Gas prices!
Everyone loves to comment on the rising prices of gas including politicians, the media and the guy who took my order at the coffee shop this morning.
The process behind determining the price of gas is one that most of us will never understand. Some people just accept that prices are high and they have to pay it, but there is something you can do:
You can choose to save money on the high cost of gas.
Extreme Measures
1. Park the car.
This may not be for everyone but if you live in a large metropolitan area and can use mass transit, then parking the car will save you money on gas.
2. Modify your car to run on vegetable oil.
You may drive around the town smelling like chicken nuggets and french fries but your budget will thank you for it!
3. Buy a more fuel efficient vehicle.
Even just moving from a full sized vehicle to a mid-sized will save you money on gas. Be sure you aren’t going into more debt by buying a different vehicle though.
Moderate Measures
Checking the air pressure in your tires will help your car run more efficiently. A tuned-up engine will save on gas by 10 – 20% .
5. Carpool.
Find a co-worker or a friend who works near by and carpool. You don’t have to work at the same place or live in the same city. You can meet halfway to work and carpool from there, even that little bit will help you save money on gas.
Easy Measures
6. Slow down.
Driving at a faster rate will cost you more in gas. The FTC states that driving 75mph costs you 25% in gas.
7. Keep the air conditioner off.
This may be difficult to do when you live in a very hot climate, but there are ways to cut back on using the a/c. Park in the shade with your windows cracked open and do not start the air conditioner at its highest level as soon as you start the car. Turn off the a/c before you arrive at your destination. Use your windows as much as possible.
8. Reduce the weight of your car.
Take out anything extra you are carrying around in your trunk.
9. Use a frequent shopper card that is connected to your grocery store.
Many grocery stores are offering you cents off of your gas if you also buy your gas at their pumps. You can save up to $1.00 per gallon.
10. Check for cheaper gas prices at sites like GasBuddy.com.
There is even an app so that you can report back to them to return the favor.
Even if you can only utilize one or two of the tips, saving money at the pump helps to take the edge off the frustratingly high prices.
What ways do you save money on gas?
This article was written by Jessica at Everything Finance. Everything Finance is a site about just that, everything related to finance. You can get information about investing, saving money, shopping, blogging, and making money online. If you like what you see here, make sure to stop by or better yet subscribe to our feed so you don’t miss a thing.
I was riding with a friend of mine just last night and I couldn’t help but notice he accelerated fast and hit the brakes hard… I wanted to say, “you could save money by slowing down,” but i didn’t. 🙂
Stop and go driving like that hurts you in gas, brakes, and dramamine!
LOL not only that but he’s killing his breaks. He’ll be replacing them more often, another waste of money.
I maintain my car including check tire pressure. I try to drive less.
Tire pressure is important, especially when the weather changes, either to much colder or much hotter. I find when the Winter cold hits I’ll need to add air.
My favorite tip here is #1. I try to ride my bike or walk whenever possible. Puts me in a better mood when I get to my destination, too!
I used to bike to the dojo. It was a great way to warm up before class and I saved on a gas-inefficient short trip.
I live in a fairly rural area and have no access to a bus where I am. I live within walking distance from the grocery store, post office and pharmacy so I do walk when I can. But there is nothing out this way. I go to grad school about 45minutes away and usually drive all the way there. I should consider driving to the bus line and then taking a bus in. The bus is free for students. It will add time to my commute but a total money saver.
Since I started working at home, we rarely use the car except when going to the grocery, which is once or twice a month. I also use GasBuddy to check which gas station within the vicinity sells gas at lower price.
There’s a nice side benefit of working from home!
I’m so glad I found GasBuddy. It showed me a station that is 20cents cheaper and all I needed to do was change my route coming home from school and I could take advantage of that price.