How to Save Money at the Pump

It seems like gas prices are constantly on the rise. While this can tighten your budget, there are simple ways that you can save money at the pump. See this list to find simple things that you can do:

• Check out these sites that show the cheapest gas prices near you (or where you work): www.gasbuddy.com, www.gaspricewatch.com. You can also help out your community by signing up and sharing the gas prices you see along your route.
• Don’t top off. Extra gas can slosh or leak out, and at the price you are paying for it, it’s better to fill up until you hear the click and then stop.
• Fill up at the cooler times of the day. This will help keep gas from evaporating (picture your dollars evaporating with it!), saving you money and helping protect the environment.
• Unburden your car. Did you know that for every 250 lbs. of extra weight your car carries, it loses about 1 mile per gallon of fuel economy? In the winter, snow and ice that sticks to your car can add up to 100 lbs. easily. So take the junk out of the trunk and make sure to de-ice!
• Maintain your car. A car that has regular tune-ups and good maintenance will burn less gas and run longer (would you rather pay for a few tune-ups or spend thousands on a new vehicle?).
• Keep the tires inflated to the recommended amount. This keeps your tires round and decreases the surface of the tire touching the ground – that can cause friction and slow down your car, using more gas and forcing you to fill up more often.
• Don’t need long warm-ups. Even in the winter, you don’t need to let your car warm up for more than a minute. A shorter warm-up can save you gas and keep you from breaking the law (it is illegal to leave a running car unattended, even though it can be very convenient to start the car and then run back into the house to finish getting ready while it warms up).
• Know when to run the AC. On the highway, open windows cause drag and can slow your car down (using more gas to get where you are going!), so it is better to run the air conditioner. But in stop-and-go traffic, you want to shut off the AC because it can lower your fuel economy by 10-20 percent.
• For road trips, take your most fuel efficient car. It may cause a bit of a tight squeeze, but it can save you a lot.
• Drive less. Try carpooling or combining your trips (i.e. run to both the grocery store and by the dry cleaners in one trip rather than venturing out twice – this can save you time too!).
• Consider a more fuel efficient car. If you are in the market for a new car, consider the more fuel efficient types, but don’t just buy a hybrid because it gets better mileage. Be sure you compare the cost of the car and maintenance costs to make sure you will actually be paying less.
• Take off the Snow Tires in the summer. Extra tread slows down the car and uses more gas, so remove your Snow Tires when you don’t need them.

I hope you find these tips helpful. Cutting back on your spending in these simple ways can really add up and have a big impact on your budget and your ability to save. Who would have thought that not topping off your car at the pump could help you get closer to retirement?

Tags: budget, gas prices, save money