ABOUT CLARK HOWARD
Find more answers to your consumer questions, plus Clark’s book “Living Large in Lean Times” at ClarkHoward.com.
Listen to Clark Howard weeknights from 6 to 9 p.m. on AM1290/95.7FM News Talk WHIO.
If you are looking to save money on gas, Walmart has an offer for you in nearly two dozen states, including many Ohio locations.
The mega-retailer is offering a discount of 15 cents/gallon all spring long through July 7 at Walmart gas stations if you use a Walmart money card or credit card. (A 10 cent/gallon discount applies if you want to use a gift card instead.)
Participating states include Ohio and also Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
Not all Miami Valley and southwest Ohio Walmart locations are participating, but several are. To find a participating store near you, search by ZIP code online at WalMart.com.
Florida and Alabama are participating states, but the discount may not be 10 cents or 15 cents in those states for an unfortunate reason. What happened is the anti-free market lobbyists got laws passed in those states because they believe such promotions would hurt oil company gas stations.
The big, bad oil companies are so weak they cannot compete against a discounter?! So at the states’ behest, the oil companies got these laws passed restricting the free market. I asked the governor of Florida why he is opposed to the free market, but that is a political discussion for a political talk show.
For now, just save that money at the gas pump.
$17 car rentals
Right now, there are some oddball opportunities to rent a car for cheap. Alamo, Avis, and Hertz have been advertising cheap deals ranging from $17 to $19 a day, before junk fees, if you can help them fill a need.
The rental companies are looking for people willing to move their vehicles from the Northeast and Midwest to Florida in time for peak vacation season.
It’s certainly to their benefit because otherwise they’d have to fly paid employees out to do the same work. There may also be similar deals to reposition cars from the West to vacation destinations like Arizona and Southern California.
Visit Alamo.com, Avis.com, and Hertz.com to track down the deals.
About the Author