One of the key things I look for when I find an app is, “How will this save me money?”  This helps me justify the cost of my data plan and monthly cell phone bill.  Gas buddy is one of my go-to apps.

Image from https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gbis.gbandroid

Gas buddy helps me plan out when I am going to get gas and where.   It works via crowd sourcing, so everyone who has the app can update the prices while they are at the gas station.  You can sort by price or distance.   My wife was at an away swim meet with my daughter.  She called her gas buddy (me) to find out where the gas was cheapest.  (Despite having the app on her phone she calls me).  I found it was $2.60 near her and $2.39 at a station on her way home.   $0.21/gallon x 20 gallons = $4.20 saved in one setting!

It also will alert me when gas will be going up, so that I can go on my lunch hour to fill up.  This app alone saves me over $500 a year and it is free to download on Android and Apple.

(speedometer image from shutterstock.com)