Slow Down to Save Gas

Gas prices have every driver feeling the pressure these days.  With gas prices continuing to soar upwards, no driver wants to have to visit the pump any more than they absolutely have to.  That is why it is important to find easy ways that you can increase your fuel efficiency when driving, so you can save a little bit of gas in the process.  After all, every little bit helps, right?

The best ways to save on fuel consumption when you drive are also quite often among the cheapest methods, as well.  For instance, did you know that you can save on gas expenses simply by making a few small changes to your driving style?  If this sounds too good to be true, do not worry!  It is quite possible to increase your fuel efficiency quite dramatically, with even a few subtle changes to the way that you drive.  Read on to find out just how you can accomplish these changes.

First of all, you should know that driving in excess of 55 miles per hour really eats up a lot of gas.  If you compare your mileage when you are driving 55 miles per hour to your mileage when you are driving 75 miles per hour, you will see a drastic difference.  Many experts have speculated that you use about 20 to 25 percent more fuel when you are driving 75 miles per hour, compared to what you would use if you drove at 55 miles per hour.  That is why it is very important to consider going a little bit slower when you are driving on the highway or interstate road.

It may seem like a bit of a chore to have to putt along at 55 miles per hour when everyone else is going 65 miles per hour (or even faster), but remember that you will still get to where you are going, and in the process you will save some money!  If you are only going a short way, such as a one hour trip, you will only spend about ten extra minutes on the road.  At that point, you have to decide for yourself whether getting to your destination a few minutes faster is worth paying a few extra dollars for fuel expenses to get there.  If your trip is shorter, such as a thirty mile trip, going ten miles per hour slower will only cost you five minutes of driving time!  Surely, you can afford an extra five minutes spent in the car!

It is important to note that you do not necessarily have to drive 55 miles per hour to get the benefits of increased fuel efficiency.  Even if you slow down from, say, 65 miles per hour to 60 miles per hour, you will still save a bit of gas.  You just will not save as much as you would have, if you had gone down to 55 miles per hour.  However, any gas savings are better than no gas savings, so even if you can slow down just a little bit, you will be helping yourself out the next time you have to go to the gas station! 

It is also important to remember that going slightly over 55 miles per hour does not cost you as much fuel efficiency as an increase in speed when you are already going quite fast.  In other words, five extra miles per hour when you are already going 70 miles per hour will cause a more marked decrease in fuel efficiency than the difference experienced when you go five extra miles per hour over 55 miles per hour.

You won’t only enjoy increased fuel efficiency by driving slower.  You will also avoid getting costly traffic tickets, which can often cost about two hundred dollars!  Plus, you will be a safer driver, and more likely to escape a potentially deadly crash.  If you want to save money at the pump, you should seriously consider slowing down your speed.

Simple Ways to Stay Away from the Gas Pump

If you have driven a car in the last couple of years, you no doubt have noticed that gas prices have gotten a bit high.  That is probably an understatement, as you would have to have been living under a rock to have not known about the stratospheric rise in gas prices.  Unfortunately, there seems to really be no end in sight to the extremely high gas prices that have caused many of us to really think about how much we should be driving, what we should be driving, and a million other things.

However, drivers can help themselves in the fight to keep gas prices from making them bankrupt!  One of the easiest ways to lessen the cost of driving is to take whatever measures are available to you to reduce your fuel consumption.  Fortunately for drivers who are tired of shelling out hundreds of dollars at the gas pump, many of these solutions are very inexpensive or even free!  Here are some free ways to relieve yourself of some of the cost of driving these days.

One of the best ways to use less fuel is to simply not drive.  You are probably wondering how you will get from place to place if you do not drive your car.  Well, find a different way to get around!  Car pooling, for instance, is one of the oldest and most plausible ways to reduce gas usage as well as help reduce emissions, too.  You can car pool with co-workers or others to decrease your fuel expenses, while helping the environment as well!

Even if you are going to run to the grocery store, see if your neighbor needs anything as well!  You may be able to car pool together, and you will have some company along for the ride as well.  If you live at somewhat of a distance away from your work or other places you have to go consistently, car pooling is a great way to save money.

Even if you have no one to car pool with, you can plan your trips ahead so that you can save gas.  If the grocery store is on your way home from work, try to know what items you need so that you can simply stop by the store on your way home from work.  This will help you to save time as well as money spent on gas.  If you can not avoid making a special trip out, try to combine several stops within one trip so you can conserve gas.

When you do get to the store, try not to leave your car running while you quickly “run in” to the store.  Doing so decreases your miles per gallon to zero (think about it), and contrary to popular belief, is not more fuel efficient than turning off your engine and turning it back on a minute or two later.  Unless you want to idle your way all the way to the gas pump, make sure that you turn your car off whenever you are making a stop!

Also, try to reduce the amount of weight you carry in your car.  It can be easy to be a bit lazy and leave items in your trunk for a long time, but even a hundred extra pounds can reduce your car’s fuel economy by a couple percent compared to normal.  Many people like to pack their car with sandbags during the winter months for added traction.  If you decide to do this, make sure to remove the extra weight when it is no longer needed!

