by Olivia Emisar

Created on: September 12, 2010

If you really are intent on saving money on gas the following tips will allow you to so with a minimum of effort and some very simple tools. 

- Combine trips – 

Check the route you must travel to and from work and plan time accordingly to incorporate chores you normally do on your days off.  This could be stopping to pick up or drop off clothing at the dry cleaners, grocery shopping on the way from work, checking in on an elderly family member or friend, getting a haircut or renting a movie.  You can easily trim off several gallons of gasoline by incorporating several things into one trip without deviating from your route. 

- Speed – 

Make sure that you drive at constant speed and leave two car lengths in front of you to give you time to maneuver should the car in front of you drives erratically.  Smooth and consistent driving patterns save gasoline and wear and tear on the engine and tires.  If your vehicle has cruise control, use it.  Consistent driving speeds of 55 mph or less will save you money on gas. 

- Fill up the tank – 

There are some strong opinions about keeping air out of the tank and filling it up at the half point.  Whether you suscribe to this notion or not, the most important thing is to fill up where gas is lowest and typically, the lowest gas prices are found at warehouse outlets such as Costco or Sam’s Club, if you don’t have a membership, you can check for the lowest gas prices in your area at gasbuddy.com.  Keep in mind that the lowest prices on gas will always be away from metro areas that cater to those looking for convenience. 

- Maintenance – 

Maintain your vehicle with appropriate oil changes with filter replacement at regular intervals, synthetic oils are better for the engine and require less changes throughout the year.  Keep tires properly inflated (use the car manufacturer’s guidelines for your vehicle).  If your vehicle has not had the engine flushed in a long time, schedule one to remove sediments that clog up the engine and make it work harder while using up more gas. 

Other things to keep at optimum level are the vehicle’s fluids.  Use distilled water and anti-freeze that is appropriate for your vehicle in the engine coolant reservoir.  Check and top off (if needed), the oil and transmission fluid.  Inspect hoses for wear and replace if needed. 

- Excess weight – 

Remove third row seating or the middle seats if  you have two extra rows in a mini-van or SUV, if you rarely use them, then take them out and store them in the garage or shed.  Those seats can weigh more than 100 lbs and will force the vehicle to use more gas.  Empty the trunk of useless items as well, the lighter the vehicle, the less gas usage.

These are easy to follow tips that will save you gas throughout the year.  Keep records of mileage, fill ups and cost of gas and evaluate the changes in gas mileage throughout the year.  A good tool to use is the built in software on most GPS systems that can accurately record current speed, gas mileage and price paid.  A Garmin’s built in EcoRoute  will give you up to the minute information you will find useful in conserving and stretching your gas dollars. You can download this information to your computer easily and create easy to read and manage charts.

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