The Worst Day of the Week to Buy Gas

If you are trying to save money on gas — and who isn’t these days? — avoid filling up on a Thursday. That is the worst day of the week to head to the pump if you are trying to cut costs, according to a study.

The analysis by GasBuddy — which provides real-time gas price information at more than 150,000 stations — found that during 2021, Thursday was “the most expensive day of the week by far” to fill up in 28 states.

Studies in previous years found the weekend days to be the most costly. But Thursday took the crown in 2021, followed by Wednesday at No. 2.

By contrast, Monday is the best day to fill up if you are looking for a bargain. The first day of the week consistently offered the cheapest prices in 17 states last year. Monday also took the same honor in GasBuddy’s 2017, 2018 and 2019 studies.

Against all expectations, Friday is also a great day to find cheap gas. As recently as 2019, Friday was among the most expensive days of the week to fill up, but that changed in 2021.

GasBuddy looked at gas price data from the GasBuddy app from Jan. 1 of last year through Dec. 16.

In a press release, Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, says:

“Though there is variation in daily gas prices across different states, the consensus is that filling up at the beginning or end of the work week, on Monday or Friday, is the best way to save money. Following Monday, Sunday is the cheapest day to fill-up.”

How to cut the cost of gas

Turning to GasBuddy itself is one way to cut the cost of filling up. The app helps you locate the cheapest gas stations in your area at any given time. GasBuddy also offers rewards to those who join its GasBack program.

But using GasBuddy is just a start. There are many other things you can do — or stop doing — to trim your fuel costs.

For more tips on keeping your gas costs low, check out “8 Bad Driving Habits That Cost You at the Gas Pump.”