I love a good deal – who doesn’t? For example, I’ve lost track of how many people I’ve recently told about my new flat top grill I just got from Sam’s Club. It’s a wannabe Blackstone, but the store’s own Member’s Mark brand. Where you could easily spend upwards of $300 on a “real” one, mine usually runs $250. Not much of a savings, except that it was on sale for $80 off so I spent a mere $170! Can you believe it? I had it assembled and seasoned with oil the day I brought it home. Smashed cheeseburgers with bacon, sauteed onions, and super soft griddled brioche buns soon followed.

It's not that I’m constantly clipping coupons or anything, although I do regularly send in my 11% rebates from Menards, but snagging an opportunistic deal at Sam’s Club is usually the extent of it. Their gas is also a great deal. I will wait to fill up if I know I’m going to Sam’s because their gas is regularly $0.20 per gallon cheaper than surrounding stations. But I’m not driving across town like some folks for 5 or 10 cents.

However, this summer’s Amazon Prime Days brought a new perk to my attention. It’s a separate app called Earnify. When paired to your Amazon Prime account, the promotion was offering a staggering dollar off per gallon. While half a tank in my Ford Focus wouldn’t make much use of that, the stupid big tank in the Chevy Trailblazer currently in my care meant over $20 off the total bill!

The app is associated with of a certain family of fuel dealers, so you’ll find yourself driving to a BP (not too hard to find around Bellevue or Papillion), an Amaco, an AM PM, or a Thortons (never heard of it). Earnify shows you what local gas stations are eligible on a map view, and once you arrive, it recognizes your location and prompts you to enter your pump number. The pump is then activated, reflecting the discounted price. This all happens seamlessly in the app so bonus points for the fact that you don’t have to thumb through a half dozen prompts about receipts, car washes, and zip codes. You have to pair a payment method in your phone so no having to swipe a card either.

As you use Earnify, you’ll accumulate points that you can roll back on top of the standing 10 cent per gallon for the Amazon discount. So, for the rest of the summer, I used it here and there, but wouldn’t you know just a couple days ago I had to make a detour as the line at the Sam’s Club pumps was asinine (my one complaint). And lo! As I pulled up Earnify at the 72nd and 370 BP in Papillion, there was another one day only discount of $1 per gallon! I paid $1.69 for the cheap stuff. In Sam’s defense, theirs was $2.46 that same day.

Honestly, if it wasn’t associated with the Prime account, I probably would have written it off as some suspicious gimmick. And even if I’m only using it every few weeks, regular discounts of $0.40 - $1.00 off per gallon make Earnify a smart choice.

Matt Hebert is an engineer and self-published author. His dopamine-fueled creative pursuits have spanned from chicken keeping, sand sculpture, acting, and public speaking, but writing is nearest and dearest to his heart. He lives in Bellevue with his wife and two daughters. You can find him on Instagram at @jerkofalltradeshebert or email him at matt.hebert.books@gmail.com

Opinions expressed by columnists in The Daily Record are not necessarily those of its management or staff, and do not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Any errors or omissions should be called to our attention so that they may be corrected. Contact us at news@omahadailyrecord.com.