In the United States, gas prices have finally soared above $4 a gallon in some areas, and they don’t appear to be stopping the trend anytime soon. Saving gas is now one of the more important ways to save money, so there are a few ways to really help with the crunch.

Consolidate your trips. This one might seem pretty obvious, but in all honesty, it’s hard to plan ahead. When you have to pick up little Suzie from soccer practice, go grocery shopping and head across town for your dry cleaning, things with a time limit tend to take precedence. Don’t let them. Focus on what’s closest (or furthest away) and work outward (or inward). Hit them all in a reasonable order and you’ll be surprised to see that the savings adds up quickly.

Go out less. Some trips are needed for every day life, but some don’t have to be made at all. A late night slushie run can wait until the next day when you have to go out anyway, and your fifteen year old daughter could have walked the mile to school and back. Some trips don’t have to be made, and when they do, make them count.

Check your area for the lowest gas price. Heading to a station that’s out of your way and too far away to save a few pennies isn’t the best decision, but if there’s a local station in your area that charges less, you should know. Check online for gas price tracking applications – that are usually free – to see if there’s a gas station around that could save you a few bucks.

Avoid stop and go. Some stop and go is unavoidable, especially if you live in a heavily populated area and have to drive during rush hour. But when you have the choice to avoid the stop and go, do so to save a ton of gas money – the difference between ‘city’ MPGs and ‘highway’ MPGs are often 10 or 20 miles per gallon.

Overall, just make sure you’re using your car wisely. If you’re not, the crunch may affect you more than it needs to, and you can avoid it just by being a little more cautious today. Paying more out of your pocket for gas can be a stressful thing, and no one needs any more stress – in fact, most of us could use a hot bubble path in place of that late night slushie run.

Author Bio:  Elizabeth Roque is an in-house writer for Franklin Debt Relief. She presents information about debt relief, credit card debt reduction and getting out of debt on a variety of financial sites online.

This following guest article is from: FranklinDebtRelief.com

Debt impacts all areas of life, and it’s like living with an invisible weight on your shoulders. If you have debt problems, you know what this pressure feels like. It’s no way to live. Getting rid of debt can seem like an insurmountable task, but it can be done. In this article, we will highlight some strategies for conquering debt once and for all.

One of the things that keep people in financial bondage is falling into a debtor’s mindset. It’s easy to become consumed with the thought that you have debts to pay, and this negativity not only colors day to day living but also influences decision making. The only way to become free from debt is to shift your focus from it. Instead of thinking about your debts, think about increasing your earnings. Bringing in more money is a positive, actionable goal. Thinking about how you need to get out of debt is negative, offering no actionable steps at all.

Once the psychological aspect has been dealt with, it’s time to observe your relationship with money. Where does it come from, and how is it spent? How do you go about purchasing the liabilities in your life? A liability is anything that takes cash from your pocket, including televisions, computers, cars and boats. All of those things are nice to have, but the timing of these purchases is what determines your debt level. A liability should not be purchased with credit.

Assets such as a business, royalties or rental properties generate income that you can put towards purchasing liabilities. Purchases might be delayed when you pay for them with your assets, but it is more than worthwhile. The things you purchase will belong to you free and clear. Purchasing things according to your assets also makes it impossible to overestimate your means, which is a problem many people in debt face.

If you are already in debt, the money from your assets should be put towards paying off debts before acquiring any unnecessary liabilities. Focus on one debt at a time rather than dividing your assets equally among all of them at once. Completely paying off a debt keeps interest from nickel and diming you away and creates valuable momentum as well.

Debt doesn’t have to keep you in bondage any longer. Simply changing your mindset and spending is really all it takes to start experiencing financial freedom.

Cash-Out Refinance

Home-Equity Loans and Lines of Credit

Considerations

If you are like so many other people today, you have insurance to cover yourself for a variety of different types of loss and damages. You have auto insurance for car accidents as well as natural acts that may cause damage to your car. You have homeowners insurance that can insure what is likely your largest asset from fires, floods, and other disasters. You may have life insurance to protect your future or your family’s financial future in the event you or one of your family members pass away. You no doubt also have health insurance to pay for at least a portion of your medical expenses if you fall ill or have an accident. You may think you have all of your bases covered, but unless you have critical illness insurance, you are not fully covered for everything life may throw your away.

What Is This?

Critical illness coverage is designed to cover you financially in the event you are diagnosed with a serious health condition or disease. Health insurance will only cover a portion of your medical expenses for health conditions such as a heart attack, a stroke, a cancer diagnosis, and other such issues. Those who are diagnosed with these and other serious health issues often face mounting health bills because health insurance does not cover all of your expenses. Further, often with a serious health issue, a person is unable to continue working or may only be able to work part-time. This can cause financial hardship for the person as well as the family.

