Cheaper gas prices may be around the corner

Don’t drive willy-nilly into the same gas station every time without checking its prices. Consider this a prod: In eras when gasoline prices are relatively low(like now), motorists are likely to overspend, according to an analysis by GasBuddy.com. That’s because there’s a bigger price spread among gas stations than during highpriced-gas eras.

Example: The analysis found a 62-cent-per-gallon price gap between the most expensive and cheapest gas stations in Miami during the first three months of this year— meaning100 gallonswould cost an unlucky customer whowent to the wrong station an extra $62.

It can help to check price-comparisonwebsites (or apps) such as GasBuddy.com or Geico.com’s tool. The latter, for instance, recently deemed $2.21 per gallon the cheapest gas in or near Fort Lauderdale zip code 33312. Thatwas the going rate at four places: Westar, 701W. Broward Blvd.; Sunshine at 2691 Davie Blvd.; Valero at 1199 W. State Road 84; andMarathon at 1490W. State Road 84.

A search for “Boca Raton” prices at Geico.com returned a recommendation to drive to Deerfield Beach to pay $2.17 per gallon at three places— Shell, 5N. Federal Highway; Speedway, 714 S. Federal Highway; and its neighborMarathon at 710 S. Federal Highway. In Boca, gas priceswere at least 14 cents a gallon higher, according to the tool.

Free cellphone service: Through June 30, Sprint is offering new customers free cellphone service for one year for up to five phone lines, so long as you switch fromVerizon, AT&T or T-Mobile and you already own certain models of phones, according to MoneyTalkNews.com. The deal includes “free calls, texts and unlimited data— a savings of $50 a month for one person or $190 a month (over $2000 a year) for a family of five,” states the article posted at bit.ly/ freehow. See its chart comparing plans at bit.ly/ freesprint. A key downside: Sprint has the lowest customer-service ratings among the big four carriers, according to JDPower.com. Find the deal at sprint.com/1yearfree.

Freebie: Teachers get a free coffee with purchase of any regular-priced item at participating KrispyKreme shops through July 31by showing a valid school employee ID.

Cutting Corners appears on Sundays in Community News. Record a message at 954-356-4759 or email Cutcorner@aol.com.