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How To Save Money On Gas
By: Jodie Merrington iSnare Expert Author
Gas prices just keep going up, and our wallets keep decreasing in size. This
how-to will teach you many ways to save money at the local gas station.
Steps
1. Take out a credit card. Some credit cards offer gas savings when you use the
card for purchases. This works in much the same way that some credit card
companies give you frequent flyer miles when you use their card for purchases.
2 Get a gas membership card. Look for membership benefits. In addition,
department and grocery stores give discounts at the fuel pump when you use their
store membership cards. Shopping at Giant Eagle grocery store and using their
membership card, it’s possible (at the time of this writing) to fill a car’s
tank for .79 cents a gallon, with savings of $1.36 per gallon.
3. Give your car a good tune up. While giving your car a tune up won’t actually
save you money at the pump, it will save you in gas. Using less gas saves you
money over all. Have the oil changed, and have a certified mechanic give your
engine a twice over.
4. Check the WWW for deals. Web sites let you find the best deals in your area.
5. Buy a hybrid car. Not only do hybrid cars give you immediate savings at the
pump, the U.S. government and your local state offer tax breaks for people that
use gas saving cars. Federal deductions for using gas saving cars can be as high
as $2000. If you can’t afford the growing number of hybrid cars out there,
consider getting a regular car with good MPG (miles per gallon), like the Toyota
Echo.
6. Turn off the AC. Running the car’s air conditioning puts extra strain on your
car’s engine. This translates into you car eating up more gas per mile. Use less
gas, save money. Depending on the car you drive, at highway speeds, the AC might
put less drag on your car than if all the windows are open. Therefore, you might
want to keep it cool on the highway.
7. Use the cheaper stuff. Most modern cars run just as well with the cheap gas
as they do with the more expensive gas. In fact, engineers assume the car buyer
is going to use the cheap gas, and so, they design the car’s engine accordingly.
8. Don’t fill the tank when prices are higher. Gas suppliers and gas station
owners can charge high prices for gas because they know people will pay for it.
The owners monitor how much gas people are putting into their cars each day. If
they hike up the price a few cents and people are still filling up their tanks,
this tells the owners that people are willing to pay the high price. Adding only
a few gallons to your car when prices are high sends a message to the owners
that people are not happy about the high prices.
9. Don’t drive. Don’t drive when you don’t absolutely have to. Carpooling,
walking, taking the bus, and riding a bike not only saves you gas, but these are
better for the environment and may be better for your health. Do you really need
to drive to the store when it is only a couple of blocks down the street?
10. Check the tire air pressures weekly. Buy an inexpensive manual air pump and
an accurate tire gauge (not a pencil gauge as they are not accurate). Keep all
tires inflated to the same pressure as recommended for your car but not for your
tire. Go by the sticker on the doorframe and not the tire wall.
11. Drive at a consistent speed and keep the windows up tight. Keeping the
windows closed reduces the drag on your car. Sticking to the speed limit also
helps. So, will using less gear changes and revving the engine less. Avoid
accelerating fast or braking suddenly. Use cruise control when you can.
12. Clean out any unnecessary items in your car. If you have heavy objects in
your car that you don’t need - remove them. If your car is lighter, it will use
less fuel to get you to where you’re going.
13. Avoid leaving your car idle. If you are going to be stopped for more than
one minute, you will save gas by turning the car off and restarting when you are
ready to go.
14. Buy on cold days. Buy fuel on cold days and if you can, drive on the hot
days. When you buy on cold days, and pay for volume, you buy more “mass” of fuel
for the same price. Never fill the tank completely or it will overflow when it
becomes hotter.
About the Author:
Jodie Merrington is the webmaster of Fort Cash which a which is a one-stop
research center for all the very latest resources and articles cash related. For
more details please visit http://www.fortcash.com |