How It Helps

With critical illness coverage, your insurance will provide you with a predetermined amount of proceeds that you can receive to cover your financial expenses and loss of income due to your condition. The money may be paid to you in a lump sum figure, or it may be paid to you in equal installments. Sometimes this is a choice available to you at the time you file for your benefits, but sometimes it is determined up-front when you sign up for coverage. With the money, you can pay your portion of the medical bills and continue to pay your bills and support your family financially

What the Coverage Covers

So just what does insurance for critical illness cover? The conditions covered will vary slightly from insurance provider to insurance provider. However, generally you will find that most policies cover heart attack, HIV or AIDs, cancer, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, kidney failure, paralysis, blindness, deafness, and most terminal illnesses. Those receiving serious and life-saving surgeries like organ transplants and heart bypass surgery are often also covered. You will want to carefully review the conditions covered in a policy you are considering, as the conditions covered do vary.

The fact is that many millions of people are diagnosed with these and other serious health conditions each year. They run the risk of accumulating a significant amount of debt associated with lost wages and mounting medical bills. Critical illness insurance is one way that you can protect your family from the financial fallout that may occur if you develop one of these conditions or require serious surgery.

If you are looking for ways to save money on gas, you should definitely consider applying for a credit card exclusively for gas purchases. Many credit cards come with cash-back programs where you can earn cash every time you make a purchase. Other programs offer points with every purchase. You can later spend the points on specific rewards, like gift cards or travel fare.

Accepting a credit card offer to serve as your primary method of payment for gas purchases will enable you to save significantly on gas. The question is – which kind of credit card should you choose? Should you get a credit card that offers rewards for other purchases or is it better to get a card that only has gas rewards? As with everything in life, there are benefits to both types.

If you accept a credit card offer that comes with general benefits, you essentially get a discount on everything you buy rather than just gas. Perhaps you would prefer to get a card with general benefits, but you only want to use it to pay for gas. Fortunately, there are benefits to this as well.

Credit cards that have general cash-back rewards often come with a list of purchase types that will earn specific percentages of cash. With many credit cards, you can earn cash-back for purchasing gas, new car parts, auto maintenance, repair services and travel. If you take care of your car and get it tuned regularly, you will save more money on gas. So, having a general credit card will save gas money in more ways than one.

If your card has a general points rewards system, you will have much more rewards flexibility. With points cards, you earn a specific amount of points every time you pay for gas. You can then spend the points on a variety of items or services. Instead of always spending your points on gas-related rewards, you could choose airfare discounts or free nights at your favorite hotel. So you could purchase gas with the card and then get various free, non-gas rewards.

Credit cards that have exclusive gas related savings are also useful. Compared to general cash-back cards, credit cards that offer cash-back with gas purchases only, typically have higher percentages of cash-back per purchase. So, instead of earning 5% for groceries, 3% for gas and 1% for travel, you will earn 6% for gas.

Some points system rewards cards give you gas station gift cards in exchange for points. So every time you purchase gas, you earn points toward free gas station credit. With these cards, you will typically receive $15 to $25 gas gift cards in the mail every couple of months. This makes it much easier to keep track of how much you are saving.

Whether you decide to get a general credit card or a gas rewards credit card, you will still have to do some calculations to find the card that will save you the most money. Visit Moneysupermarket.com for extremely convenient credit card comparison. You can choose multiple cards with various benefits and see them all on the same page. This will make it incredibly easy to select a card, apply and start saving.

About the author:This is a guest article by R.l.smith who is a professional writer & associated with a online debt community. If you like the article , please Visit here – www.facebook.com/debtconsolidationcare .

Gas credit cards are those cards which features various kinds of rebates and rewards for you as the cardholder. This happens whenever you use the card for purchasing gasoline. If you use this type of card on a regular basis at the pump, you may be able to beat the rising gas prices by earning various cash back offers and also other reward programs on your gasoline purchases. The gas credit cards can thus act as one of your debt help options.

Getting bad credit gas credit cards

If you are able to save dollars on gas, you may be able to use that to pay off your debts. Thus, gas credit cards can act as your debt help option. So, how can you get gas credit cards even if you have bad credit?

If you are just planning to take out a gas card and if you have bad credit, it will be wise for you to pick the right gas credit card service provider. Choose a provider who is reputable but also offers the customers convenient locations for the gas credit card applications and even with bad credit. You can apply online in order to choose from the best options that you may be able to get like the low interest gas credit cards, instant approval credit cards, reward credit cards, and so on.

If you have no credit or bad credit, you can also first contact ExxonMobil as they are they are considered to be the easiest gas companies to get some credit with. Other than ExxonMobil, you can also try to get gas credit card with Conoco Phillips and Shell Oil if you have bad credit.

