ATLANTA — AAA expects more than 38 million people to hop in the car this weekend to drive to their Memorial Day weekend destination.
There's been slight relief at the gas pumps, but every dollar consumers can save matters. 11Alive will VERIFY if it's worth getting a wholesale membership -- like Costco or Sam's Club -- to save on gas prices.
THE QUESTION
Is it worth getting a wholesale membership to save on gas prices?
OUR SOURCES
THE ANSWER
Yes, it is worth getting a wholesale membership to save on gas prices.
WHAT WE FOUND
11Alive examined the facts and looked at the numbers. First, we looked at which counties in our area even have a Costco or Sam’s Club. Then, we gathered our data points. The lowest membership cost for Costco is $60 a year while Sam's Club is $50.
We looked at the club membership average costs for gas in each county and AAA's list of average gas prices. Then we compared the difference when filling up with a Costco or Sam's Club membership.
Our sum for filling up a tank of gas was based off of 14 gallons.
Below is a map that shows the average gas prices.
And this map shows the membership gas prices when filling up.
We found that in Fulton County, a membership saves you the most in the area. Given that the average tank is 14 gallons – a membership saves you about $6.22, based on current averages. That means you would need to fill up about eight or nine times to get your membership money back.
However, in DeKalb County, right now a membership saves you about $2.10 each time you fill up. That means, you'd need to fill up between 23 and 28 times to get your fee back, depending on which membership you have.
Regardless though, AAA estimates that most Americans will fill up their tank anywhere between 45 and 55 times a year on average.
So, yes, we can VERIFY that it is worth getting a wholesale membership to save on gas prices.
The chart below shows the comparisons for some of the areas we examined.