More Ways 2 Save Money on Gas
Park in the first spot you find in the parking lot. How many times is there a pileup near the front door of a store because three cars are trying to park in the one spot that opened up near the front while half of the lot 15 cars over is completely empty. You will most likely rack up a few kilometres in the store anyway, so what's a few more steps in the parking lot, plus if you quickly park and turn off the engine, this habit can add up over time and save you money. Plus the walk counts as exercise!
When you buy gas, it can be from an off-brand station because fuel is fuel and most of the rest of the brand hype is marketing. Maybe there are subtle differences in fuel grade, but chances are your car won't know the difference, but choosing the lower priced gas station will surely save you money.
Go ahead and put the low octane fuel in your car. The days are over where catalytic converters in some cars required 92 octane or higher fuel. Now the old 87 stuff even mixed with 10% Ethanol works just fine and this step will save you alot of money on gas over the year. All fuels have detergent and additives. The only exception to this would be on high performance cars that are engineered to use higher octane fuels so check your owners manual to be sure. (but then again if you are driving a high performance car, saving money on gas may not be your priority anyway).
See if a certain gas station chain has a rewards program and at least get a free cup of coffee or other rewards here and there - but only if the gas is reasonably priced compared to other gas stations in the area.
There are also gas station branded credit cards that offer you free fuel or other perks, but that only works if you pay the card off every month and do not run a balance that will rack up interest charges, or again the gas savings won't be the main problem.
More gas saving measure
Some other gas saving measures include operating the car until it gets close to empty (1/4 tank). This can be dicey and not recommended in the winter when the tank can freeze or if on a longer trip where you do not know the location of the open gas stations. Being constantly watchful of the gas gauge and fuel amount is a good habit though and can help us drive a little further before fueling up.
In generally hauling around a lighter load saves money on fuel, whether it is the weight of the fuel or of things packed in the car. There is also no reason to carry around heavy items in the trunk that are not needed because it costs money to transport around extra pounds.
Buy gas well in advance of holiday weekends, for some reason or other they always go up over the holidays.
Extreme measures will be to buy a more fuel efficient car, even looking into a new Hybrid.
Some information books and sites suggest buying a motorcycle because it is cheaper on fuel, but unless you are a motorcycle enthusiast and are very good at it, there is no point winding up in a ditch or worse while trying to save a few pennies. Money isn't everything, so no point in being penny-wise and pound foolish (or using extreme gas saving techniques such as following trucks too closely because they provide a wind-tunnel effect which lowers the wind friction the tailgating car's windshield, but the problem is you also don't see what's ahead of the truck and that is a good way to end up in the back of the truck, or at least a good way to get a tailgating ticket and some demerit points.)
One great way to reduce fuel expenses is to avoid the so called "jackrabbit start". That is where the light turns green and you immitate Mario Andretti or Al Unser (or Speed Racer; this may age the author) and floor the car to get to the next light. This wastes an extreme amount of fuel over time compared to slower stops and measured starts.
Air Conditioning uses up to 7-8% of the fuel when operating it full time. While it is comfortable to have the A/C on in the hot summer while driving at higher speeds on the highway, it may be possible to open the windows instead while driving at slower speeds and save money by saving gas.
Make sure the gas cap is properly installed and providing the necessary seal to avoid extreme evaporation of fuel. Parking in the shade is another good idea especially when hot outdoors so the A/C does not have to work as hard to bring the car back to a comfortable temperature. A side note is that fuel actually evaporates from gas tanks and will do so more in direct sunlight than in the shade.
Drive within posted speed limits as the faster you drive, the more gas is used.
A big gas waster is unnecessary idling. Sometimes when dropping someone off to run a quick errand, we wait in an idling car. This is a big fuel waster an unnecessary. Some communities have actually recently passed laws against idling a car in a parking lot or when parked for more than 3 minutes. It is also a bit better for the environment to avoid idling while parked. Or when pulling into or out of a driveway and chatting up a neighbor, just turn off the car, finish the conversation and then restart it.
Check tire inflation regularly and become familiar with how to properly use a tire gauge and how much air each of your tires requires for optimum performance. Underinflated tires can cause unnecessary drag and lower your fuel economy (sometimes by over 5%).
Regularly service the car and have them check the air filter and change the oil at regular recommended intervals.
Hopefully there is a tip among these which can help you save some money on gas over the coming year.
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