Some of Hawaii’s previously cheap Russian oil ended up as jet fuel for Hawaii travel. Read about Costco Gas on your Hawaii vacation.
Some of Hawaii’s previously cheap Russian oil ended up as jet fuel for Hawaii travel. Read about Costco Gas on your Hawaii vacation.
I seldom get Costco gas due to the lines. If I went on a week day about 1030 and the lines weren’t bad I’d get some. If not I’d shop first then look as I was leaving, but still if there’s anymore than 1 at the pump, I leave. My time is worth more than the nickel a gallon I may save. And it rarely makes sense to go out of my way for gas. When one considers their time and the cost per mile on their vehicle, you spend more than you can possibly save. You need to add at least 35 cents per mile to the fuel cost, which most people forget. So let’s say your cpm on gas is 25 cpm, plus the 35 cpm for the car, maintainance, and insurance. Which is a very low estimate, your cpm is 60, so if you drive just 10 miles out of route RT, it costs $6 extra
I did the Costco in Honolulu once. The lines were backed out to the street! Never again. Too many other options that aren’t a 20-30 minute wait to get to the pumps.
Good Morning Guys-
Here in California gas for the past week has been $5.99, at Costco $5.69. Not worth the eight mile round trip to Costco for us. Maybe due for a trip to the islands?
As always we enjoy your post so thank you!
Hi Jeanne.
Thanks for sharing that. Here in Hawaii, compared with the nearby no line gas station, Costco is 24 cents less, and the line, except at night, is very long.
Aloha.
Plus, if you use your Costco credit card, you get an additional discount. We use our Costco card for everything. We usually get over a thousand dollars back for all the discounts we get for using the card.
This article is applicable to Costco gas Everywhere, not just Hawaii.
“Times are a changin”
As they say – “time is money”
If/when we get back – we will no longer assume Costco is worth the trip for food OR gas. It costs far too much money and takes far too much time to get to Hawaii only to spend it in a line at Costco for groceries OR gas.
HOPING for a 2023 visit. We shall see.
Aloha and thanks for the tips and info
Hi Colleen.
Thanks. Great to hear you plan on returning soon. We look forward to seeing you guys!
Aloha.
I just took a road trip in California and entertained the idea of using Costco, until I saw the lines were six deep. Turns out it was only a 15c difference to other options, which is about $3 for a tank. There is such a thing as time value of money and I’m not spending an extra half hour to save 3 bucks. I’m guessing a lot of people in that Costco line haven’t done the math.
Of course you might add that the Costco Visa is free, and offers an annual rebate on gas purchases of 4%. Plus, their gas pumps are monitored daily for credit card skimmers.
Hi Terry.
True. We also didn’t add to the equation that Costco membership ranges from $60 to $120 annually. It was a more basic look at gas prices and the fact that the prior big savings at Costco Gas are simply no longer there.
Aloha.
And on that, you get 2% back and it pays for your membership. Costco VISA (citi bank) gives you 4% back on gas.
Totally agree. Plus the attendants actually work. They provide assistance if needed, clean and check the pumps & patrol the lanes. I feel safer using Costco pumps. Plus the gas is top tier as mentioned earlier.
Costco is convenient to airport, early flights no line, already have costco card as on Kaua’i costco is a goto and they take all debit cards. Oh and filling up an escalade or a suburban, anything helps.
Seeing the other posters, totally agree on Oahu. The Station right by the Car Rental return is my favorite but only for topping up. Plenty of better deals in Honolulu if you avoid Waikiki and the tourist spots.
Great point. I stopped using Costco gas 6 months ago when lines were longer than 30 minutes. Gas in California is about $6.50 for Memorial Day. Politicians promised to temporarily reduce or suspend gas taxes, however seems they are waiting until the fall election to attempt to bribe voters.
Thank you for this interesting article and advice. We are in Southern CA and have also seen the big price advantage that Costco used to have shrink. Around here it was a 40 to 50 cent per gallon difference at the beginning of this year. Now it is 10 cents. Appreciate the tips for other gas stations. Looking forward to seeing your beautiful state for the first time later this year.
Hi Betty.
Thanks for sharing how it is working in CA. We look forward to welcoming you!
Aloha.