Gas Apps Help Save On Thanksgiving Travel

Gasoline prices have soared just as the holiday travel season has begun. About a third of Americans will be driving this Thanksgiving.

AAA marked the average price of regular gas is now more than $3.40. It's even higher in the West, with California's average topping $4.70. 

"The gas prices are extremely high, but sometimes I travel to different cities to get the best prices I can get," one driver said.

One way people are trying to cut their fuel costs is by using apps that tell motorists how to find the lowest gas prices. 

GasBuddy is the most popular. The company says it's been downloaded 100 million times.

It works through crowdsourcing. People add per-gallon costs and locations, with the company saying it provides real-time gas prices at more than 150,000 stations. 

GasBuddy also offers cash-back deals and has a payment card. 

Gas Guru is a little different in that its data comes not from other drivers but from the Oil Price Information Service. It's owned by Dow Jones. 

Gas Guru also can tell you where to find auto repair shops, car washes, ATMs and 24-hour restaurants. 

A third app to consider is Waze, which is owned by Google. Many people use Waze to navigate around road construction, avoid traffic jams and spot police. But Waze shows you the closest gas stations and prices too. 

Those are just a few of the apps out there designed to save you money — and they're free. Check them out on various app stores.