by Dean Holmes

Created on: August 06, 2008

Getting gas is painful these days. In a vehicle, I mean.

From the beginning of the millenium to present day, fuel has doubled in price and in some areas even more than double. With Americans paying on average of just under $4 a gallon and Canadians shelling out $1.20 a litre, every cent counts. Some will drive around from block to block, searching for the stations that are selling gas for two cents less than the next.

But there is an easier way to find the lowest prices in your area. All by the wonderful World Wide Web.

GasBuddy.com is a website specifically created to search for the lowest prices of all grades of fuel, as well as diesel, anywhere in North America. It's very user-friendly and has been designed to let the general public report prices as they see them.

Users can search either by state or province, metropolitain area, or right down to your own city or town. As you search you will find the highest and lowest prices in the specific area you have chosen, along with the station's brand and location. There is a section on the home page that shows the national average for Canada and the USA; reporting the average prices for today, yesterday, last week, last month and last year.

GasBuddy.com also offers forums to discuss various topics from fuel economy to sports, cars, and everything else in between. Users will need a membership, which is completely free. Users can also create "buddy lists" or send messages to other GasBuddy members with their membership. Points are collected by reporting prices or replying to forum topics which can be exchanged for chances to win gas cards or other prizes.

If you are wondering how your vehicle's fuel economy fares, GasBuddy offers a fuel logbook that allows you to enter in your latest fuel purchasse which includes the price per gallon/litre, total price, odometer reading and station brand. After three consecutive fill-ups entered, it will inform you of the fuel economy of your previous tank.

Planning a trip across the country? You can find the lowest prices along your travels using GasBuddyToGo.com from your mobile phone's browser. It's an anorexic version that allows you to just view the basic prices for your area of choice.

With gas prices so high and changing almost daily, it's a good idea to check out GasBuddy.com before your next fill-up. You could end up saving a fortune with just a few clicks of the mouse!

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