How do you buy gas?

"OPPOsaurus WRX" (opposaurus)
05/24/2016 at 15:47 • Filed to: None

I buy 10 gallons at a time. I go once a week. I used to buy it in dollar value ($20 or whatever) and at some point a realized I’m never buying the same quantity. It seems like that the only thing people tend to buy by the dollar and not quantity. Have you ever gone to the deli and ordered $10 of roast beef? I doubt it. Feel free to add some cool gas station photos too

DISCUSSION (66)

190octane > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 15:49

Until the tank is full would be the most popular option, right?

MonkeePuzzle > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 15:50

I drive until I’m on E, and then fill her up. on E means its almost right at the 10gallon to fill level, which makes for nice easy math when calculting MPG. 10-ish gallons, I went 320-ish miles, 32mpg.

Chariotoflove > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 15:51

When I was a teenager, I bought in dollar amounts. As an adult, I just use us a tank and then fill up. It doesn’t matter what the price is, I still have to buy it; so, I try to minimize the number of times a month I have to stop. Still, I take note of which stations have the best prices so I can save a buck or two.

For Sweden > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 15:51

Insert card

Fill tank

Drive away

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 15:52

Run it to almost empty then fully fill it whenever it needs it.

DKerstan > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 15:53

I usually stop at Sam’s Club every 2-3 Weeks and put in $25. That typically gets me to an almost full tank and is easier for me to budget out.

CalzoneGolem > For Sweden
05/24/2016 at 15:53

/thread

CaptDale - is secretly British > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 15:54

Dirve to 1/4 tank

Fill till full (always a .x5 or .x0 amount)

repeat.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > For Sweden
05/24/2016 at 15:54

Don’t forget the occasional indulgence in something horribly unhealthy for sale in the little store too.

not for canada - australian in disguise > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 15:54

I go to an oil refinery just outside my city with a massive semi truck and a trailer. I go into the refinery, find a large tank of gas, poke a hole, and siphon all the gas out bit by bit.

It’s really foolproof.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > For Sweden
05/24/2016 at 15:54

This

Ash78, voting early and often > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 15:54

I remember making $4.25 an hour (minimum wage was REALLY lagging inflation in the 90s) and most of my friends putting in $2 or $3 at a time. That was right about the time you started having to pre-pay if you used cash, so you had to specify a dollar or gallon amount. People understand dollars more, so it usually wins. Now I just fill up 95% of the time unless it's a really crappy station and I just need it NOW.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 15:55

Wait until low fuel light comes on. Come up with arbitrary reason to trade cars with the wife. Wife fills tank for me. “sorry love, I completely spaced again!”

E90M3 > not for canada - australian in disguise
05/24/2016 at 15:56

Kinja'd!!!

I go straight to the source and refine it myself

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 15:57

First. Since for some reason all the local stations have hacking issues, I only pay cash. Depends on how much I have in my wallet. It’s usually either $10 or $15

AfromanGTO > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 15:58

I am one of those people that like to fill up when the empty light is flashing, and then fill it all of the way up. I never understood the whole put 20 bucks in every few days. I prefer to fill it up only after the tank is empty. It makes calculating my gas mileage and recording it easier.

Noah - Now with more boost. > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 15:59

I generally run through 18ish of my 21.4 gallons and fill the entire thing up again. I’d rather drop $40 once a week than stop multiple times! Granted, if I had a more efficient car, I wouldn’t necessarily have that problem. Or such a large gas tank. Hmmm....

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 16:00

About $140 at a time. Such is life with a 42 gallon fuel tank.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 16:01

By the tank

not for canada - australian in disguise > E90M3
05/24/2016 at 16:02

YEAH, WELL I GET A SHOVEL, GO TO THE OIL SANDS, AND I DIG IT OUT MYSELF, I DON’T EVEN REFINE IT, I JUST PUT THE SAND STRAIGHT IN MY CAR.

lone_liberal > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 16:03

I run it down to almost empty then fill it. When I was a kid my parents always bought it by the dollar and I did too when I first started driving, but that had more to do with a lack of money than anything else.

E90M3 > not for canada - australian in disguise
05/24/2016 at 16:05

I DON’T EVEN TAKE THE SAND OUT, IT HELPS LUBRICATION.

Chinny Raccoon > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 16:06

Not much point in part filling when you can only get around 30l in the tank.

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 16:06

I just fill it up until the nozzle gives a click meaning it is full. I never get certain amounts because my fuel gauge is not that reliable.

Funnily enough, this morning the nozzle didn’t function right, so instead of clicking and closing the valve, it started to spew gas out of the car, luckily just missing me, otherwise I would’ve smelled like gas the entire day.

