Bolling: Charge Ahead With MasterCard

"Fill, Cash, Regular." Those words are becoming more difficult for me to say to the gas station attendant for a fill-up. I would gladly pump my own gas to save a few cents per gallon of liquid gold, but the law requires someone else to do it for me in New Jersey.

After spending the first few years of my post-baseball career working for Mobil Oil as a marketing representative, I learned that the added octane of premium blends is not worth the higher price. So I use "regular" unleaded. My only exception: when premium gas (not mid-grade) is within 5 or 6 cents per gallon higher than regular unleaded.

I just hate the fact that I leased a Range Rover Sport that guzzles gas the way my 9-year-old swigs Gatorade. I am in the service station at least once a week. At a combined 10 miles per gallon, a 20-gallon tank, a 20-mile commute to Manhattan and a weekend at the beach, I spend entirely too much time at the gas station. So I'd rather "Fill" rather than come back sooner than necessary.

Now, the interesting part: "Cash." Who carries this kind of cash around anymore? I am absolutely bewildered when the attendant asks me for payment. It's like 80 bucks! "Are you kidding?" I never, ever used a credit card for gas. I always paid cash. Not anymore. I now use the old plastic.

We have been used to dropping $20 or $30 in the gas station, but now we are approaching a C-Note for gas -- just wild! That makes the decision to use plastic easier.