There are many ways to save gas. You can improve fuel economy in automobiles in many ways, from hypermiling and increasing engine efficiency to reducing aerodynamic drag, simple change in driving habits such as using cruise control and more.
Yet, many of us struggle with low gas mileage and high fuel consumption. And with gas prices rising ever increasingly, saving on fuel has become very important. Add to that our crumbling economy and millions of out of work people struggling financially, and saving money in any way and anywhere you can, including on gas becomes a necessity.
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Here are some gas saving tips that will help you improve gas mileage and spend less on fuel:
Save Gas While Driving & In Your Car
1- Carpool
Find a coworker, a neighbor or someone close by who uses the same route as you to get to and from work and share the ride. By carpooling you immediately save 505 on gas.
2- Combine Trips
A simple way to save on gas is to simply drive less by combining your trips into one. Instead of going to downtime 3 different times to do 3 things, try to combine all 3 trips into one trip if possible. Not only you save gas, you also save time.
3- Drive Less
Consider options like car-pooling, using one trip to do multiple tasks and using the very first parking spot you come across.
4- Use Cruise Control On Long Even Roads
Does cruise control save gas?… Yes it indeed does! It saves you gas by allowing you to keep a consistent speed which in turn gets you a better gas per mileage.
5- Avoid Idling
It’s shocking to know that when a car is in idle, it gets exactly 0 MPG while at the same time, uses the same amount in about 6 seconds! Instead of going through the drive through letting your car idle for 10 minutes, park your car and go inside.
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6- Plan Your Trips
It’s amazing how many of us get lost on trips even with GPS and maps. Getting lots and driving around for hours is a gas killer. Avoid wasting your hard earned money by planning your trips ahead. Learn about the alternate routes so you can avoid traffic jams and not get lost.
7- Use GPS
I was one of those people who were skeptic about GPS. I didn’t think it could help that much. Until I finally got one and the first time I used to get to work, I was able to cut my commute time down by exactly 7 minuets. I always though I was using the fastest and quickest way to get to work, but that GPS showed me another way to get to work that I don’t think I could’ve ever found on my own.
8- Keep Speed Limits In Mind
Not only you avoid getting tickets and wasting money, you also save gas by driving at a consistent speed.
9- Don’t Use Cruise Control On Hilly Roads
The cruise control function is normally great as it can keep you at a consistent speed, allowing for a better gas mileage, but sadly, it can not anticipate hills, which means it can not accelerate to meet the challenge. That will result in your car idling downhill and flawing for the uphill sections. It makes total sense to not use the cruise control when in such situations.
10- Avoid Stops!
I don’t mean crossing the red lights and stop signs. What I mean is to try to slow down when you spot a red light in the distance, so you don’t have to come to a total stop. By slowing down, you will hopefully get to the light when it turn green so you don’t have to stop. Why do all that?… simply put getting a car from 10 to 20 miles an hour will spend way less gas than getting it from 0 to whatever.
11- Don’t Tailgate!
Saving money is important, but saving lives is even more important. Not only it is dangerous to stick to another car’s bumper, you also spend more gas by having to brake and accelerate more.
12- Take Off Slowly From A Full Stop
Let your speed work its way up lowly. By putting less pressure on your engine you can avoid unnecessary gas usage.
13- Avoid Store Fronts
A lot of us do this – when we are out doing shopping, we tend to want to park as close as possible to the store in hopes of saving a few steps! Unfortunately, it’s a bad idea when it comes to gas saving since you will be more likely to idle while waiting for pedestrians and other cars to pass by. By parking a little further, not only you save some gas, but you also get to improve your health by walking a bit longer!
14- Roll Up The Windows
When driving with low speed, its ok to keep your windows down. But when you are driving on a highway having your windows down increases the drag which results in less fuel efficiency. So, if you are hot and driving in high speeds, turn on the A/C instead of rolling down your windows.
