Save money with fuel discounts

[tbutler]

Every FMCA member should be using the Flying J fuel discount program. For diesel, you get cash price when using a credit card (this amounts to about 5 to 7 cents per gallon over credit card price). Plus, you get a 1 cent per gallon discount, which doesn't sound like much, but if you couple that with the discount to the cash price, it is significant. If you haven't applied for the RV Discount Card, stop by Flying J or visit the web site and put in your application.

I have the Flying J credit card as well but don't find it to be saving me much money. There are better credit cards with cash-back provisions for fuel purchase. I don't know about the availability of these today; several that I use have been trimmed back to limit their value to me. Discover offers a 5% discount but recently limited it to just $5 per month! I use it to feed the toad. If I spend $100 on fuel in a month, I'll get a $5 cash back credit. We also have a Chase and Citi card that offer cash back for fuel, groceries and drug store purchases. The grocery discounts don't apply at discount stores (Wal-Mart). Chase still offers the 5% discount the card started with several years ago. Citi recently trimmed theirs back to 2%. Still, that is significant savings. A 5% discount on diesel at $2.20 per gallon amounts to 11 cents per gallon cash back. At 2% it is only 4.4 cents per gallon. If (when) fuel prices go back up, the discounts are bigger. At $4 per gallon, 5% gives you 20 cents a gallon and 2% gives you 8 cents a gallon. Multiply these amounts by your normal fuel purchase (100 gallons is not unusual for our Windsor. At 10 cents a gallon, that saves me $10 on a tank of fuel. Every month or so we are getting a check for $20, $50 or $60 from our credit cards! The caveat, of course, is that you must be paying off your credit card balances every month. If you are paying them interest, then they win and you lose!

These cash-back offers work on fuel purchased at Flying J after their discounts have been applied. So you get cash price with a credit card at Flying J plus a penny discount and then use a cash-back credit card to pay for the fuel.

[lpfdon]

Had the Flying J Rewards card in my wallet but never did use it till the trip home from Ottawa last week. Savings was a penny per litre on gas as well as propane. Bought 186 litres gas and 44 litres propane-savings of $2.30 on the one fill-up. Now I always use a Canadian AMEX AIRMILES card for fuel-we collect one airmile for every $20.00 spent on the card. Also Shell Canada is an AirMILES sponsor and Flying J sells Shell so I collect another airmile again on every $20.00 spent on Shell gasoline. Come Christmas time we cash in our airmiles for grocery coupons usually up around the $300.00 range. So I will be on the lookout for Flying J's whenever they are convenient.

Read your blog about snow, rain, etc. in Denver. Seems you had a pretty tough time of it!!

[Guest Wayne77590]

I have used a cash back credit card for years. First with AMEX, and Now VISA. I only get 1% back for all purchases, but so far it has been okay. I just stack up the credits, then get a Loew's, Home Depot, DW Get MACY's credit card-then we go spend it all. It just makes me feel better to get something back.

I have been using Love's, but I just may look into Flying J - the card is somewhere in my bag.

Thanks.

[garykd]

Hi Tom,

The J cash price is received under the following conditions when using the RV RealValue Card:

1. Using the RV or auto fuel islands with any payment method.

2. Using the truck fuel islands and paying cash or using the J CC.

Using any other CC at the truck fuel islands will result in the credit price being paid.

I use the J RV RealValue Card and my AMEX CC at the truck fuel islands. I pay the credit price minus my RV RealValue Card discount for the month. Go to J Real Value Card Discount to see the sliding scale for the discount.. AMEX gives me 5% cash back on fuel. This is a better deal than the J CC cash price.

I use the truck fueling islands for two reasons.

1. My coach and toad are 62'+ long. I consider the J RV fuel islands a safety hazard for this length.

2. Too many RVers take way too long to fuel.

[tbutler]

Gary,

I should have mentioned the Flying J provision to get cash price at truck pumps requires the Flying J Credit Card. I got mine last fall when they changed to this method. Yes, you are right, the 5% discount beats the cash discount price. I usually am patient enough to use the RV pumps if they aren't too convoluted to get into. I too find them to be a challenge sometimes with our rig, also about 65 feet. Getting the cash discount plus the 5% cash back beats it all!

I tend to avoid the truck pumps because of the amount of spilled diesel and the difference in the cash price provisions. But when necessary, I do use them.

[garykd]

Time are a changing fast. The J has changed the rules for using the truck islands and receiving the cash price. Their web site was recently changed to indicate one can use the RV Value card and any CC at the truck truck islands and receive the cash price. Hooray for the J. Go to Flying J RV Value Card and read #3. Now that they have changed their attitude, I will, once again, patronize the J for fuel and food.