I always fill my tank at the 32nd St. and Oakland Rd. NE Hy-Vee Fast and Fresh...that's their new name, by the way. I go to this specific one because you can use your Hy-Vee Fuel Saver card to save per gallon on gas, then take it inside to have new cents put back on the card. I filled up with 16 gallons worth of the 91 octane, and I saved $12.16, nearly 20% on my bill. I got to thinking...is there anyone NOT using a card/loyalty program like this?
The other day, I bought 3 cases of Kona Brewing Co. Big Wave Golden Ale, each of which had a 10 cent fuel saver per 12-pack. Great beer and 60-cents saved per gallon of gas! I've actually started shopping specifically build up the cents. I've found myself wandering the store looking for the things I don't really need right away just to get the cents. I draw the line at imitation crab.
One of the more interesting factoids from the Fuel Saver FAQ at hy-vee.com reads:
"Q: What if my discount earned exceeds the price of fuel, can I get my fuel for free?
A: Discounts shall not reduce the price below a minimum per gallon price ranging between $0.019 and $0.109 depending on the type of fuel dispenser being used. If discount earned exceeds the current price per gallon of fuel minus $0.019 to $0.109 per gallon, the remaining earned discount will roll over and be available for use on a future redemption transaction prior to expiration 30 days from date of purchase of each Hy-Vee Fuel SaverTM item. For example, if you have $4.00 per gallon in fuel discounts, and fuel is $3.509 per gallon but the pump can only roll down to a minimum of $.019 per gallon, you can redeem $3.49 per gallon in the current transaction and the excess discount of $.51 per gallon will remain in your account and can be used on a future redemption transaction prior to expiration of those per-gallon fuel discounts 30 days from date of purchase of each Hy-Vee Fuel SaverTM item."
So, there you have it. I'm doing the deep digging so you don't have to.