When people fall on hard times, they look for specials and deals. On everything. Even credit cards. And that’s why gas rebate credit cards could be making a comeback. People love rebates.

Gas rebate credit cards are popular among people who travel or purchase a lot of gasoline. Of course, the deals on these cards vary. But if you’re like the average American, you want the best deal you can get.

Rebates allow you to see some of that money you’ve spent on products and gas purchases come back to you. Naturally, you don’t want to part with your money any sooner than you have to. I understand that. Which is why a gas rebate credit card is something you should consider. You might part with your money for a time, but you can get some of it back.

Rebates are a way for the gas companies to encourage you to purchase more gasoline and point of purchase items. Things like sodas and candy bars, which you’ll probably purchase anyway. But you can get money back on those too.

If you’re like me, you love rebates. Gas rebate credit cards are the perfect rebate vehicles. Spend money you’re already spending, and then get it back again at the end of the month.

That’s the average American’s experience. Same amount of income. More money for gas. And you aren’t driving any less either, are you? Where’s that money going? Right into the gas tank. And you don’t have any recourse. Well, almost no recourse.

About the only thing you CAN do is apply for a gas rebate card. It’s not much, but that 3%-6% you earn back in cash on your purchases can be a big deal. It can make a big difference.

Just imagine spending $100 on gas and getting $5 of that back. You’re likely spending 2-5 times that much on gasoline every month. If you spend $40 on gas and drive 200 miles in one week, that’s $160 per week on gas. But most folks are driving more than  200 miles per week. You’re likely doing about 300 miles, eh?

Any way you look at it, you’re spending more than you should on gasoline. Gas rebates are a way for you to get some of that back. And most gas rebate cards pay cash back on purchases other than fuel. You really have nothing to lose.

If you have applied for and received a gas rebate credit card thinking that once you reach your payout minimum you will receive a check in the mail, you should go back and read your contract again. Read your credit card statements. Somewhere in the fine print should be your instructions for receiving your rebate. Chances are, you’ll have to ask for it.

There’s nothing wrong with that, actually. If you have issues with your credit card or customer service challenges to work out, you can often mention those in your request for your rebate. Just say, “Send my rebate check, please.”

It’s best to put it in writing, but many gas rebate credit card companies allow you to make your request by phone. If they have an ‘in writing’ option, do it that way so that there is a record of your request. It’s best to play it safe with that record in case you need to pursue legal action.

It’s not likely you’ll have to go that far, but it never hurts to be safe. Just say, “Send my rebate, please.”

Gas rebate cards allow drivers to get some of that expense back at the end of the month. And the best gas cards offer cash back incentives on purchases other than gasoline.

Gasoline cards typically offer rebates in the range of 3%-6% of purchase. That means for every $100 in gas purchases, if your card offers a 5% cash back rebate, you’ll receive $5 in cash back rebates.

Many cards pay their cash back when you reach a minimum purchase level. And some of your rebates on non-gasoline items are lower than your gasoline rebate offer. So your convenience items might only pay out at a 1% or 3% rate. Some cards, however, do not distinguish between fuel and non-fuel purchases – you get the same rebate no matter what you buy.

It’s easy to see the benefit here. If you are paying out $4.00 per gallon and you get a 6% cash back rebate, then your fuel is effectively costing you $3.76 cents per gallon. That’s a nice 24 cent per gallon savings. And if you also make non-fuel purchases often, then your fuel consumption is even less. You could bring it down to the $3.50 per gallon range.

These benefits of gas rebates are a great incentive to applying for a gas rebate credit card. Find one near you now and take advantage of your cost savings. You’re buying gas anyways, right?

How many people do you see gassing up at a service station with gas at $3.39/gal compared to a gas station with gas at $3.45/gal? I’d be willing to bet that the one with the lower gas price gets up to twice as many customers as the other.

First, you need to ask yourself if you pay off your debt every month or if you typically allow your credit debt to revolve. Gas credit cards tend to have higher percentage interest rates, so they may not be a good bet if you let your debt build from month to month.

Do a quick estimate of the number of gas stations you’ve visited in the last month. Is it a random assortment of stations—whichever happened to be closest when your empty tank light went on? Or do you tend to go to the same station every time you buy gas?

If you’re a devoted customer to one gas station, a gas card at that station may be the best idea. That’s because gas cards tend to give higher rebates at their stations compared to other purchases.

If you shop at a few gas stations, you may want to narrow down your card selection to the company with the best rebates. Say, for instance, you usually buy gas at Shell, Texaco, and Gulf. Get information on all three companies’ credit cards.

