North Raleigh Today

As gas prices hit another record in North Carolina Monday, it’s no surprise that people are looking for ways to pay less. Some are thinking a club membership might be worth it.

Caswell Spencer, a Raleigh driver, said he uses Gas Buddy and it showed that a warehouse club offered gas for 25 cents per gallon less than the price at many stations.

"I was looking at Gas Buddy earlier and it was $4.59 everywhere else but it was $4.34 here,” Spencer said, speaking about one of the warehouse clubs, in a WTVD report Tuesday. "So, it makes me feel like I'm getting a little bit of a deal.” 

The average price of gas was $4.52 per gallon across the state Monday, the highest average price ever.

While BJ’s, Sam’s Club and Costco have lower prices at the pump, those savings come with a hidden cost: membership fees at the outlet. That is something worth taking into consideration, too, as you shop around for the best deals.

Spencer said he considers himself fortunate because he has a decent-paying job. “I can't even imagine what people are doing who were having a tough time before this all happened,” he said.

It all comes down to how much a person drives, what their long-term savings would be, and whether it’s worth the price of paying for a membership. Meanwhile, even those who buy gas at the discounted prices, are looking for other ways to shell out money less often.

Costco member Wanda Moore said the lower prices help, but even that’s not enough to let her feel free to drive around the country at will.

”It helps, but I'm fortunate that I don't have to drive every day because I am retired so hopefully this will last me more than a week so if I have to go somewhere, I live in an area where I can walk to Target and walk to the mall,” Moore said.