Are there any cards that can be used just for gas and not anything else in the store? We don't have just gas stations around here, just convient store with gas pumps. I want a gas card that can only be used for gasoline!
My mom and hubby work at the same place/ same hours. We only have one vehicle so she has been picking him up and dropping him off to and from work. She called on Sunday and said that she cant afford to drive the extra 10 miles a day ( We live 5 miles from her) gas is costing her too much and she doesn't have any money this week. She is flat broke until her next check in two weeks. She wants $100 a week to fill her explorer. I told her that I would give her $50 a week but Im not filling her tank every week since she drives to the same place and only 40 miles a week on us out of her way. Even though $50 is filling her tank. We offered for her to drop her explorer off here and take our van since I normally don't need it and our van is so much better on gas... $20 worth will get him back and forth to work every week. He use to drive and this is what it cost him. She said she doesn't want to do that. So whatever, Im not going to argue.. its her vehicle, I understand. Plus I don't have a problem paying her to take hubby to work even though its costing more than it would if he drove because its leaving me with the convience of having the van if I need it.
But here is the problem.... My hubby gave my mom $50 this morning for gas. He calls me at lunch and told me that she had brought her lunch with her but after he paid her she went to the store and bought donuts for everyone for first break and then went and bought lunch at Dairy Queen for her and my brother ( who also works there). It took almost all of the money he gave her and she didn't put any of it towards gas. She is an adult.. she can do what she wants with her money, if she doesn't have any money for the next two weeks and runs out.. too bad. But she said she needed the money for gas to pick up my hubby so I would like to make sure that from now on it goes towards gas so she can't come back and say oh well the gas level is low and I need more since she didn't use it for what it was suppose to go to.
I know it may sound like Im being petty.. but I know my mom and I know how she works and I know this will happen or come up in the future. I would just like to make sure what we are paying her for is going where its suppose to.
** For me to drive him to my mom's we would have to leave here 3:45, even though the kids will be sleeping I dont want to do that. Plus I get home from work anywhere between 10pm-2 am. So no I don't want to get up at 3:45 on the days I get home at 2am. To pick him up well that doesnt work either because then I wont be here when the kids get home from school. So the $50 is worth it to us.
Lol Denise P. That is what Im asking for. No there is no way I would give anyone ( family or not) an open ended card. It would be a reloadable card/ gift card that we can put $$ on each week. We were thinking two differnt things...
Perfect solution is for your husband to ask her to stop at the gas station on the way home one day a week when she is close to empty. That should be about $50 for most cars. Then you don't have to give her a card or money and you know she'll have enough gas to pick up your husband for work :)
Excellent question. You are NOT being petty and I support you. Next time, he can go put $50 in her tank after work.
Well...think about it. If she wants (accepts) $50/week and you give it to her, then your husband is guaranteed a ride and what she does with the money is up to her.
For someone you don't trust that much--are you planning on GIVING her the gas credit card (sounds like it if you want to make sure she can't use it on anything else) or using it yourself (bad idea, she'll see that as a cash cow!).
How about this idea? You drive your husband the 5 miles to your mom's place in the morning.
OR, like another poster said--gas up the Explorer yourself (or have your husband do it).
Sounds like there's a lot more going on here....$50/week for $50 miles seems a bit high.
*ETA* after your So What Happened. I still think you'd be nuts to give a gas credit card to someone who has proven that she is irresponsible with financial planning. Can you get her $50 gas gift cards each week?
Yes prepaid gas cards exist. I just typed "prepaid gas cards" into google and a bunch of options popped up. However, knowing your mother the way you do, I would probably just forget giving her money and have your husband take the van and meet her at her place in the morning so she doesn't have to go out of her way to get him.
Like the others, I also don't think you're being petty. $50 per week is a lot of money. I like the idea of you driving your hubby to her house every morning. If you can't do that, I think the $50 is fine. I would give her the money and let her do as she pleases with it, but the very first time she asks for more gas money (after having gotten the $50 for the week) I would tell her no and have my hubby drive himself to work. As for a car, you could rent a small car one day per week for about $30 and do all your errands, etc. on that day. That, together with your husband's expenditure of $20 for gas, still keeps you in line with what you're paying your mother!
We use gift cards from mobile to track our gasoline usage vs a credit card. We get an allowance each based on our standard usage and current cost (plus a buffer) and bonus what's left over just rolls into next month's.
I know there are gas stations that have gift cards (I beleive Cumberland Farms does) , but the cards can also be used in their convenience stores.
I would recommend having them (mom and hubby) stop at the gas station on a specified day each week and he can get out and pump and pay for the gas.