If one of the three credit cards has a 6 percent rebate on its gas while the other two have 4 percent, that kind of savings is a major reason to pick the card with a 6 percent rebate, especially as gas prices keep on going up and up.

Gas cards can also be very convenient if the gas station has a convenience store. Those rebates also extend to merchandise other than gas. If you visit a particular gas station convenience store for necessary items such as milk and lunch, the 6% rebates can add up quickly.

For those who have trouble budgeting and keeping track of expenses, whether for personal or small business reasons, a gas card can be a way to organize without even trying.

Let’s say your gas station offers a $50 gift card that you can purchase for $48. When you buy or reload the gift card, you pay with your gas rebate credit card, which has a 5% rebate on gas purchases.  On a $3 per gallon gas purchase, you receive an 8.8% discount, or 26 cents per gallon.

To receive the maximum benefit with your gas rebate credit card, make sure you are purchasing gas at a location where the primary product is gas. You will not receive the maximum benefit by purchasing your gas at a wholesale club. If you carry a balance, as most of us do, be sure that you have a low interest card. Finally, be sure to read the fine print.

Do your homework and research where you can purchase the cheapest gas around town. Even if you buy your gas at a Mom and Pop gas station that accepts your gas rebate credit card, the 4 or 5 cents per gallon you are saving really adds up. The nicer the neighborhood the more you are going to pay for gas.Take a few moments and combine all of the tips mentioned here to save yourself the most money on your gas purchases. You’ll be glad you did!

With a gas rebate credit card, you save money on gas every time you fill up. The rewards are endless and cards are available whether you are a student or a business or anyone in between!

A gas rebate credit card works just like any other credit card, only you receive a benefit when you purchase gas.  They offer up to a 5% rebate on future fuel purchases. There are also smaller cash rewards of up to 1% on other purchases.

A number of card companies offer points that can be used to pay for various merchandise in addition to gas. Previous transactions that are unrewarded will start to earn 2% to 5% cash back on all gas station purchases. These rewards can be redeemed in cash or used to buy other discounted goods and services from affiliated merchants. Rebate cards tend to offer low bank transfer APRs, and if you pay off the transfer within the grace period, this can be a useful way to pay down another card balance, especially a higher interest one.

Gas credit cards are extremely useful for people who can properly manage the use of credit cards and credit card rewards. The cash back rebates you can earn on all gas purchases are recognized everywhere and can be earned at any gas station location or brand regardless of where you go. Gas rebate credit cards are  going to be your best bet when it comes to saving money on gas at the pump.

Now is the perfect time, if you’re a resident of the Gulf Coast to use your gas rebate credit card or credit card with rewards program and fill up your car, gas jugs, and generator, as soon as possible this morning before the prices rise anymore. Gas in some Gulf Coast cities rose today, up $.14 from yesterday, at least they did where I live, which is Pensacola, Fl.

Of course, residents along the Gulf of Mexico aren’t the only ones being affected by gas spikes due to Gustav. According to the Wall Street Journal Market Watch Report, dated August 27, 2008, the title says it all… “Gustav Threat Keeps Gas Markets High Rising Higher.” When it comes to hurricanes, making haste will not make waste, when it comes to saving on gas.

Everyone is still paying more for gas per gallon, way more than we were last year at this time (thank goodness for gas reward cards to help lessen the impact of those costs). Even though gas is now as low as $3.49 per regular gallon of gasoline in some cities, we are still experiencing pain at the pump and coupled with job loss and high food prices, not only our poorest citizens suffering worse than ever, but now included are what used to be middle and upper class citizens in some areas.

According to a LA Times report dated July 28, 2008, “demand for free groceries is at the highest level in recent memory this summer as the sagging economy has hit not only the poor, but also middle- and upper-class families.”

Many can definitely sympathize with this situation but do not know what it is like to be in a position of being in need. A major reason we are seeing a decline in charitable contributions is because middle and upper class families are really having to watch where their money is going each payday. Though we are saving on gas more than a few months ago, food prices are still high and paychecks haven’t gone up. Where consumers used to have funds left to “play” and “give”, many are now finding themselves on the brink of ending up like those middle and upper class citizens, as reported in the LA Times…a hair away from standing in line at a food bank.

Cons of Ethanol Based Fuel – E85

• Ethanol helps save on gas spending, but for those in the Western US, it will cost up to $.35 more per gallon to fuel up and the Mid-Atlantic states up to $.44 more. The fortunate ones are those living in the Mid-West where ethanol is produced. Filling up with ethanol there is actually $.30 less per gallon of fuel.

