It seems like I routinely pay $50 for less than half a tank of petrol these days. And until my recent move off the corporate salary, I’ve never really analysed how much I spent on fuel.

In 2010, Australian Bureau of Statistics found Australian households spend $51 a week on fuel. With petrol prices skyrocketing (up 15% from 2010 to today) and likely to increase further, it’s a good idea to look at how you can save on trips to the bowser systematically.

Those in the know have for years understood the fuel cycle – the regular weekly rise and fall of prices. If you follow this closely, you can typically save around $600 a year per car. Enough for that new second TV for the bedroom.

We at Pocketbook like two tools on the web to help you plan:

1. Help you decide which day – The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) gives a weekly update of the cheapest day across Australian Capital cities. While this often doesn’t change, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on it from time to time.
2. Help you decide which pump on the day – Motor Mouth provides a search for the cheapest fuel in your local area on a daily basis.

So are you saving as much as you could on petrol? Pocketbook can help you easily figure out how much you’re spending on fuel in total, so you can get straight those strategies for saving.

Bosco