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August 23, 2005
Saving Money on Gas
Flexo's post on Consumerism Commentary underscores something that we all know already. Gas is getting expensive!
For most of us, trading in our cars for a hybrid isn't a reasonable option (yet!), so here are some things you can do to help save a few bucks at the pumps.
Check the tires. If your tires are under-inflated, more of the tire is touching the road. So your car has to work harder to keep it moving. That adds up to more gas used. Plus, your tires will wear out faster.
Empty out the trunk. It's the same concept: more weight means more work for the car. Which means more gas. If you're carrying around something heavy and don't need to be, take it out!
Slow it down! At highway speeds, the slower you go, the more miles you get per gallon of gas.
Along those lines, accelerate and decelerate gently. The harder you have to hit the brakes, the more energy is wasted that could have been used to keep you moving. Anticipate stops and take your foot off the gas ahead of time.
Use the air conditioner sparingly. An AC takes considerable energy to run, which comes straight out of your gas tank. However, at higher speeds, it may be more efficient to turn the air on low and keep your windows closed, due to the extra drag created.
Keep your car's maintenance schedule. Besides extending the life of your car, regular maintenace (oil, air filters, spark plugs, etc.) will keep it running efficiently.
Posted by Frank at August 23, 2005 8:56 AM
Comments
Posted by: pantrygirl
at August 23, 2005 10:31 AM
Another way to save on gas is to get a credit card from the oil company. My wife & I use a Shell credit card, and it refunds us 5% of all gas purchases (as long as they're at Shell stations, that is). Along with the 1% rebate on all other purchases, it's a pretty sweet card.
But since I'm talking about credit cards, I must mention that you should *NEVER* carry a balance on your credit card. The rebate is great for lowering the bill a bit ($20-$30 for us in most cases), but finance charges and interest are a waste of money.
I know Frank has said things along these lines before, but I hesitate to recommend using a credit card without adding a caveat like this.
By the way, I recently bought my wife a Prius, but that is not itself enough of a cost-cutting move for the conscientious spender. We still keep all of these tips in mind to save pennies where possible despite the excellent mileage.
Posted by: herr_theoretiker
at August 23, 2005 3:06 PM
I would also like to add something I have never seen mentioned - for those of us who pay at the pump or use old-fashioned pumps: once you get the "click" that you are full - do NOT replace the nozzle, leave it in your tank. DO flip the little "door" (the one the nozzle hits when you replace it) with your hand. This will shut off the flow of gasoline. Now, continue pumping to release the quart or so of gasoline that was trapped in the hose, that you paid for but the next person would have gotten free! This is NOT the same as "topping off".
Posted by: Greta
at August 29, 2005 1:51 PM
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» How to cut your fuel costs from frugal underground
Gas prices are going up and as a result, many people are sharing their tips for cutting fuel costs. Why am I bothering to add another post on the topic? Well, I’ve yet to see all of these tips in the same post. I’m going to attempt to c... [Read More]
Tracked on August 24, 2005 9:18 AM
Ah-ha!
So I'm not crazy for turning off the air conditioner when the Gas tank is beyond low.
Wait until my husband hears this.