• To add to the woes of ethanol based fuel is that it is less fuel efficient. You’ll be swiping your gas rebate credit card more often than with gasoline.

• Ethanol based fuel is only widely available in the Mid-Western States.

Pros of Ethanol Based Fuel – E85

• Ethanol is a renewable energy source and can be produced domestically. If it reaches a wider market, it would definitely help break our dependency on foreign oil.

• Smog emissions are reduced up to 50% which equates to cleaner air.

Finally, according to today’s AAA Fuel Gauge report, E85 had an average of $3.045 per gallon (remember, we’re talking about places where it is widely available), BUT when factoring in the pathetic fuel efficiency of ethanol based fuels, it was found that consumers are really spending approximately $4.007 per gallon.

As of today’s date, it would be cheaper to fuel up with premium grade gasoline than with E85.

Although some modern scooters look like the ones you’d make a crack on when seeing one puttering around, others have drastically changed in design to appeal to a wider market.  Not only that, but many can now accelerate at highway speeds.  The Piaggio MP3 is, according to an ABC report, “the first three-wheel scooter that is highway ready and saves on fuel.”   They’re affordable too.  The most expensive MP3 model is under $9000.

Combined with a credit card with rewards program, the savings on gas would be tremendous.  Scooters are definitely worth taking a look in to and who cares if people make fun while you’re dallying around on one…you can laugh right back at them knowing that you’re getting in upwards of 50-90 mpg.

1) 2008 Lamborghini Murcielago - That any modern day cars could get such horrible mileage is astonishing…8 miles per gallon in the city and 13 mpg on the highway! On a positive note, Lamborghini owners who fill-up with a gas rewards card will get a nice hefty rebate at the end of the month.

2) It’s a tie between the Bentley Azure and Bentley Arnage RL – Such beautiful cars, how sad that they only get 9 mpg while commuting through town and 15 mpg on the open road.

3) The Ferrari 612 Scaglietti – Probably a thrill to drive, but with only 9 city and 16 highway miles per gallon, we’ll pass.

4) Another tie, the Aston Martin DB9 Coupe and DB9 Volunte – James Bond would have to pull over for gas quite often when chasing the bad guys whilst driving this famed vehicle. The Martin’s only get 10 stop and go miles per gallon and 16 highway mpg.

5) Bottoming out the list with 10 city and 16 highway mpg is the Bentley Continental GTC – As Toyota was to the top five most fuel efficient cars, Bentley manufacturers are to the top least fuel efficient vehicles. But hey, at least they weren’t in first place…which is a good thing on this type of list.

The results for mpg are probably even lower for the Lamborghini and Ferrari. After all, these aren’t the type of cars you use for Sunday drives, they were built for speed. Could you fathom driving sports cars like those the speed limit?  Be honest.  Now that you’ve said, “No way”, we can safely assume that this theory is not too far off…especially considering that driving the speed limit is a major gas saving strategy.

*Full results used in this blog can be viewed at http://www.fueleconomy.gov/FEG/bestworst.shtml

The Top 5 Most Fuel Efficient Cars

1) The drum roll for the most fuel efficient vehicle goes to………The Toyota Prius, which averages a whopping 48 mpg in the city and 45 mpg on the highway. Hmmmm…Prius owners who use gas rebate credit cards probably don’t swipe their cards as often as those of us with gas guzzlers, but how cool that the savings are still there for when they do.

2) Where there is a Toyota, a Honda is sure to follow…The Honda Civic Hybrid gets the same mpg on the highway, 45, as the Prius but lacks the same in city mpg, 40. Too bad, maybe next year.

3) Coming in at number three is a vehicle that, decades ago, would be something seen only in futuristic type movies…The 2008 smart fortwo convertible gets approximately 33mpg in the city and 41mpg on the highway.

4 & 5) Toyota manufacturers must be proud to have three of their vehicles listed in the top five. The Toyota Yaris (Manual 5) gets 29 miles per gallon in the city and 36 mpg while driving the speed limit, on the highway while the Toyota Yaris (Automatic 4) achieves 29 city and 35 highway mpg. In my best female attempt at doing a voice impression of Napoleon Dynamite, “Lucky.”

Our hats are off to Toyota and those other two car manufactures as they lead the pack when it comes to making vehicles that are best for fuel efficiency and helping consumers save on gas.

