Boosting your mileage and saving on gas during tough times: Feature Article
When times are tough filling the gas tank can be hard. It is hard on the wallet, and in some cases it means having to use a credit card to be able to afford the high prices. The following is a look at some of the things you can do to boost your gas mileage, or save on gas during tough times.
First, let's look at ways to use less gas:
Using less gas is the best way to save on gas when times are tough. Besides helping your car get better fuel economy, which we will look at later, here are some ideas for using less gas.
Drive less, if you live within a mile of your destination, walk to it, you may have to leave a few minutes earlier, and wear more comfortable shoes, but you will save money. You can extend this concept to further destinations by riding a bike, ride the bus or other public transit, or you could even join a carpool so that you do not have to drive as often. In addition to using alternative methods to driving, plan your errand running, etc. better so you do not have to go out and drive as often. Combine errand running, and make lists so you never forget anything causing you to go back.
If you can do so easily, reduce your commute by moving closer to work or working closer to home. If you have a work that lets you work from home on occasion, take advantage of that option.
Park in the first spot you find, even if it is not the closest spot. Walking will do you good, and it will mean less gas from sitting idle waiting for a spot to open up.
Now let's look at ways to save at the pump:
Gas prices are not negotiable, but there are some ways to save money at the pump.
Find good prices by using websites dedicated to helping you find good prices, such as gasbuddy.com, GasPriceWatch.com, GasPricesRelief.com etc. These sites often tell you the station with the best price in your area, and some allow you to sign up for text message updates. Also, if you worry more about price then brand you can save a lot. If you are buying the same octane, there is very little difference between brands, except for those that add cleaning agents to their gas.
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Use a fuel with the lowest required octane. Low-octane "regular" gas is usually all that is required, and it costs less. Octane is a rating of the fuel's resistance to engine-damaging pre-ignition in high-performance engines. Chances are you drive a normal car, and so buying the less expensive gas works fine. If you are worried, look at the octane grade your owner's manual recommends you use.
Helpful Resources: Wikipedia- Saving On Gas Saving on Gas Optimize Miles Per Gallon 29 Tips for Boosting Mileage Boosting Mileage Tips for saving money EPA Tips Being Debt Proof
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Apply for a credit card which offers gas savings when you use the card for purchases. If you are using a lot of gas, or want to find a way to make your gas purchases hurt a little less, apply for a gas credit card that gives you cash back rewards. It is just like other credit card rewards programs, only this might be specific to gas purchase.
Join a loyalty club. There are some stations that give discounts if you use a loyalty card. The discount may only be 25-50 cents a fill up, but if you fill up a lot, the savings do add up. You can often get discount cards from grocery stores etc. where the savings in gas are tied to your spending in the store. If you get a cent off amount per dollar spent at the store it would be wise to combine all of your shopping into one trip in order to qualify for bigger gas discounts.
Fill the tank full. If you need to fill up, fill up all the way do not try to put in a little here and there, in the long run this costs more because you will have to travel to the station more often.
Don't top off the tank. It is wasted money. Your car does not use it right, and your car can't burn it.
Buy gas on Wednesday. Gas prices are statistically the cheapest on Wednesdays, and while it is not always the case, in the long run, you will get your lowest prices on this day.
Buy gas three days before a holiday. Gas prices almost always go up for holidays, and if times are tight, even a few cent upgrade in cost can make budgets hard.
Now let's look at ways to boost the gas mileage your car gets:
One of the best ways to ease the burden of high gas prices when times are tough and money is tight is to make the gas you do buy go further. It is possible to improve your car's fuel economy with some simply changes to what you are currently doing.
First, use the right octane for your car, and determine whether gas with ethanol is right for your vehicle. If there is a high proportion of ethanol, the lower energy content of the fuel will almost always lower mileage. So, fuel with ethanol reduces fuel economy, so try to avoid it.
Don't refill your tank until the last quarter tank. This can increase your fuel efficiency because you are carrying a lighter load, but it can cause problems as well because if it is cold, you may increase condensation risk in the fuel tank. It is not good for your car to ever get below a quarter of a tank. So, never get below that amount, and if you can help it, do not go below half.
Take care of you car. This is probably the best way to boost the mileage your car gets. Get regular tune ups on your car, and regular oil changes, as it will help your car run more efficiently.
Upgrade your air filter. They cost more but will save you their cost plus some in fuel economy.
Use a fuel injector cleaner or complete fuel system treatment occasionally to help performance, and help the cars work less and use less fuel.
Keep your tires in good shape, and consider buying low resistance tires which help with gas mileage. In addition, make sure your air pressure is right in the tires, and that they are balanced.
Clean out any unnecessary items in your car. Weight plays a part in fuel efficiency, the lighter the load, the better the fuel economy. So, empty your trunk, and clean your car out regularly.
If you are going to buy a new car, look for ones that typically get better mileage or fuel efficiency, for example, a diesel car, hybrid, smaller car, or manual car.
In addition to keeping your car in good shape, and driving a car that naturally gets better fuel efficiency, it is a good idea to drive smarter in order to boost mileage. For example, avoid idling, if you are going to idle for longer than about 6 seconds it is actually cheaper to shut your car off and restart it. Drive consistently so that you can brake less often, it wastes the fuel it took to get you to the speed you were going.
Try to schedule your trips and errands when traffic is lighter. This will mean less wasted gas in traffic and idling.
Drive at a consistent speed, and be very careful to avoid punching the gas. If you need to, use cruise control.
Avoid stopping when possible, it uses less gas to increase speed then to start from a stop. Coast if you can, and when not coasting, maintain your speed. It is easier to do this if you maintain a safe following distance so you do not have to accelerate or brake to avoid accidents. If you do stop completely, then start slow, if you tear off from a stop sign or light you waste gas.
If you really want to save on gas, start to slow down. Air resistance goes up as the square of velocity. The faster you drive, the more energy needed to overcome air resistance, that energy comes from gas. So, if you are going over 40 miles an hour, you are decreasing your gas mileage. The faster you go, the worse the mileage. Most experts agree that the most fuel efficient speed is 45 to 55 miles per hour.
When you are at low speeds, use your windows to cool your car, only use the AC on the freeway, as drag will reduce fuel efficiency so AC is better. At speeds below 35 mph, your windows are cheaper, drag and all. Park in the shade as well so that you do not have to use as much fuel to cool your car.
If you combine all of the above tips, you will be able to drive your car, and afford to fill it up even when times are tough because you will be getting more for your money.
