Timing Your Gas Purchases Can Really Cut Costs in South Dakota

When is it cheapest to fill your gas tank in South Dakota? To find the answer, you might want to keep a calendar handy.

Nobody likes paying extra at the gas pump, but choosing the right day to fill up can save you money.

An analysis from GasBuddy looked at gas prices over the past year and discovered that picking the right day at the pump could save you some serious cash over the long term.

The report found that in most states, prices gradually rise through the week before easing into the weekend.

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That's the case in South Dakota, where the study found that Saturday is the cheapest day to fill up. It's the same for Kansas, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming.

Thursday is the most expensive day to buy gas in the Mount Rushmore State.

So how much of a difference is there?

Buying gas on the cheapest day versus the most expensive one can save drivers up to 9 cents per gallon, but in some states, the gap between peak and trough can reach 45 cents.

The average price for a gallon of regular this week was about $2.92 nationwide, according to GasBuddy’s live tracker. Prices ranged from $2.22 in Oklahoma to $4.57 in California, the highest in the lower 48.

GasBuddy identified the best days in each state by analyzing statewide average gas prices over the past year and normalizing them within each week to uncover consistent weekday pricing patterns independent of seasonal trends.

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