You’ll notice that we only presented an overview of how Barack Obama hopes to solve our high gas prices in our yesterday’s blog, not an opinion (although believe me, we do have them)…we’ll treat John McCain in the same fashion. That said, we’ll now present a brief overview of John McCain’s solutions for high gas prices:

In recent days I have set before the American people an energy plan, the Lexington Project — named for the town where Americans asserted their independence once before. And let it begin today with this commitment: In a world of hostile and unstable suppliers of oil, this nation will achieve strategic independence by 2025. – John McCain, June 25, 2008

The Lexington Project contains McCain’s gas saving solutions :

• Expanding Domestic Oil And Natural Gas Exploration And Production – To lessen US dependency on foreign oil by lifting government restrictions on US oil reserves and reduce trade deficits due to importing oil. – Lexington Project overview, paragraph 3

• Propose A $300 Million Prize To Improve Battery Technology For Full Commercial Development Of Plug-In Hybrid And Fully Electric Automobiles – Should this proposal be accepted, a battery must be able to deliver a power source at 30% of current costs. Lexington Project overview, paragraph 6

• Enforce existing CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards – Enforce the mileage requirements that auto manufactures must adhere to by imposing penalties on them if they are not compliant. – Lexington Project overview, paragraph 10

• Addressing Speculative Pricing Of Oil – Reform the laws and regulations concerning the oil futures market so they are clear and concise and will not allow for skyrocketing gas prices. – Lexington Project overview, paragraph 23

We hope to have least peaked your curiosity as to how our 2008 Presidential Candidates plan on helping Americans save on gas and make our country less dependent on foreign oil….whether any would work or not isn’t known…but it is best to try and understand both sides when forming an opinion on this, or any, issue.

Today we’ll look at some of Barack Obama’s “Real Solutions for High Gas Prices”:

We need proactive solutions that are designed to lessen our dependence on foreign oil and bring down prices for good – Barack Obama, Thursday, May 11, 2006

That was in 2006, what has Senator and Presidential Hopeful Obama done since then to help the US and its citizens save on gas? Well, he has introduced legislation along with other members of congress but most have not passed. Here are just a few of them:

• The American Fuel Act – Aimed at increasing domestic production, distribution, and end the use of biofuels. (Library of Congress: American Fuels Act of 2007)

• Biofuels Security Act – Calls for sixty-billion gallons of renewable biofuels to take place by 2030. (Library of Congress: Biofuels Security Act of 2007, 110th Congress, 1st Session)

• Oil Sense Act – Introduced as a way to rid “royalty relief and repeal some of the Energy Policy Act of 2005”…ending unnecessary tax breaks for big oil companies. (Library of Congress: Oil SENSE Act, 110th Congress, 1st Session, January 4, 2007)

• E85 Tax Credit – Finally, one introduction that passed is a tax credit for installing E-85 (85% Ethanol/15% Gasoline) ethanol refueling at the gas stations around the country.

If you’re still on the fence when it comes to who you’ll be voting for in November, I encourage you to get to know the candidates. Polling data for the General Election of McCain versus Obama, as of August 18, 2008, shows an extremely tight race. The LA Times/Bloomberg, Gallup, Rasmussen, Quinnipiac, IBD/TIPP, and Pew Research polls all display Barak Obama as having a slight edge. The Real Clear Politics (RCP) average has Obama at 45% and John McCain at 42.5%.

You can view more of Senator Barack Obama’s recommendations, proposals, and ideas from his main website. Tomorrow we’ll present some of Senator John McCain’s solutions for high gas prices.

Honestly, survey and poll statistics do not even need to be factored in because employers know how their employees are being affected when it comes to overall morale. That said, here are some ideas for helping your employees save on gas and make your company stand-out to potential new ones.

Offer an opportunity to telecommute

If your company is mostly computer based, why not consider allowing your most trusted and long-time employees to telecommute to help them save on gas? Your employees are the backbone of your company and the ones who perform at or above expectations with minimal to little supervision deserve to keep more of their paychecks. If you allowed those who want to telecommute to do so and they have a computer at home, not only would you increase their gas savings but it would increase morale in the work place and inspire other employees who would like to work harder to achieve such a privilege. It would also decrease expenses your company incurs due to “sick days.”

Gas reward incentives

Increase productivity and morale by having a weekly, biweekly, or monthly contest with the prize being a gas reward. Use your companies gas rebate credit card to purchase a few pre-paid gas cards to hand out to your most productive employees.

Four Day Work Week

Not only would you save on electricity costs for one day and help your workers save on gas, but you may notice a boost in morale. Refreshed and happy employees make for exemplary customer service and satisfaction. Of course, by implementing a four day work week you would enjoy the extra day off too. To see how this has impacted one company in particular, see our blog, Some Companies are Helping Employees Save on Gas.