As you can surely see, there are many very uncomplicated ways that you can increase your car’s fuel efficiency.  While not all of the tips will improve your fuel efficiency that dramatically, even an extra gallon here or there is a substantial savings with today’s gas prices.

Simple Vehicle Maintenance Can Save You Money on Gas

You are likely among the millions of drivers that would love to find any way possible to avoid spending so much money on gas.  Since there is no drop in sight for gas prices, the most that we can all do is try to control our fuel consumption whenever possible.  What most people do not know, however, is that there are many very simple ways to increase your car, truck, van or sport utility vehicle’s fuel efficiency, all without spending a lot of money!  Most of these methods will not require much money or much time, as they can be performed quite quickly.

It is quite understandable if you do not want to shell out money for expensive products that say they will increase your vehicle’s gas mileage.  However, that will not keep you from saving money on gas, since many of these products have not proven their claims of increased fuel efficiency, anyway!  Really, most of the best ways of reducing gas usage are also the easiest ways to do so.  This is especially true when it comes to the simple vehicle maintenance you can perform to enjoy better gas mileage.

One extremely easy way to keep your car at its best in the area of fuel efficiency is by checking the air in your tires often.  Tires that are not properly inflated to the right levels cost you precious gas mileage, believe it or not.  Fortunately, this is an easy problem to fix.  Many gas stations and car washes have free air dispensers to fill up your tires to the levels they need to be at.  Even if an air machine does cost you money, it will not usually be more than a quarter or two.  This is a very cost effective way to ensure that you are getting the type of gas mileage you should be getting when you drive.

Regular oil changes also help to keep your car’s gas mileage where it should be.  Even though it can cost money to do your own oil change or have a mechanic do it for you, it is still a cost effective method of increasing your vehicle’s fuel efficiency.  After all, you have to change your vehicle’s oil anyway, so you might as well make extra sure that you stay on top of it, since you can save on gas expenses that way.  A car that is running on the right type of oil will run much more efficiently, which is why frequent oil changes help you to conserve gas.

Also, make sure that you are getting your car tuned when it should be.  Tuning your vehicle can keep it at peak performance, which again, helps to increase gas mileage.  Meanwhile, regular checkups may reveal a problem that is making your car use more gas than it should.  By fixing certain problems with your car, you can really dramatically improve your car’s performance and fuel efficiency.  Like with oil changes, you need to regularly tune up your car anyway, so why not make it a real priority, since it can help you save gas?

Finally, one of the very best ways to conserve gas when you are driving is to check your air filters on a regular basis.  If they are clogged or dirty, make sure to replace them.  Again, this is something that needs to be done anyway to keep your engine running smoothly, but it is even more important now, since it will help you to increase your gas mileage significantly.  How significantly?  Well, many experts say that having clean air filters can increase your gas mileage by about 10%!  Think of how much 10% of a gallon of gas is.  That’s a pretty decent sum of money, by any estimation.

Remember, it is important to perform these types of regular maintenance on your vehicle anyway.  Since you can actually save money by taking care of your car, why not make it a priority?

Save Gas By Performing Simple Maintenance

Vehicles can be very expensive, as any driver probably already knows.  There is the cost of oil changes, repairs, car insurance, and let’s not forget, gas!  The price of gas alone is enough to make many drivers want to go into hibernation and simply wait for them to come back down to earth.  However, that is not a real option, as we all still have places we have to get to, and it simply costs money to get there.

Luckily, the regular maintenance that you have to perform on your vehicle anyway can actually help you to get more mileage out of the fuel you use!  It is nice to know, especially these days, that the money you spend on this kind of maintenance can also help you save money at the gas pump!  Conversely, if you do not have the regular maintenance done on your vehicle like you should, your gas mileage is sure to suffer.

One of the very rudimentary things that has to be done with your car every so often is getting an oil change.  Oil changes can occur ever few months or even sooner, if you drive a lot, but you do not want to let them slide (no pun intended)!  After all, oil changes keep your engine running smoothly, which in turn allows you to get more mileage out of the gas you put into your car.  It is also important to use the correct grade of motor oil, as this can have a small effect on your gas mileage, as well.

Another type of regular maintenance that can help you to increase your gas mileage is getting your car tuned.  Tune-ups are hard to measure in terms of increased fuel efficiency, but it has been speculated that a car that is properly tuned will use 4% less gas than a car that is not tuned and has not been in some time.  While 4% may not seem like that much money, think of it as sixteen cents of savings for gas, if the price is $4 per gallon.  As you can see, that can add up to a substantial amount!

It is also of the utmost importance to get your car checked regularly, especially your fuel intake, exhaust and other systems that can affect gas mileage.  If there is a problem with an important part of these systems, you car will probably still run, but fuel efficiency can be very badly affected, causing you to lose almost half of your fuel efficiency in some cases!  It definitely pays to get problems like those fixed!

