Rising gas prices across the country as summer begins and it’s a good time to revisit one of the first apps you downloaded onto your smartphone.

GasBuddy has been around practically since the app stores opened for business helping people find the lowest gas prices in the area by bringing in other GasBuddy users. When someone using the app spots a gas price and updates the app, everyone else will see the updated prices.

Open the GasBuddy app and you’ll instantly be shown recent prices closest to you ranging in lowest to highest along with directions. Like a lot of other people I suspect, my GasBuddy app stopped getting as much use as I started using Google’s Waze app for directions, GPS, traffic information, and gas station directions.

Late last year when gas prices started to peak, I re-installed the GasBuddy app to find new features that remind me of why I downloaded it in the first place way back when.

Millions of people do use the GasBuddy app every day to report prices at the pump so I found what is shown in the app is accurate. I like how I can search for best prices before I leave the house or office without needing to run my GPS for directions. I also find GasBuddy’s new ‘predictor” to be helpful when I have about a half a tank and see that prices have been going up for the past few days. By opening the predictor, GasBuddy shows an indication of what gas prices may do within the 24-48 hours.

In the past year or so GasBuddy has pivoted to give its users information about the inside of gas station and convenience stores. Want to find out what snacks are available? Want to know about the restrooms?

One of the best features in the GasBuddy app came along last December when the company launched “Trips” which pinpoints any habits drivers can change to increase mileage. This is one of my pet peeves. During a gas spike a few years ago I decided to sloooow down, stop accelerating quickly and slowing down before I needed to step on the brakes. On a long road trip, I drove 65mph or less on the interstate. The drive took about an hour longer than usual but I added over 120 miles to the normal tank which, with the 16 mpg I usually get in my truck, I saved a half-a-tank of gas.

By taking the tips from the GasBuddy’s “Trips” monitor, you’ll save more at the pump than you would if you drove across town to save 5-cents a gallon.

All in all, I’ve found that the GasBuddy app is worth the screen space on my phone, even if I’m using Waze or Google Maps that list prices at nearby stations.

Every Memorial Day I make sure GasBuddy has a prominent place on my smartphone home screen and if you haven’t taken it along for a ride in a long time, it’s worth re-visiting.

www.gasbuddy.com