You can save money on gas by following a few simple driving techniques and changing up your usual driving routine. By following these helpful money saving tips to extend your gas mileage, you’ll have more money to spend on other more important things.
Get Rid of Excess Weight
You never know when you may need something, which is one of the reasons why most people like to drive around with everything, but the kitchen sink. But did you know you are losing valuable gas mileage when you do this? You could be losing up to 3 percent of total gas mileage for every 100 pounds you lug around. So clear out your car or truck and only leave the things you need. And, no, I don’t mean getting rid of that annoying coworker who carpools with you.
Turn the Car off when it’s Not in Use
You know it takes longer than 5 minutes when you go through the drive thru, so the next time you find yourself in a long line in the drive thru, turn off your car.Keeping your car on idle can waste up to a quarter to a half gallon of fuel each hour; all of this of course is dependent on the size of your car engine and air conditioner use.
Make One Large Trip to Run Errands
You can save money on gas by combining all of your errands into one trip. In fact, you can expend up to twice as much gas from several short trips than you do when you go the same distance.
Avoid Traffic Like the Plague
You waste more gas when you’re constantly making start and go stops, which is usually what happens when you’re caught in traffic. Instead, try taking the back streets or another alternate route where traffic is lighter.
Carpool
You can greatly reduce the cost of fuel and the wear and tear of your car by riding with a group of people. You can also take advantage of the local car pool lanes on freeways, which are often less busy and allow you to attain more miles per gallon.
Public Transit
If you have a car or truck that is considered a gas-guzzler, you may want to consider taking the public transit a few times a week to save money on gas. There are many avenues you can try, including buses, subways, trains; however, this all depends on where you live. While the cost varies according to the type of transportation you decide to take, it will still save you a great deal of money on the cost of gas.