One of the least expensive, but most effective, improvements you can make for gas mileage is to simply replace old, clogged air filters.  Although it may not seem like a big deal to drive around with dirty air filters, filthy ones can rob you of 10% of your fuel economy!  Again, for the price it costs to fix this simple problem, you really can’t beat the results you receive!

These are a few of the things that you should be already doing for your car that will provide you with benefits to your vehicle’s fuel efficiency.  If you have been slacking on these areas of maintenance, make sure to get on the ball!  It may cost you money to maintain your car at first, but it may very well save you money in the end!

Plan Your Trips Ahead To Avoid Wasting Gas

It is unfortunate but true that most of us have no direct effect on the substantially high cost of gas.  After all, gas prices are set by forces that are far beyond our control, and there is nothing we can do about the expenses we incur while driving, right?  Well, that is only partially correct.  See, while we may not be able to control the price per gallon of gas, we certainly can control how much gasoline we use, and therefore, how often we have to fill up our automobiles!  Doing so is not as difficult as you may think!

When most people think about conserving gas, they figure that it must be an annoying and inconvenient process.  However, learning to conserve gas can actually be a very easy thing to do, and may lead you to develop better overall habits as well.  For instance, planning your trips ahead of time is a great way to use less gas, and it is also a good idea anyway, as it is a skill that helps you to remain more organized in your daily life.

Many people today live outside of city areas, sometimes up to dozens of miles away in rural towns or other areas.  For these folks, it is absolutely vital to plan ahead when considering trips that have to be made, at least if they want to save money on gas!  Since these people have to drive many highway miles per week as it is, it is not advisable for them to make extra trips into town, especially when they could have consolidated all their shopping needs or errand running into one trip.

Another aspect of trip planning is being smart about where you will go and when.  If you know that you can wait to drive around the city and get done whatever you need to get done, then try to avoid doing so during peak driving hours.  Nothing kills your gas mileage more than sitting in a traffic jam, or stuck a hundred feet from a stopped traffic light, waiting for everyone to take turns accelerating once the light turns green.  If you can avoid these frustrating and gas guzzling driving situations, you will be one step closer to your goal of limiting your fuel consumption.

Finally, make sure that you are organized when you go to the store or out shopping.  It is a good idea to make a list before you leave, even if you believe that you will not forget anything.  It is easy to forget to buy an important item at the grocery store, especially if you are in a hurry or have a lot of other items to remember.  This means that when you return home, you will have to go back to the store to get the forgotten item(s) or simply make do without them until your next trip to the store.  Alas, neither of these options are very attractive ones, so try to be organized when you head out to the store.

As you have probably realized, it is not difficult to make proper trip planning a part of your regular daily life.  If you do so, you will easily be able to minimize your driving, and you will find yourself having to fuel your vehicle up far less often as a result.

Little Known Ways to Improve Fuel Economy

There is not a single driver among us who would not prefer to spend less of their hard-earned cash at the fuel pump.  That is why people are becoming more and more aware of the many simple and cost effective ways that they can improve their fuel economy.  However, what do you say to people who are already familiar with the basics?  Fortunately, there are many little known ways that you can improve your gas mileage.

Just about everyone knows that if you want to save gas, you need to drive slower.  After all, that is common sense.  Even though you can save a lot of gas by going slower on the highway, many people are unwilling to do so, for instance.  The trick is to find ways to increase gas mileage without having to do things that you are not willing to do in the long term.  That is what these tips will help you do.

First of all, stop neglecting the regular maintenance that your car needs!  According to studies, a dirty air filter can cost you up to 20% of the gas mileage you should be receiving.  A quick change of spark plugs can increase your fuel economy by over 10%!  Also, many people are not aware that they can increase their gas mileage simply by keeping their tires properly inflated!

Similarly, too many drivers are carting around a vehicle full of unnecessary things that are robbing them of valuable gas mileage.  For every 250 pounds of excess gear in your car, you can count on around one mile per gallon lost!  Also, make sure that you take bike racks and other items off of your vehicle when it is not the proper season.  It may take a few minutes, but such items produce extra wind resistance, which makes your vehicle work harder to accelerate or maintain speed.

You can even save some money on gas while you’re spending money- at the gas pump, that is.  For example, when the auto shut off kicks in, do not squeeze in a couple of extra cents to make the dollar amount even.  This is one of the ways in which people waste money, since most of that extra gas will not end up properly going in the tank.  Also, most drivers are unaware that a loose gas cap can not only cause your “service engine” light to go on, but can also result in lost gasoline, which escapes as vapor out of the tank!

Finally, make sure that you use your car’s features to their maximum effect.  You can save a little money on gas by using your cruise control often, since your engine will not be working to match the fluctuations in pressure that you are putting on the gas pedal.  Also, make sure that you use the overdrive function when possible, since it allows your engine to avoid overworking itself.

Driving and maintaining your vehicle in a way that allows for increased fuel economy is mostly a matter of having the proper knowledge, then putting that information to work.  It is vital that you not only know the methods for increasing gas mileage, but that you are consistent in their implementation, unless you want to keep visiting the gas station regularly!