Help, Gas prices are killing me!
With crude oil reaching near $128 a barrel, the trend of gas prices rising doesn’t seem to be ending anytime soon. My car averages 24 mpg highway and only takes premium. I catch myself looking enviously at Toyota Prius’s and Mini Coopers, with their 30+ mpg rating, when I see them on the road. What can we do to save money on gas? Here are a few that I personally follow:
1. Check gasbuddy.com or gaspricewatch.com to find the cheapest gas available in your area. I find this site to be very helpful in finding the cheapest gas in a certain area. Even saving 2 cents per gallon can mean over $50 dollars in savings a year.
2. Checking your tire pressure. This is one of the easiest ways to get the best gas mileage out of your car. Properly inflated tires equates to approximately 3.3 percent savings on your fuel economy. What does this mean to you? Savings of about 10 cents per gallon! I admit, I get lazy at times and don’t check my tire pressure often, but with the way things are going now…that’s got to change.
3. Accelerate and Brake lightly and steadily. Abrupt accelerating and braking can mean hell on your mpg! I drive a manual and shift as low as 2k rpm when accelerating, and I coast as much as possible when slowing down to a stop. It makes all the difference. Oh yeah, cruise control is your friend.
4. Remove Excess Weight. Yes, those golf clubs in your trunk you haul around town cuts down on your mpg. Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your car. 100 pounds in your vehicle can reduce your mpg by 2%.
Another method that I’ve seen people use has nothing to do with their car habits at all. Sign up for a credit card that rewards a percentage on their gas purchases. I’m not sure about the details on this as I haven’t done much research, but it sounds interesting. If you can find a card that has a low interest rate or one you can pay off in full every month it could possibly be worth the hassle.
