by Sas Freeman

Created on: November 04, 2008

It is always difficult to say what gas is going to cost from day to day. The price might be $2.25 today, and spike up to $2.75 tomorrow, then back down to $2.25 the next day. Many things influence gas prices such as weather and holidays. The amount of gas we put into our tanks also influences how much we spend. Pay attention to car maintenance. Most of all, pick and choose travel and methods.

By watching what is going on around us, we can sometimes predict when the price of gas is going to go up. If we are in hurricane season, we can bet that gas is going to go up. There might be a hurricane that might take out a refinery. The possibility of Mother Nature taking out some of our supply will cause prices to increase and many to run to the station to get gas while supplies last. If our supplies are hurt, there is no doubt that gas prices will go up.

Holidays also play a major roll in the price we pay. During many holidays, many people will travel to be with family. This extra traveling means more demand on gasoline. The more the demand, the less the supply and therefore, the cost goes up. Once the holiday is over then the price will go down.

If you suspect fowl weather that may affect prices or there is a holiday with lots of travel, by going to the pump before hand and filling up, you can beat the rise in price and save yourself some money.

Another way to save money at the pump is to monitor how much gas you put into your tank. To begin with, your car will get better mileage if you have a full tank of gas. So instead of putting in just enough gas to get you to town and back, fill your tank. This also serves another purpose: fewer trips to the gas station. Whether you realize it or not, all of those trips to the gas station add up. Let's say it costs an extra 10 cents in gas every time you pull into the gas station and you go to the gas station on average three times a week. You are spending 30 cents a week in gas. That may not seem like much, but that adds up to $15.60 a year or $78 in five years. If you fill your tank and it lasts you all week, you can save 20 cents a week. You also have to remember that the more gas costs, the more you are spending to pull into the station.

While filling up at the gas station, you save money by filling up your tank when it is cooler outside. Gasoline turns into a vapor with warmer weather. When you are pumping gas, you are also pumping some of those vapors. You will get more gas for your dollar if there are fewer vapors. You can

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