Though gas credit cards are the easiest to get amongst the all types of credit cards, the service providers need you to have at least some good credit. So, you can first try to improve at least some of your credit and then apply for a gas credit card. However, it is always best for you to contact the gas providers directly when you are in need of a gas credit card. It is better for you to avoid any third parties who you think may be able to help you get a gas credit card even if you have bad credit. This can rather worsen situations if it is a scam company.

In order to get gas credit cards with bad credit, you will have to do some online research and compare amongst different credit card companies offering gas credit cards. You will have to compare and check with the credit limit allowed y the credit card company, the annual fee that is being charged by the company, the grace period allowed by the company to pay of the balances. You will have to check if they charge over the limit fees for the gas credit cards and if yes then how much do they charge, if there is any sign up fee and so on. In addition to this you will also have to try and find out if the creditor charges any monthly servicing fee for the gas credit cards and when can the creditor increase the credit limit. Moreover, you will also have to check if the creditor at all allows credit to people with bad credit. This is because, not all credit card companies allow credit to people with bad credit.

When you think of gas rebates, you most likely think of a gas rebate credit card. That is not the only type of rebate you can get. There is a relatively new type of gas rebate that is a customer loyalty gas rebate. Customer loyalty rebates are different than rebate credit cards in two respects.

First and foremost, there is no credit card involved. That means that you don’t have to get a new card. No credit checks, no worries about being denied and you don’t have to add to your debt to participate in the program. There is no debt incurred under the customer loyalty rebate program.

The second difference is that the customer loyalty cash back reward pays you a lot more that any gas rebate credit card. Most credit card programs pay anywhere from 1 to 8 percent rewards on your gas purchases. The higher amounts are usually only for a few introductory months. The customer loyalty reward pays much more.

Depending on how much gas you purchase in an average month the customer loyalty reward will pay anywhere from 20 to 25 percent. It is not really based on a percentage but is based on a fixed amount of $25 per month. This compares to the approximately $5 you monthly you would earn from a credit card rebate.

Here is how the customer loyalty plans work.

The basic premise of the plan is to reward customer loyalty therefore all transactions that you will be getting your cash back from must be at the same company that you registered for. In other words, when you register you select a type of station like BP or Shell. Then you do all your purchasing at that company.

After you register, you start saving your receipts. When you accumulate $100 in gas purchase receipts from your designated company you send them in according to the plan program. In two to four weeks you receive in the mail a $25 prepaid Visa card.

The card is like cash. It is loaded with $25 in value. You can use it like cash wherever Visa is accepted. That’s all there is to the program. Register, save receipts, send in the receipts, get back a prepaid Visa card.

This will happen every month till the certificate plan period expires. If you have a $100 plan, then you will get back $25 for four months equalling $100. A $300 plan will pay you $25 each month for 12 months.

There are some things you need to know. If you miss a month you are allowed one mistake. That would be your one mistake. If you miss two months then you are out of the program.

Your receipts need to have only gas on them. Anything else on the receipt voids the receipt.

The customer loyalty cash back plan is very simple and straight forward. It is a very viable alternative to gas rebate credit cards. There are no fees and no late charges. When you are considering gas rebate plans, you now have another choice to consider…

Gas prices have never been this high, our economy is arguably in a recession and price of groceries inflate as each day goes by. With more and more Americans foregoing a substantial percentage of their paychecks to gas and auto maintenance, the need for a better, safer solution can not be more pressing than it already is. While we wait for the ultimate solution to eliminating our dependence on fossil fuels, should we continue spending an often ridiculous amount on monthly gas purchasing?
Citi Driver’s Edge Credit Card for College Student
The Driver’s Edge Card from Citibank is a good credit card solution for college students with poor credit scores even those without a credit history. Cardholders do not need to earn income in order to gain an approval. The featured reward program awards a 3% cash rebate for gas and 1% rebate for other purchases. An introductory Annual Percentage Rate period lasts 6 months during which balance transfers, cash advances and purchases incur no interest. The fixed APR becomes 12.99% afterward. Citi Driver’s Edge Card has no annual fee.
Discover Student Open Road Credit Card
Discover’s Open Road Credit Card fro College Students offers an introductory APR period for the first 6 months. Cardholders are awarded a 5% cash rebate on gas and auto maintenance purchases. Other purchases attract 1% in cash rebates. The card also offers double Cashback Bonus on grocery store purchases and Online Bill Payment feature. The fixed Annual Percentage Rate is as low as 15.99%.

You have probably heard theses gas saving tips from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and whoever taught you to drive. Yet very few people actually bother to implement them.

Why is that? Are people tired of hearing them? Have these gas saving tips been said so many times that people tune them out? Well, you are going to hear them again in this series of articles, along with the reasons why they DO work!