Some old dutch petrol stations:

Kinja'd!!!

The one above was designed by Willem Dudok(don’t know if he was known internationally), and there used to be quite a lot of these according to what i’ve read, this one was saved and was placed at a museum.

Another cool gas station, which is still there and only like 30 km away from me:

Kinja'd!!!

TheRealBicycleBuck > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 16:07

The only time I don’t fill the tank is when I visit my in-laws. As a retired Exxon employee, my father-in-law gets a big discount at the local station, so he likes to be magnanimous and fill the tank for us. It really screws with tracking my mileage when he sneaks off and does it on his own since he won’t show me the receipt.

TFSIVTEC drivesavolvo > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 16:07

Saab gets a 1/2 tank of premium at a time since the fuel tank has a tender spot, Volvo gets brimmed with premium and I try not to run it under a 1/4 since the fuel surrounding the pump acts as its “radiator”

RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 16:07

Replying only because my routine sometimes has an extra wrinkle - I transfer gas from the motorcycle to the car since it doesn’t get used that often, then at the gas station I fill the rest of the car’s tank and an extra jug for the motorcycle when I get back.

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 16:08

Normally put in 40L (tank holds 46L), $40/week, 4 times/month sometimes 5 times/month. I leave 1 bar of fuel on my fuel gauge.

Cé hé sin > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 16:08

Pump so many €, go into station, pay.

No, we don’t normally have to prepay because civilised.

ttyymmnn > not for canada - australian in disguise
05/24/2016 at 16:11

Like this?

Kinja'd!!!

Dru > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 16:12

I buy 10 gallons at a time. Usually every 10-14 days.

I remember when you could pump then pay, quasi rare just after I got my license and fuel later skyrocketed, and we always bought whole dollar amounts because debit cards weren’t as prolific and you paid with cash, hence $20 worth because you had 20's, convenience I guess.

Cé hé sin > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
05/24/2016 at 16:13

That’s like €100 which would get me less than 80 litres which would fill something relatively ordinary like a Range Rover.

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > AfromanGTO
05/24/2016 at 16:13

I do the same. I have a tiny book in my for recording gas records. I do: $AmountPutIn/HowLongTankLasted/OdoReading

JEM > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 16:14

Every two days since I’m on a bike :-/

THShorn92 - Left his car in America > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 16:15

I always fill the tank all the way up. I try to stop when my tank gets to 1/2 full. It is a habit I picked up when driving my truck to make the fill ups a little less painful but it has rolled over to the wagon. At this point I really dislike having less than 1/2 a tank at any point.

itschrome > MonkeePuzzle
05/24/2016 at 16:15

This is my new game with my game as well since I bought the Impala. She’s slow, big but get’s kind of silly gas mileage so it’s really fun to do the math. when the light comes on it takes about 15.3 gallons of gas. I’ve been averaging about 425 Miles from full to this point. Which ofcourse means I’m averaging 28mpg. That’s 28 Slow and HUGE miles... HOW IS THIS THING DOING 28 MPG WITH A 4 SPEED AND AN UNDER POWERED LUMP OF IRON WHILE WEIGHING 3600 POUNDS IN MIXED CITY AND HIGHWAY?!?!?! how!! I choose to believe in black magic!

not for canada - australian in disguise > ttyymmnn
05/24/2016 at 16:16

Yes.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 16:16

On my dime, $5 or $10 at a time.

On my parent’s dime, the full tank. And it’s a 24 gallon tank.

I’ve only got a couple more months of that working before it’s off to college.

JustAnotherG6 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
05/24/2016 at 16:16

only on road trips.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 16:16

I fill the tank no matter what, unless the station is outrageously expensive and I just need to make it to a cheaper station. I am in NJ so its always pull up, wait for the attendant to wander over, incessantly complain in my head that we cant pump it ourselves, hand the card over, say "fill it premium", get my receipt, reset the trip meter, and drive off. Always seems silly to not fill it, because then I would just have to stop again sooner otherwise.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > JustAnotherG6
05/24/2016 at 16:17

Any trip is technically a road trip so yes I agree

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > not for canada - australian in disguise
05/24/2016 at 16:18

Don't forget, you need to conquer the indigenous population first all on your own too.

ttyymmnn > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 16:19

Somewhat related.

Kinja'd!!!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Chariotoflove
05/24/2016 at 16:22

The gas buddy app works wonders! I tend to only use when driving unfamiliar but I have found it helpful even at home since I always look at the map and make sure I choose somewhere that isn’t out of the way.

Urambo Tauro > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 16:23

Once the gauge dips below 1/2 capacity, I fill up at my earliest convenience, whenever that may be. If I decide to put it off, I can usually wait a day or two, but I rarely let it go below 1/4 tank. I don’t want to put the pump in danger of running dry or overheating.