15- Park In The Shade
You may find it surprising that gasoline can and will evaporate right from your gas tank. Obviously, this will speed up if you are parked in the sun. Try to park your car in the shade whenever and wherever possible. If there is no shade, park your car in a way that the gas tank is not facing the sun directly.
16- Turn Off The AC
Of course, this depends on where you live and how you can cope with the heat. But the least you can do is turning off you AC at least a few minutes before arriving at your destination as apposed to keeping it cranked up until the last second.
17- Use Your Overdrive Gears
Using the overdrive gears will generally help to keep the RPM down which results in less fuel consumption.
Cheap Car maintenance
18- Take Good Care Of Your Car
One of the best ways to save money on gas is to take care of your automobile. It’s obvious that a well maintained car runs more efficiently thus allowing you to get a better mileage out of it, and that all translates into spending less gas and saving more money.
19- Replace The Spark Plugs
Spark plugs happen to be comparatively cheap and (based on the kind of automobile you drive) not difficult to change. If perhaps you are not really familiar with the process and do not know how to do it, there are auto repair books that can make it possible for anyone to change their spark plugs. If all else fails, call up that old friend of yours!
20- Keep The Tires Properly Inflated
This is one of the easiest ways of saving on gas. Yet, surprisingly, it is also one of the least implemented methods. Be sure to put air in your tires every couple of weeks or so. Needless to say, you must top off the air based on the recommendations made by the car manufacturer.
21- Use The Right Kind Of Oil
Using the incorrect grade of motor oil can cause unnecessary increased friction in your engine, resulting in the engine getting hotter, thus spending more gas.
22- Get Rid Of Unnecessary Wight
The lighter your car is, the less gas it spends. Lots of us have all kinds of stuff in the car that don’t belong there. Unload anything that is not needed in the car. They say every extra 100 pounds can reduce your car’s MPG by up to 2 percent.
23- Change Air filters
Air filters are relatively cheap as well, but they play an important role in your car’s health. Clogged up air filters make your engine work harder resulting in increased gas consumption.
Gas Up Smart
24- Find The Cheapest Gas
One the way to work, pay attention to the gas prices at each station you pass by, remember the lowest one, so when its time to fill up, you know where to go. You can also use apps on your smart phone to find out where you can get the cheapest gas.
25- Fill Up All The Way
Try to fill up all the way, if you can. You may think you are spending less money by putting $10 gas today and $20 dollars another day, but if you think about it, the amount of time and gas you will end up spending going back to the gas station that many times, will be much higher than what you were trying to save.
26- Don’t Fill Until Your Tank Is All The Way Down
It’s a good idea to wait until your almost out of gas to fill up again. This can actually give you more gas mileage since you will be hauling a lighter fuel load which in tern means a lighter load for the car resulting in a better fuel economy.
Fuel Efficient Cars
27- Buy A Diesel
Next time, when you are going to buy a car, consider getting a diesel. Diesel cars are much more efficient when it comes to gas consumption. Another benefit of getting a diesel car is that you will be able to use of bio-diesel or even waste vegetable oil fuel.
28- Buy A Hybrid Car
The best part about a hybrid, aside form great gas mileage, is that the U.S. government and most local states reward you with tax breaks. You could deduct as much as $2,000 from your federal tax.
29- Buy A Smaller Car
Needless to say, smaller cars (because they are lighter), spend way less gas than their bigger counterparts.
30- Buy A Motorcycle Or Scooter!
I know, it’s not for every one. But if its practical in your case, why not go for a scooter or a motor bike! You get as much as 70 MPG with some of these bikes, not to mention they are way cheaper than conventional vehicle. Another great benefit is that you don’t have to get stuck in traffic any more!
Whether you want to save on utilities, food or fuel, you may have to make some sacrifices here and there. But the rewards are well worth the little sacrifices you may have to make.
I did lots of research to gather this list. These are some of the best ways to save money on gas. Some of are obviously common sense stuff and others are pro knowledge that the average driver may not possess. Either way, implementing these techniques will help you save gas and ultimately pay less at the pump.