Other options for how employers can help employees save on gas

According to survey done by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), What Employers Are Doing to Help Their Employees with High Gas Prices in 2008, the following are results of how some companies are being proactive in lending a helping hand…

• Raise the mileage reimbursement to the IRS maximum
• Offer a flexible work schedule
• Public transportation discounts
• Helped employees in organizing carpools
• Offer priority parking to employees who carpool
• Help non-executive hires help in finding housing closer to the office
• Offere a monetary incentive for employees to buy hybrid cars

Try some of the options shown here today and take notes to help determine how your business is affected as a result whether positively, negatively, or neutral. Any measures your company takes to help employees will benefit not just them, but you in the long run.

• Kroger’s Fuel Rewards Program - Spend $1000 or more a month at this grocery store super- center and you’ll receive up to four full tanks of gas at $1 off per gallon. Not a hefty shopper? Not a problem, spending at least Gas $100 and save $.10 per gallon. The only downside is that not all the centers have their own gas station and it doesn’t apply in all states. Visit Kroger’s website for more information.

• Giant Eagle Inc. Fuelperks Program – After spending at least $50 on gift cards, “get going” to their Getgo gas stations and you’ll receive a $.10 discount on up to 30 gallons.  Check out their site for full details.

• High Haven House Bed & Breakfast Inn, Vineyard – Up for a little romantic getaway? Prepare to snuggle up in comfort and this charming vacation destination and you may receive a gas card of $75. Folks from New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania , are offered an even larger “prize”…a $150 gas card. Offer expires October 31, 2009.  See their site for full details.

• Hilton Hotels, Holiday Inn, Marriott – The Holiday Inn and Marriott gas card offers are good through December 31, 2008 and Hilton Hotels through March 1, 2009. These offers are at select locations so check out their websites for more information and restrictions.

• Branson Missouri Tourism Center – Plan on seeing one of the great shows in the city of Branson, Missouri? If you purchase your tickets through them and live 100 miles or more away, you can receive a gas discount coupon with $.20 off per gallon of gas (at Branson 1st Stop Travel-Plex for up to 20 gallons). Offer is valid until December 31, 2008, and is good for one vehicle per month.  See their site for further details.

If you know of any gas reward incentive programs in your area feel free to let us know (spammers are not welcome to reply…all links will be checked using WOT or other safe website checker programs). Remember to use your gas rebate credit card to in conjunction with the great offers above to help increase your gas savings even further!

According to a press release put out by Challenger, Gray, & Christmas, INC., a global outplacement consultancy, 57% of human resource executives surveyed, said that their companies “offer some type of program designed to alleviate increased commuting costs.”

The most popular choice among companies trying relieve employee gas expenses is the four-day work week, which consists of working four ten hour days.

Before exalted gas prices were even an issue, one company, Chicago based 37signals began using four-day work weeks. Company founder, Jason Fried said, “37signals is one of the best places in the world to work, learn, and generally be happy.” According to Challenger, Gray, & Christmas, Inc., Fried wrote in his March 5, 2008 blog entry “…Three-day weekends mean people come back extra refreshed on Monday. Three-day weekends mean people come back happier on Monday. Three-day weekends mean people actually work harder and more efficiently during the four-day work week.”

Let us hope that other companies follow suit in helping workers save money on gas. Lastly, imagine the additional savings employees could have if they were using a gas rebate credit card to boot!

Today’s focus will be on how to save on gas by providing you with seven more fuel efficient tips:

• Remove some of the “junk in your trunk.” Unless you golf or camp everyday, withdraw the equipment from your trunk because extra weight decreases gas mileage

• Withhold revving up your engine. If you are not drag racing or trying to impress friends, there is no need to show your car’s might by making the “V’room, v’room” sound…revving your engine while sitting idly only serves to waste gas.

• Tailgating is a no-no. When on the interstate or commuting around town try to stay one to two car-lengths behind the vehicle in front of you. Tailgater’s regularly find themselves braking and accelerating at rapid rates and doing so decreases gas mileage. It is best to drive at a steady pace.

• Combine errands. Try to limit your errand runs to once or twice a week and hit every place you need to stop on your way home from work or picking the kids up from school.

• When idle for more than one minute, turn off your engine. Modern cars are more fuel efficient so you will not notice a significant savings right off the bat but they will increase over time.

• Coast to, not through, a stop.

• Avoid slamming the gas pedal during take-off. Instead, ease your foot on to the gas pedal and take off smoothly

To test some of the gas saving strategies offered on our blog, keep a logbook and set your travel odometer to zero. Continue driving the way you normally do and take note of the miles driven before you had to refuel. The next time you load up on gas, try some of the tips provided here and see if you notice an improvement!