Everyone does it while they’re sitting in traffic in front of a school their kids don’t even attend – carry the four, subtract from the two, divide by the equal coefficient of the previous exponent. (Math isn’t my strong suit.) Wait, THAT is how much I’m spending on gas to get to work every morning?! That can’t be right… Let’s start over.
It’s been a battle we’ve all been fighting for about fifteen to twenty years now, watching the yo-yo of fuel tease us with a road trip across the country in a double wide RV, then sky rocket to becoming a shut-in.
The reality of the scary high gas prices is something we can’t help you bring down.
But we can help you save the gas that’s in your tank, and stretch it a bit further. Here are a few tips to keep you out of line at the pump:
How to Save Gas and other tips to save money at the gas pump. Milton Ruben Superstore, Augusta, GA Travel Tips.
1. Stop Driving Like A Jerk. We’re not in Atlanta here guys. (No offense, ATL.) There is absolutely no need to weave through traffic, cutting off your neighbors, and challenging the blood pressure medications of your elders. Studies have shown that slowing gradually to a stop, and slowly accelerating to speed can increase the life of your gas tank by as much as 35%. That may be worth retiring your Road Raging ways.
2. Think Twice Before Topping Off. Yes, I know, that gas station’s price tag is two cents lower than the last time you filled up. But fuel is weight, weight is resistance, and resistance is a lower MPG. Capiche? Depending on how far out of the way that perfect gas station is (if it’s far from home/work, consider the gas you’re using to get there as lost every time you wander to the hills for a fill up), it’s actually more efficient to fill to half or three-fourths to save on weight, then fill most of the way up again once you hit a quarter tank.
Another Plus: Not riding your tank on gas fumes could help elongate the life of your fuel pump.
3. Keep Up On Proper Maintenance. There are a lot of things we go over in our multi-point inspections that have a huge impact on the overall health of your vehicle – that’s why we want to check them each and every time you visit. Air filters are commonly overlooked, and can be seen as an unnecessary commodity, but a dirty air filter can lower your miles to the gallon by as much as 10%. Additionally, a poor alignment can make your engine work harder to effectively turn the wheels, which you’ll pay for at the pump.
4. Keep An Eye on Tire Pressure. Have you ever noticed how flat tires don’t roll so well? Although you may not notice it, if your tire’s air pressure is low, it’s wrecking all kinds of damage – on both your tire, and your mileage. The lack of pressure means the wheel has to work harder to get it to turn, which means more work from the engine, and so on, until your gas pump becomes the end result. (Be aware that weather can affect your TPMS.)
5. Consider Investing in a Diesel or a Hybrid. Although Diesel can often be a good deal pricier than conventional fuel, it would have to be a solid 25-30% more expensive to outweigh the benefits in efficiency. Because Diesel uses heat from compression to ignite the engine, rather than sparks, they need less energy to start – and keep going.
Not only do Hybrids save at the pump by using a variety of energy sources to keep those wheels a turnin’, there are also a lot of rebate offers and tax breaks on alternative energy investments – including the Hybrid.
6. Drive Smarter. Idling for more than a minute wastes more gas than just starting up your car again. Cruise Control is a blessing on flat lands, but if you’re taking a visit to the foothills, do without. When the light ahead of you is red, take your foot off the gas. If you reach the light by the time it turns green, you just saved yourself a few mpg for the tank by not coming to a full stop before accelerating again.
7. Use Technology. Using contraptions like GPS can help plan out your trip on shorter distances (fewer miles, less gas), or more highways (consistent speed saves on gas). There are also a lot of apps out now that will show you the cheapest gas in your general area. (check out CNN’s best here)
It’s an imperfect world, and there may not be much we can do at this precise juncture to help keep you from forking over all of your hard-earned dough at the fuel pump, but we can decrease the frequency that you have to make that depressing little visit.
Do you have any tips or tricks to increase your mpg?
To learn more about keeping your tires in tip-top shape, make sure you’re buying the right kind.
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