Tips to Save Gas

Gas prices are slowly, but surely, heading higher much to the chagrin of all of us. In this article, we take a look at a few tips to save gas and save your wallet as well!

Gasoline prices were obscenely high in early 2008. The Great Recession temporarily brought the prices low, but they are starting to rise again. From demand problems to speculative investors, there is little doubt that the prices at the pump are going to continue to go up. There isn’t really much you can do about it other than to try to save gas. Here are a few tips to help you do so and save some money.

Tips

The number one tip is a simple one you should already be doing. Get your car in shape! The car should be tuned up, have the proper pressure in the tires and be clean. Taking these simple steps can improve the mileage you get by nearly 10 percent. Turning off the air conditioner in the summer can make a huge difference as well.

The second tip is to make your life more efficient. Seriously. Take a moment to think about your day. How many times do you jump in the car to go run an errand? If you keep a notepad in the car of all your trips, you’ll be shocked. Try making a list of things you need done the night before and do everything in a minimum of trips. Not driving is the best way to save gas.

Let’s look at your driving next. Most of us drive in cities. This means stopping at lights continually. That doesn’t really impact your gas level, but it does when you continually roar away from the light only to stop again a couple blocks down the road. You get between 5 and 10 miles to the gallon when you accelerate hard off the line. Take it easier and you’ll stop sucking gas down.

The faster you go, the more resistance your vehicle has to overcome. Your car requires over 20 percent more gas to go 70 versus 55. Pick a happy medium. Cruise along at 60 and relax a bit. Your destination will still be there even if you arrive a few minutes later.

Keep an eye on your feet. Do you brakes need replacing a lot? This may be because you ride the brake pedal. You might not realize it, but might drive with a foot slightly on the brake pedal. This causes the brake to slightly engage. It ruins your miles per gallon and also ends up costing you a ton in brake repairs.

Are you a packrat? You should watch an auto race, particularly an open wheel version such as Formula One or Indy Car. The teams endlessly discuss the fact that excess weight impacts performance. If your car looks like a storage bin, you need to clean it out. The excess weight will require your engine to work harder and use more fuel. Much more.

The above represents just a few tips to save gas. Most are common sense. Keep your car in good shape, stop driving with a lead foot and you should notice you are saving a ton of gas. 

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