I always top off using the following method: I run the pump until it clicks off, then once more until it clicks a second time, just to make sure its shutting off wasn’t a premature fluke. I then slowly add more until I reach the next $0.25 mark, because I pay cash and I don’t like pennies. I get a receipt and record the odometer reading, for tracking MPG. Those numbers go into a txt file on my computer, sometimes with a note (like if I added anything like injector cleaner).

Honeybunchesofgoats > THShorn92 - Left his car in America
05/24/2016 at 16:23

I’m the exact same. I always fill up at half a tank.

Partially because I never want to have to fill up during my morning commute.

vicali > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 16:25

Pump it until it goes click,

Kinja'd!!!

I hate the prepay pumps that make you try to guess the dollar amount before you start.. I always authorize $100 just incase..

not for canada - australian in disguise > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
05/24/2016 at 16:28

How else do you get oil anyways?

V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me! > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 16:36

When we lived in NJ, my wife used to buy 50 cents worth of luck charm meat, 25 cents worth of cheese, a roll and take a complimentary not or mustard pack. $1.25 sammich. If they made it, it was 4 bux....

facw > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 16:39

I wait until I’m down to around a quarter of a tank, and then fill it up. Don’t like to let it go lower than that for fear that whatever bad crap is in the tank is more concentrated when the tank is near empty (and every time my check engine light has come on for something expensive, it has been when I’ve been very low on fuel). Seems weird to try for a dollar amount now that we aren’t paying cash.

wkiernan > For Sweden
05/24/2016 at 16:39

You left out a step, a very important step too.

shop-teacher > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 16:41

I fill it up when I get to about 1/4 tank. I don’t like to run less than that, because the fuel is what cools the fuel pump.

Svend > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 16:42

If I’m paying cash I will always buy petrol by the £ and sometimes I’ll do the same by debit card. I guess it’s that thing of getting it right on the £. If you go over by a few pence, I feel like I’ve failed and think maybe I’ll go to the next £. It’s something to do to entertain what is often a boring task.

If I could buy beef by the £ I would but I do tend to buy it by either the lb or by the Kg.

Svart Smart, traded in his Smart > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 16:43

When I get down to one-quarter tank, I head to one particular 76 station in my neighborhood to fill up on premium. I pay at the pump by credit card, I always get a receipt (even if I have to go inside to get one), and I monitor my online banking app in case anything goes wrong with my credit card.

AfromanGTO > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock
05/24/2016 at 16:57

Very nice. Mine is in excell. I do date, time, location, brand, cost, amount of fuel, mileage, avg mpg, and I try to get the air temp as well.

yitznewton > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 17:01

OMG that station is gawgeous

http://blog.scia.net/3541/petrol-st…

OPPOsaurus WRX > BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
05/24/2016 at 17:08

I remember reading about the first one in school. The second looks very Bauhaus

Birddog > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 17:13

It depends on how much driving I do and the price of gas. Typically I just drop $70 every 4-5 days and keep both tanks full. But.. Now that summer is here I may have to adjust so I don’t burn up the fuel pumps.

Die-Trying > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 17:17

i put $40 regular, every two days when driving the 4by. i put $30 every day in the 71 premium, because it pings on anything else. if i have gone any great distance then i add another $20 before i leave there. the gas tanks stay mostly full. when they overflow at the pump, i get an extra 2 days no fill up. both trucks have 50 gallon tanks, and dipstick fuel gauges.

DynamicWeight > THShorn92 - Left his car in America
05/24/2016 at 17:44

When I lived in Buffalo I filled at half a tank so in the case of a freak snow storm I could use my heater to survive being trapped in my car.

V12 Jake- Hittin' Switches > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 18:52

I just fill it up when it gets to about 7/8 empty.

Dusty Ventures > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/24/2016 at 19:27

I run it down to less than a quarter, then fill it. Added bonus of this is I log my fuel economy (miles driven divided by gallons used), so I can keep an eye out for signs of trouble via fuel economy drops/spikes.

OPPOsaurus WRX > yitznewton
05/24/2016 at 20:51

thats pretty cool seeing how it was designed

OPPOsaurus WRX > facw
05/24/2016 at 20:53

with 176k miles i should probably keep some gas in the bottom. i’m guessing theres a fair amount of crap down there

OPPOsaurus WRX > Dru
05/24/2016 at 20:55

good point. i think the cards have made it easy to buy uneven dollar amounts. i think your the only other person who has said they buy by the gallon and not dollar

Chariotoflove > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
05/25/2016 at 12:54

Thanks, I’ll check it out.