Research Can Lower Your Costs

For those of us who are retired, as well as others who have the time or wish to make the time available, a little research can help you find the lowest cost of food, clothing, gas, heating fuel, and much of what we need. Slightly Creaky has done much of the work for you. Below are a few samples. Go to our Consumer Assistance site for more information and Internet locations.

Gasoline:
Gas Buddy: Set up by community throughout the United States and Canada, and reported by community members. Anyone can join and submit the current prices for stations in your community.

MSN Autos – Local Gas Prices: Submit the zip code and get not only a list of gas stations, but a quick glace at the highest and lowest prices and what each station is charging. Each entry is dated. At the bottom of the page are the national lowest and highest prices for regular gasoline throughout the country.


MapQuest National Gas Prices: Input the type of fuel you need, regular, premium, diesel, or alternative, then put in the zip code. Starts off locally, then expands outward to nearby communities. Place your mouse pointer over the listing and the station appears on the map.

AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report: While this does not list actual pump prices, you can see statewide trends, averages, and other useful information.

The Heritage Foundation: “Based on a review of the energy legislation currently before the House of Representatives, the price of regular unleaded gasoline could rise from average August 1st prices of $2.09 per gallon to $5.58 in 2016. That is an increase of 167 percent. Analysts in the Center for Data Analysis developed this estimate and comparable ones at the state level from assumed effects of three major provisions in the legislation: continued mandates for biofuels content of gasoline, new taxes imposed on energy companies, and new regulations that will affect the oil producers. This estimate also takes into account price gouging legislation that was passed by the House earlier this year. To see state specific estimates, please move your mouse pointer over the state below:”

Home Heating Fuel
Most web sites in this category want a service fee to assist. They contact local fuel companies and attempt to get them to bid on your needs. In most cases, though, we find they have affiliate sites that win the bid ignoring whether they were the lowest price, best quality, or most reliable. Slightly Creaky suggests you find a listing of heating fuel sites in your area and contact them by telephone getting their current prices.

Home Heating Oil Prices.com: Has contact information for local fuel companies. On occasion they list recent prices.

Consumer Products
Slightly Creaky suggests that you do not depend on any one consumer product site as none of them are all-inclusive. Check out these locations to find a product and to get an idea of current retail prices. Then go to the web site for your favorite stores and check weekly advertisements to get the best deals.

Shopzilla: Enter the product you are looking for and Shopzilla will produce a listing of current retail and online prices as well as pictures of the product and reviews.

Price Grabber: Gives you the opportunity to select a product category or to input the product in a search engine. Includes product description and reviews.

MySimon: “A comparison shopping site for almost everything: Apparel, computers, electronics, jewelry, video games, and more. We gather prices on millions of products from thousands of stores, so you can compare products and find the lowest price before you buy.”

Smarter.com: Includes information about rebates and discount coupons. "Come to Smarter.com before you buy online. Using an unbiased system to compare prices on products from thousands of different merchants, Smarter.com helps you shop and find the best prices, products and websites. As the leading price comparison shopping site online, Smarter.com carries top merchants including: Circuit City, Crutchfield, Buy.com, B&H and many other popular online stores."