th fill up. So – I save a boat-load of money at the store, and then save money on the fuel – and also get more savings in the process with the gift card. I like it.

Now – you may have something very similar in your area. Ask around and if there is – take advantage of it.

With the way prices are going – I take advantage of every opportunity to save money I can.

Take care all -

Rourke

Tags: coupons, economic collapse, saving money

economic collapse | Rourke January 5, 2011

14 Comments to “Unique way to save money…….”

By Badvoodoodaddy, January 5, 2011 @ 8:58 am

We have the same kind of fuel incentives at our local grocery store(Smiths Marketplace) I think they basically have the same set up. It is great to get the savings on food and then get a discount on fuel. I use it everytime I go to fill up. .20 cents a gallon off is still a great savings with the gas prices the way they are these days. Great article Rourke. Keep up the good work.
By Rourke, January 5, 2011 @ 9:39 am

Badvoodoodaddy-

As I write this I have .90 cents off a gallon on my FuelPerks.

Awesome!!

Rourke
By Sheepdog, January 5, 2011 @ 11:07 am

We have this in Ohio at several big supermarkets. I use Giant Eagle. Every 50$ in groceries gets 20 cents off per gallon. Also, every purchase of fuel gets 1% off of your grocery bill. Great stuff!
By Bill, January 5, 2011 @ 11:47 am

Kroger has a simular deal. For every $100 in groceries or every 2 perscription filled I get .10 cents off a gallon. If you have the store credit card and use their pumps you get an additional .05 cents off per gallon and I pay off the credit card each month.

The only problem with saving money using their card is OPSEC. They know exatly what you purchase.

Bill
By tammy, January 5, 2011 @ 11:56 am

First let me say that I am fairly new to your website and have been doing a lot of back-reading and your info is valuable and I thank you for the downloadable resources as well……
Having said that, we have the same fuelperks where I live but BP is not the gas station to use here and if it were I would NOT use the perks to support BP……They are killing this planet (and people) with their greed and the GULF OIL SPILL….
Sorry for the rant, I am all for saving money but not at the expense of the planet…Otherwise, keep up the good work..

Tammy
By CM, January 5, 2011 @ 12:58 pm

They are making up the costs somewhere.

In my area, I could go to Albertson’s, Fred Meyer, or Smiths with the same type of deal. But, when you look at the prices in the stores, for what you normally purchase, you start to see where they are making up the difference.

So, of the three in this area, although Fred Meyer only offers up to 10 cents per gallon discount, the initial cost of fuel MINUS the $0.10 discount, plus the generally lower costs of what I buy there, means that I spend less than going to either of the other stores.

Then, I have to consider what I put into my truck. Typically 30 gallons at a shot, which means it is only saving me $3.00 on the fill up. So, it is only a little bit of savings. But, every little bit adds up.

It could be $0.20 per gallon savings if I would CHARGE it on their house credit card, but the interest rate would eat up way more than I would save. A fine example of ‘save a little but spend a lot’ when everything is added up.
By Mike, January 5, 2011 @ 4:24 pm

If you are going to shop there anyway it is a nice perk to have. Does your store also offer the gas discounts when you buy gifts cards through the grocery store? I am not sure if ours gives the discount on pre-coupon totals though, but now that you have me thinking about it I am going to ask. Thanks.
By carl, January 5, 2011 @ 7:17 pm

We live in Piggly Wiggly country that has a Bio-fuel station attached. We have accumulated 12000 points in a relatively short time. Those points are good for .40 cents a gallon on 15 gallons max. The points expire 60 days after your last transaction with it. I like the concept. The store is locally owned, has outstanding meat and they are big supporters of the county food bank. What more can you ask for?
By Prepper, January 5, 2011 @ 8:26 pm

Great post Rourke! We use these perks all the time! Groceries at Wal-Mart are cheaper than Bi-Lo, but we use Bi-Lo plenty during sales and to save our sanity (much quicker than Wal-Mart). My wife has been taking advantage of your “kicker” as well – the $10 BP card. With food and fuel costs rising, families have to stay alert to deals like these. Thanks for your post!
By Apartment Prepper, January 5, 2011 @ 9:27 pm

As mentioned in the previous comment, Kroger has a similar program with Shell. To get around the OPSEC issue, I applied for a card, but did not use my real name and address. You just miss out on a few mailings but I am okay with that. Just wanted the card for the discount and now the gas savings.
By Leah, January 6, 2011 @ 12:29 am

Several of the stores near us have these types of discounts as well. You don’t need to worry about them tracking your purchases if you always pay cash or use a gift card that you paid cash for. When we get one of the discount cards you don’t have to provide your name, address, or phone number. They want you to but it’s not required. Or, if it is, give them a bogus one.
By Rourke, January 6, 2011 @ 8:55 am

Leah –

Good points –

Thanks – Rourke
By Rourke, January 6, 2011 @ 8:56 am

Thanks APrepper –

I actually have several of the store cards as sometimes they limit how many deals you can use with each card – and I use different names.

Rourke
By Iain, January 12, 2011 @ 5:16 pm

A win win – the store gets a loyal customer that keeps coming back and spending (the fact you were going there anyway is beside the point) and we get money off gas! Need to keep alert to all sorts of money saving ideas these days.