7 No Brainer Ways To Save Money On Gas
With gas prices being so darn high, I thought it was time to provide everyone with a few no brainer tips for saving money on gas.
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While there is a lot of advice out there to help you save money on gas, a lot of it isn’t practical – like going out and buying a 25k hybrid when your current vehicle works just fine just so you can save a few bucks next time you fill up the tank – trust me, it’ll take a while to get that 25k back at a few dollars a pop.
And other poeple will have you taking your car apart installing magical devices that are supposed to save you money on gas.
Well, for me, I needed something simpler – so here are 7 brain dead simple ways to save money on gas.
1 – Get A Gas Card
Want a tip that will save you money every single time you fill up at the pump no matter what vehicle you drive? It’s a gas card. Just about every major gas station offers their own brand of gas credit card that will allow you to save 3-5% on all your gas purchases at their gas stations. Forget about the branded gas cards and get one that will save you 5% on gas no matter where you fill up, like the Discover Open Road Card. Just remember, pay it off every month or it won’t save you any money.
Saving 5% off every gallon of gas means that $3/gallon gas now costs only $2.85 and $4/gallon becomes $3.80. If you have a 25 gallon tank, you’d save $3.75 every time you filled up ($3/gallon gas).
A lot of people already use a credit card when filling up at the pump anyway since it’s easy and convenient. You may as well get a gas card so it’s easy, convenient, and saving you money.
2 – Stop Driving Like You’re Running From The Cops
Hitting the gas hard when the light turns green and braking hard will have your car drinking gas faster than an alcoholic with a new bottle of whiskey. If you were to drive away from a stop at a more moderate pace, accelerate in traffic more slowly, and anticipate when you’re going to need to brake ahead of time so you can do so slowly, you’re going to save a lot of gas – up to 37% – about the same buying a hybrid car but this tip won’t cost you anything. (oh yeah, it’s safer too)
3 – Cruisin’
If your car has cruise control on it, make it your friend. Personally, I refuse to buy a car if it doesn’t have cruise control, but cruise control also has the added benefit of saving you money on gas. On average, you’ll save 7% by using it since it keeps your speed constant.
4 – The Highway Is Not A Tryout for NASCAR
In other words, SLOW DOWN! Sure, going fast can be fun. It can also get you a nice collection of speeding tickets, but more importantly, the faster you drive the more gas you use. I’m not saying that you need to drive like your grandmother, but slowing down from 75 to 65 can you 12% on you gas bill, and unless you’re driving across the country, the time difference in getting where you’re going will be minimal.
5 – Idle Engines Are The Devil’s Workshop
Stop leaving your car idle. Having the car running when it’s not moving wastes gas.
I remember being taught when I was first learning to drive that you should let your car warm up for a few minutes before driving it anywhere when it’s cold outside. While that may be true for older cars, modern cars don’t need warm up time before being ready to drive. Don’t drive like a maniac (see #2) before you car is completely warmed up and you’ll be fine.
If you going to be sitting and waiting some place without moving for more than about a minute, turn off the engine. It probably goes without saying that if you can avoid rush hour traffic, you should.
Also, one great place to sit and waste gas is your local fast food drive-thru. Get off your lazy butt, get out of your car and go inside to get your food. Or better yet, skip the fast food altogether – it’s bad for your body’s “engine”.
6 – Use Your Head
Start thinking before you head take a quick trip to the store, and try to combine errands when possible. For example, you could go to the gym, the store, and the post office all in one trip instead of taking a separate trip for each of them. And think about what errands you can right before or after work if you’re going to be out and driving anyway.
7 – Use Your Legs
It seems that most of us have forgotten that by the time we were 1 year old, we were learning how to walk. It wasn’t until we were 16 that we got to learn how to drive. Your body is designed to walk – take advantage of that. If you can easily walk somewhere, plan a few extra minutes to do so instead of getting in the car and driving. Your legs get unlimited miles per gallon.
And if walking won’t work, perhaps riding a bike will. In some cases, taking a bicycle can actually be faster than driving. I remember when I first moved off campus when I was in college, and we lived about two miles from campus – and it actually took less time for me to bike to class than it did for me to drive there in my car.
I hope these simple tips for saving money on gas show you just how easy it is to save gas without going out and buying a fancy new car or hyped of device.
And to get all 61 gas saving tips, be sure to download my free report from the homepage – click here.
Posted: May 8th, 2007
at 4:43am by Fuel Saver
Categories: Gas Prices,Gas Saving Tips
Comments: 4 comments
4 Responses to '7 No Brainer Ways To Save Money On Gas'
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Starbucks wakes up and smells…
Since Mr Schultz is an unabashed romantic, who has always talked about selling a concept and a way of being…
Fantastic how much caffeine in one cup of coffee
21 Jan 08 at 4:48 pm
Thanks man!
Ralph
30 Apr 08 at 9:25 pm
Yo son!..
The things that you are telling about are not realistic at all.
Peace son!..
On your #5: Idle Engines Are The Devil’s Workshop
If you switch off the car several times, and try to save the gas,then you are hurting engine. Engine hurts every time you switch on the vehicle. Ain’t that true now? ..
On your #3: Cruising
Most of us who drive 5 days a week to the office, don’t want to leave at 8 at night to find a free of people road. So if you are leaving and/or getting to office in a reasonable time, then there is enough rush to not let you use the cruise control.
On your #6 – Use Your Head
go to grocery store- buy milk, let it be in the car for half an hr that you are standing in the queue at post office. It may be hot outside. So by the time you reach home, the life of that milk is reduced to half.
I am talking Science!..absolute science..do this experiment, and the milk will go bad even before the expiration date printed.
hoping to seee these comments no your site. hope you are impartial..i should be able to write stufff…
Abhi
20 Jun 08 at 10:53 pm
Ok, if go 10 mph slower, I’ll save 10% on my gas? Well, let’s say I’m going to travel 75 miles to grandma’s house. If I drive 75 mph, I’ll be there in one hour. If I drive 65 mph, I’ll have to drive for one hour and 10.8 minutes, right?
So I aren’t I using up the 10% savings by having to drive for 10.8 minutes longer? Just asking…
M.P.
10 Jul 08 at 6:05 pm