What in the world different does it make ? If you need fuel you will pay what ever it is. I have given up on thinking what the price of fuel is and fill up when necessary. Nothing you or I can do to change this but complain. I see it all the time a person go's around to different gas stations to save a few cents and burns up more fuel looking for what they can save. Just what are they saving? What you pay in Texas doesn't make one bit of different as to what I pay in NY. I pay for my fuel by the month with a gas card, one brand, and don't look at what I paid for a gallon of gas.
Not saying there is anything wrong with your approach. What works for you works for you and that's what matters.
As previously mentioned, I use Gasbuddy and get recent pricing for the stations in my area. With a simple glance, I know where the better prices are and from there decide if driving a few miles is worth saving $0.15 per gallon. For fillups, you bet it is. We pay cash (saves more since store/credit prices are on average $0.07 per gallon higher).
That method works for us.
...and no, I do not own stock in Gasbuddy. Just a very useful tool. I planned a 1200 one-way trip and found stations just a mile from the highway that were $0.25 cents less per gallon than the stations near the highway. I won't just pay whatever it is they feel like charging... not when I can save money like that.