Yesterday we shared the news that gas prices聽, giving us the distinction of having the most expensive gas in all of North America.
Nobody likes to pay more for anything, especially in the housing crunch we鈥檙e in right now where the City is that they consider $1,750 to be 鈥渁ffordable鈥� rent for a one bedroom apartment.
It鈥檚 an age-old tradition for people in the Lower Mainland to travel to Blaine and Bellingham, just across the border, to fill up on 鈥渃heap鈥� gas. As long as that鈥檚 been going there have been people saying that you鈥檒l burn more gas getting there and back than you鈥檒l end up saving.
That鈥檚 not true.
According to , the lowest gas price in Bellingham today is $2.71USD/gallon. Let鈥檚 call the average $2.80USD to be fair.
That amounts to $3.63 in Canadian currency per gallon, or 96 cents per litre. That鈥檚 54 Canadian cents per litre less than what gas costs in Vancouver.
If you鈥檝e got a 50 litre tank like I have, you鈥檇 save $27 Canadian dollars filling it up at a Bellingham pump.
However if your vehicle gets 10l/100km gas mileage it鈥檒l cost you $14.78 Canadian to drive the 154km from downtown 麻豆传媒映画to the Arco at 1197 Slater Rd in Bellingham, and back. In the end you鈥檒l wind up saving a grand total of $12.22.
As I type this, Google Maps is telling me it would take 1 hour and 9 minutes to drive to that Bellingham Arco. That鈥檚 not counting the minimum half hour wait at the border. So let鈥檚 say you drove there, fuelled up, then immediately turned around and drove back. Let鈥檚 call it three hours.
How much is your time worth? More than $4.07 per hour? If not, head to Bellingham for 鈥渃heap鈥� gas.
Or better yet, make a day trip down there. Head to the mall, drive the coastline and check out the antique shops, stop at Trader Joe鈥檚, and as a byproduct of a fun road trip you can stop for gas and get a price break. A straight shot there and back might not be worth it, but an adventure could be.
