First Fuel Banks

We don't often think of commodity trading as something tangible. Most people trading corn, gold, or oil are trading to make a profit; not to end up with giant stockpiles of corn in their garages. However, I recently stumbled upon First Fuel Banks, a gas station which merges with the commodities market.

Source: First Fuel Bank

With their Prepaid Locked Accounts, customers can purchase gasoline in bulk at a rate based on the current market price. This allows customers to lock in fuel prices. Hypothetically, if someone pre-purchased enough gas, they could potentially be filling their tanks at a rate much lower than gas costs today (in 1992 gas peaked at $1.23 per gallon).

It's rare to see such a clear link between commodity trading and individual consumption. This sort of arrangement has the potential to become much more popular. Who knows, maybe we'll start to see couples buying gold by the ounce to save for future jewelry.