Gas - Saving Money Tips

1. Shop around for a lower price, but don't go miles out of your way to get the best price. When traveling a long distance to save a few pennies, you end up spending more on car driving expenses (AAA estimates that it costs 56.1 cents a mile to drive a car in 2005 while the IRS allows a deduction of 40.5 cents a mile) than you end up saving with the lower gas price.

2. To find the least expensive gas in your local area, don't drive around looking. Hit the Internet. Sites like gasbuddy.com will let you find the lowest gas price without leaving your driveway.

3. It's best to purchase gas from a station that is busy. Gas that sits in tanks for long periods can get contaminated and lower its effectiveness. Fresh gas is less likely to be contaminated ensuring you get the most power for your dollar.

4. Avoid purchasing gas from a station that has just had a truck fill the station's underground tanks. Filling up the station tanks will stir up particles from the bottom of the tank which can clog your fuel filter and make your car run less efficiently.

5. Purchase your gasoline in the early morning or at night when it is cold outside. Gas becomes denser in cooler temperatures. Since gas pumps only measure the volume of fuel - not the density - you'll get better overall gas mileage for your money by purchasing fuel when it's cool outside rather than in the heat of the day.

6. Take the time to check your car's tire pressure each month (purchase a good-quality dial-type gauge for yourself -- pencil-style gauges and the ones mounted on the air hose are unreliable according to federal surveys). Under inflated tires reduce fuel efficiency by 2% for every pound they are under inflated. Under inflation also causes premature tire wear giving your tires a shorter use life.

7. Be sure to use your owner's manual for the correct tire pressure. The pressure printed on the sidewall of the tire indicates how much the tire will safely hold and should not be used since it has no connection to how much air should be in the tire for routine use.

8. Check your tire pressure when it is cool outside. A good time is in the morning after the car has rested overnight. Driving only a few miles to a gas station will build heat in the tire and can increase the pressure enough to give a false reading.

9. Drive at the speed limit. Cars use about 20% more fuel driving at 70 miles per hour than they do at 55 miles per hour.

10. Avoid driving fast in low gears. Driving at high speeds in the improper gear can reduce fuel efficiency by up to 40%.

11. Avoid using air conditioning whenever possible. Air conditioning reduces fuel economy by 10% to 20%.

12. Don't open windows when traveling at high speeds. Open windows on the highway can reduce fuel efficiency by 10%. It is much better to use the ventilation system.

13. Remove car racks and other items which make your car less aerodynamic when they're not being used. Leaving them on only makes your car less fuel efficient.

14. Use cruise control to maintain a steady pace on the highway to increase fuel economy.

15. Avoid rough roads. Driving on roads made of dirt or gravel can reduce fuel economy by up to 30%.

16 Don't let your car idle. Even on cold mornings, there's no need to let your car idle for more than 30 seconds. Newer cars are designed to be driven almost immediately and letting your car idle longer is a waste of gas.

17. It's more efficient to turn off your car and turn it on again than to let it idle for more than 45 seconds while waiting.

18. Remove all excess weight from your car. Many people use their car trunk as a storage space adding unneeded pounds to the car's weight. This unnecessary weight reduces the car's fuel efficiency.

19. Try to accelerate gently, brake gradually and avoid stops when driving. Gunning engines, quickly accelerating, and abrupt stops all waste fuel.

20. Try to avoid driving during rush hour periods when you know traffic will be stop and go. If you do find yourself in stop and go traffic, try to maintain a crawl.

21. When approaching hills or steep slopes, accelerate before the hill. Accelerating once on the slope will consume much more gas.

22. Service your car regularly while paying special attention to oil and filters. Blocked air flow from clogged air filters will increase fuel waste.

23. Check your car's alignment since this can cause engine drag which will also increase gas waste.

24. Periodically calculate your car's fuel efficiency. A loss in fuel efficiency is an indication of possible mechanical problems.

25. For most cars, higher octane gas is a waste of money. Regular unleaded(approx. 87 octane or so) is the least expensive and what you should purchase. It's important to remember that octane is a measurement of how hard it is to ignite the gas, not the quality of the gas. Purchase mid or high octane gas only if your engine pings, knocks or rattles when using regular unleaded fuel.

26. Don't purchase gasohol if possible. Some areas require gasahol (a mixture of gas and ethanol for your car. Ethonal is alcohol made from grain) because using it for fuel is considered a way to help farmers as well as help cut pollution. The problem is that ethanol contains only about two-thirds the energy of gasoline which means gasahol forces you to use more to go the same distance.

27. For short trips close to home, try walking or riding your bicycle. Not only will you save money on gas, you'll also get some healthy exercise.

28. When you go shopping or run errands, take a little time to plan and combine them all into one outing instead of several. In addition to saving gas, you will also save yourself time.

29. Car pooling or using mass transportation systems when possible is an excellent way to reduce your gas consumption. There is an added benefit that utilizing these methods to commute will likely result in a discount in your car insurance.

30. Refrain from "topping off" at the gas station. Gas pumps don't contain enough pressure to deliver gas well in short bursts meaning that you get short changed when you top your tank off.

31. After you have finished filling up, turn the gas pump nozzle around 180 degrees. This will drain about a half cup of gasoline into your tank which you would otherwise spill or give to the next customer.

32. Rotate your tires and periodically check them for uneven wear. Proper alignment saves both gas and tires.

33. Keep the outside of your car clean and waxed. Doing so will reduce drag and save gas mileage.

34. Keep your foot off the brake. Some people have a habit of resting their left foot lightly on the brake while driving. Not only will this will cause drag that will require you to use more gas than needed, you'll also wear out your brakes sooner.

35. The next time you are in the market for tires, consider purchasing radial tires instead of standard. They can cut your fuel bill (if kept properly inflated) by 2 - 3%.