Remember when gas prices were below $2? With fuel prices still elevated, it’s time to make some changes to lower your cost at the pump. We’ve put together five tips to save gas and cut your costs to give you a slight advantage.
1. Don’t Idle the Engine
What’s worse than getting reduced fuel economy? Driving 0 miles per gallon. That’s precisely what happens when you allow your engine to idle without going anywhere. However, many people leave the engine idle because they believe restarting it uses more fuel. In general, restarting the engine uses the same amount of fuel as idling 30 seconds. If you plan to idle longer than this, you should turn the engine off instead.
2. Keep Tires Inflated
Driving on tires that aren’t properly inflated will cause you to use more fuel than necessary. Find the appropriate tire pressure for your car and check it often. You can find this figure on the driver’s side door jamb. You should check the tire pressures once a month and any time the temperatures fluctuate significantly. If you carry a tire pressure gauge with you, it’s much easier to do.
3. Avoid Premium Fuel
You probably don’t need to use premium fuel in your vehicle. Unless the owner’s manual specifically tells you to use premium fuel only, you have a choice. With prices the way they are today, it’s unlikely you need the small boost to performance this badly.
4. Shop for Fuel Prices
In just a mile radius, you can find huge price differences for fuel. Warehouse clubs tend to have the lowest prices, but you might be able to find something comparable. Look on a fuel station finder, such as GasBuddy to perform some comparison shopping.
5. Keep the Car Tuned Up
It might be difficult to keep up with car maintenance when money is tight, but it’s essential to lowering your overall costs. With regular maintenance, you prevent future, more costly problems from occurring. You also spend less money on fuel with the engine running at optimized levels.
Share Your Tips to Save Gas
What are some of your best tips on saving gas during these times? Share some ideas with us in the comments.
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