Sunday, January 02, 2005
18 Tips for Saving Money on Gasoline
Gas prices are on the rise again! Here are some tips to help you
conserve gas and save money as we approach summer gas prices.
1. Keep your car tuned up. Cars in poor running condition use
more gasoline.
2. Plan trips well to avoid unnecessary driving.
3. When you run your air conditioner you get much worse gas
mileage. Use your air conditioner sparingly. If you have a lower
setting, use it. Turn it on until the car gets cool, then turn
it off and let the fan circulate the cool air. Never run your
air conditioner with your windows open!
4. Keep your windows closed when traveling at high speeds. Open
windows cause additional drag and lower your gas mileage. At
high speeds, an open window can use more gas than many air
conditioners (especially if they are on a low setting).
5. Check your tire pressure. Over-inflated tires can actually
reduce your fuel efficiency, so don't overfill.
6. If at all possible, change your work start time to avoid
gridlock. Stop and go traffic hurts your gas mileage.
7. Take unneeded items out of the car. You don't need to carry
snow chains around with you in the summertime. Just make sure to
put them back in when winter comes around.
8. Try not to idle your engine for long periods of time. If you
are stuck in traffic and you don't think you are going to go
anywhere in the next five minutes, you may want to turn your car
off.
9. You no longer need to warm your car up for long periods of
time, especially new cars. New cars are made to run when cold.
10. Don't travel at fast speeds in low gears unless you need the
compression to slow down.
11. Try to drive the speed limit.
12. Try to accelerate slowly when leaving the stop light. It's
not a competition with the driver in the lane next to you. The
fastest person through the intersection just gets to spend more
on gas.
13. No need to buy the highest priced gasoline. Most cars are
built to run on regular unleaded. Check you owners manual or
consult a mechanic. I have had many tell me that the more
expensive gas is a waste of money.
14. Revving the engine needlessly wastes gas. There is no need
to rev before you turn your vehicle off.
15. If at all possible, try to arrange car pools with co-workers
to share the cost of commuting to work.
16. Walk, bike or run to your intended location whenever
possible.
17. When the price is sky high, don't fill up. Wait for the
price to go down before you fill up your tank. Filling up your
tank when the price is peaking lets gas companies know that you
are willing to pay ridiculous prices for gasoline.
18. And last, the biggest and most important step towards saving
money on gas is always try to purchase vehicles that get good
gas mileage. The difference between 20 miles-per-gallon and 40
miles-per-gallon is huge.
About the Author:
Fisher Swanson is a regular contributer to The
ThriftyFun.com News. ThriftyFun publishes information about thrifty living. Send an email to thriftyfunnews-on@thriftyfun.com to subscribe to TheThriftyFun.com News.