Gas Saving Tip #1: Try Alternative Fuels Or Hybrid Vehicles

If you are already in the market for a new car, consider one that runs on an alternative fuel besides gasoline. Alternative fuels include ethanol, natural gas, and electricity.

Look into a gas-electric hybrid car if alternative fuels are not available in your area. Choosing the proper hybrid car can drastically reduce your gasoline bill. An all-electric vehicle can eliminate it entirely! You may also be eligible for a large tax break if you purchase an alternative fuel or hybrid vehicle.

Gas Saving Tip #2: Use A Stamp

Many people complain about the post office and the price of stamps. However, a first class stamp is a terrific bargain. For a few cents, someone will take your letter anywhere in the country, and use their gas to do it!

If you tend to drive your bill payments to the utility companies in your area, consider mailing them instead. Not only will you save gas, but you’ll put less stress on your engine.

Gas Saving Tip #3: Pay Bills Online

Many banks offer free online bill pay services. Use these services when you can to save gas, postage, and avoid late fees.

Gas Saving Tip #4: Consider An Electric Lawnmower

Many people don’t include their lawnmower in their gasoline costs, but they should. Push mowers and riding mowers require gas, oil, and periodic maintenance. An electric lawnmower requires none of those things.

Cordless electric lawnmowers with rechargeable batteries are offered by several major lawnmower manufacturers. They recharge overnight. The cutting time depends on the horsepower rating of the mower, the height of the grass, and a few other factors.

Generally, a 5-HP, 24-Volt cordless electric rechargeable push mower can cut a lot of about 1/4 acre on a single charge. Ask your local dealer for the specifications of the electric mowers they sell.

Don’t forget that you actually pay twice for lawnmower gasoline. You pay for the gas itself, and you also use gas to drive to the gas station to buy the mower’s gas.

Gas Saving Tip #5: Carpool

Share rides when possible. It makes no sense for a group of people with the same destination to each drive their own car if they are starting from the same location. The slight loss of fuel efficiency by having six extra people in the car is greatly offset by the benefit of running one car instead of six.

Carpooling can work even if everyone doesn’t start from the same location. Pick a gathering point agreeable to everyone and have all parties meet and carpool from there. At the end of the day, the designated carpool driver returns everyone to the gathering point to collect their cars for the short drive home. Drivers can alternate being the carpool driver.

Be sure the carpool schedule is absolutely clear to everyone! You should also have a plan in place if the designated carpool driver cannot drive on his appointed day.

Nor does everyone have to have the same destination, as long as they are going to locations close to each other.

As gas prices go higher, the need to save gas and save money on fuel is greater than ever.

There are a few strategies to save on the high costs of gasoline and with some strategies you will notice more substantial savings than others. Gas station credit cards are probably the most favored and accepted way to purchase and save on gasoline. These cards function much in the same manner as credit cards do however they focus mainly on your gasoline along with other auto associated purchases.

Since there are two principal types of gas cards you will need to consider your needs first to determine which one is going to best satisfy them. The first kind of gas station credit card is aimed toward purchases at one specific brand of gas station. It is similar to a membership and you’ll only be able to utilize the card only at that specific station. The second type of gas station credit card allows you to acquire rebates at any gas station across the country. These will include a Visa or MasterCard logo and you’ll be able to use the card to make other kinds of purchases.

If you are loyal to one specific brand you will in all probability choose the traditional gas cards. There are benefits and downsides to both types of cards but in reality you might be more well off going with gas cards since the rewards are often better and you will avoid the temptation to use your fuel credit line to make unneeded purchases. Below are some advantages of gas cards.

Rebates are higher with Gas Cards

With your membership at a specific gas station or chain of gas stations you’ll see larger returns on your fill ups considering that the percentage you will get off per gallon is often higher. With gas cards which are focused on one specific provider the rebate may fall between 4-10% which is excellent when you compare with the 5% or less that you get for gas cards that can be used anywhere. With time the savings really can add up and make a big difference in your budget.

Obtain unexpected gifts with your Gas Card Membership

If you’re loyal to one specific brand and make use of their gas cards for your fill ups you’ll more than likely receive unanticipated bonus gifts that you will be able to use. Although your focus should be on saving as much on fuel as is possible it’s always nice to receive these gifts from the gas station that you remain loyal to. Gifts may range from accessories for your auto, t-shirts, household accessories, free gas or gift cards.

These two benefits of gas station credit cards should enable you to make up your mind on if they are good for you. If you choose to go for a card that’s specific to one provider then you need to make sure that you can easily access the station instead of having to drive hundreds of miles to get to them. It is also helpful to pick a brand that’s located throughout the nation so that you can fill up and earn rebates whenever you travel.

Check out GasolineCreditCards.net for the best gas credit card offers online, including BP credit card offers. Start saving on all of your gas station purchases today.