May 19 2008
Gasoline prices - Saving at the pump
Gasoline prices are hideous right now, and I think they are only going to go up. This doesn’t bode well for a lot of things like food prices, airline tickets, etc. But right now, the concern for me is how to spend less at the gas pump. Here are some tips I’ve gleaned from several other sources:
- Carpool. And not just for work, though it’s a bonus if you can find a carpool buddy or two for getting to work. I’m also talking about carpooling to a party, church activity, or even carpooling with a neighbor to go grocery shopping. Every little bit helps!
- Bundle your errands. Pick one day a week as errand day, and try to only run all your important errands all at once.
- Take the bus. If you have a public transportation system in your area, consider using it.
- Ride a bike or walk. If there’s something close by, consider doing the healthy thing and biking or walking!
- Spend time at home. This one is hard if you like to go out a lot, but you may want to plan more family activities at home or in the neighborhood park.
- Vacation close to home. If you’re taking a family vacation, it may be in your best interest to chose a destination that’s not too far away. Sometimes even a vacation in your own city can be nice. How often do you do the tourist thing at home?!
- Fill your tires to the correct pressure. Incorrect air pressure can eat up gas, so make sure your car tires are filled correctly.
- Maintain your vehicle. Get regular tuneups, and make sure the car is in proper working order.
- Don’t drive over 55mph. You lose efficiency at that point, so don’t speed!
- Drive consistently. Accelerating and decelerating quickly causes you to burn quickly through gas, so keep your pace consistent.
- Don’t load the car up with stuff. The lighter the car, the better gas mileage you’re going to get.
- Coast to a stop at stoplights. If you anticipate stops take your foot off the gas immediately, you’ll save a bit on gas.
There are tons of money-saving tips for saving on gasoline, but these are a good start. I hope you can implement one or two to save money. Do you have any money-saving tips for reducing your gas bill?
2 Responses to “Gasoline prices - Saving at the pump”
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We have really decreased our gas usage since it got ridiculously expensive, and it has turned out to be really great. We have made some lifestyle changes - like walking most places…work, school, the library, the store - that we will most likely continue since gas prices don’t seem like they will ever go back down.
One thing that helps is making goals for how much gas to use - kind of like a gas budget. We fill up our car with a certain amount of gas and then decide when we will fill up next. If we start running low on gas, we simply cut out driving so we’ll make it to our next fill-up. We either walk or stay at home.