Is the gas pump now the scariest thing in your life? These apps offer money-saving solutions

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) - Gas prices have been rising steadily for the last two months and analysts expect that trend to continue. That has prompted many people to search for the cheapest gas possible.  

"I see gas prices going up," driver Jan Lucas said Wednesday. "I pray every time I go by a gas station, saying 'Lord bring prices down to be fair to the common man because we all need to get to work'." 

These days, getting to work is more expensive than it was. 

AAA says the national average for a gallon of regular gas is around $4 as of March 6. Compare that to a year ago, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. We were only at $2.76 per gallon for regular. 

"It's going up really bad and it's going up really fast,'' said driver Art Moore, who considers himself a frustrated driver. 

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WNCN Consumer investigator Steve Sbraccia has found several ways you can find cheap gas without burning half a tank running all over town to find it. 

One option: Start with your phone. 

SIRI 

Siri, equipped in most iPhones, will find the top five or six gas stations near you. But if you want more details, you may have to ask Siri some follow-up questions. 

GASBUDDY 

The GasBuddy app will sort stations by fuel grade or by cash/credit over a much wider geographic area. It will also let you access gasoline discounts that are in the app. 

GasBuddy can show you where the better deals for gas are in your area (Steve Sbraccia).

GAS GURU

When you download the Gas Guru app, it will list prices by "best" or "good." Best is in green, while good prices are in yellow. 

Gas Guru uses a color code to locate the best prices for the consumer (Steve Sbraccia).

GOOGLE MAPS 

Google Maps will also find gas by geographic area, but the problem is it won't sort by price. You have to figure them out yourself by scrolling or looking at icons on the map it also pulls up. 

YOUR AUTOMOBILE 

Depending on the kind of car you have, it might find gasoline for you.

For example, the navigation system on some late model cars will list gas prices. There are sorting filters on some automobile navigation app menus that allow for sorting by gas station or price.  

Car navigation in some vehicles can tell you where nearby stations are and what the fuel will cost. Can your car do that? (Steve Sbraccia)

So, in these inflationary days, find a gas price you can live with because most can't live without gas. 

"You have to put gas in the car to do all the things you want to do in this life," Moore said. 

GasBuddy said as we head into the summer driving season, demand for gas will probably outpace supply, which will result in even higher gas prices.

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