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Here in L.A. CA, prices are rising close to $4 a gallon. Soon I expect to see $5. I see big name stations (Mobil, 76 Union, Shell) at $3.50 to $3.80 for Unleaded and up to $3.98 per gallon for premium in the San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Valley and Orange County. I haven't seen any prices higher than that but if I were to go through Beverly Hills or Brentwood I'm sure I'd see it over $5 a gallon. There are some stations in such expensive neighborhoods, that offer full service so you don't have to get out of your car, at easily twice the normal rate, so that would be about $8/gal. these days.
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Costco generally offers the cheapest price, at or less than private stations that charge the least. Plus, you have to use your Costco membership card at the pump to buy gas with a Visa card (pump requires both cards, first one then the second card) and at the end of the year you get a 2% refund on all your purchases. Their Unleaded (87 octane) price right now is 3.299/gal and then you get back 2% of that or 0.066 per gallon, making it net $3.23/gal. That's less than the cheapest stations which are presently $3.28/gal. You save around 5 cents a gallon at Costco, but you get to wait a year for the nickle AND you get to wait in line behind 7 or 8 cars in any one of 6 lanes, 12 pumps (50 cars waiting for gas at each Costco, takes up to 12 minutes).
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We recently endured another state gas tax, this one with an excuse to repair roads. Duuuh. There is ALREADY tax money supposedly collected to repair roads but they manage to spend it on something else. So there's nothing protecting this new tax from being spent otherwise too. More Communism.
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Before the new gas tax kicked in, Costco was at $3.069 (less 2% in 12 months). So the tax raised it 23 cents a gallon.
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When I see the vastly cheaper prices for gas in other states, I think, "You guys complain but you don't know how good you have it."
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