A Dozen Ways to Save at The Pump & Some Gasoline Humor

Tired of dumping cash into your tank? We all are! Here are a dozen ways to help save a little cash at the pumps.

Let's start with a little gasoline humor as sometimes the best way to deal with stress is through laughter. We all know going to the pump these days is very stressful, so let's laugh a little.

                                      

Now that we've had a good laugh, let's talk about ways you can make going to the pump not hurt so bad!

1. Drive Like Your Grandma! Driving too fast, rapid acceleration, and excessive breaking all burn fuel faster, not to mention these driving behaviors are also very bad for your car and increases the amount you spend on repairs. No more making fun of Grandma's driving, she's just driving frugal!
2. Obey the Law! Don't speed! It has been proven that gas mileage decreases immensely when your vehicle exceeds 60 mph. It cost and additional .25 cents per gallon for every 5 mph over that limit. Hey, this also prevents you from having a very pricey speeding ticket!
3. Loose Some Weight! No, not you (well unless you feel you need to=). I'm talking about your car. Do you have heavy equipment or tools you store in your vehicle? Transporting extra weight will cost you more. Improve your gas mileage by loosing the weight!
4. Don't be Idle! Don't leave your car running while it is not moving.  This is one of the worst ways to waste your gas. Keeping your car running while idle gives you ZERO mpg on your gas!
5. Pay More to Save More! Cheaper isn't always better. Higher quality, more expensive oils can improve fuel efficiency. Synthetic is good, or a standard oil that has friction reducing additives. Never use a grade that is lower then what your car calls for.
6. Know The Pressure! Invest in a tire pressure gauge. It's important to keep your tires properly inflated with the correct pressure as under inflated tires create more resistance which cost you more in gas. Also, tires properly inflated last longer and are much safer.
7. Get a Tune Up! Get a yearly tune up for your car. You may think that this isn't frugal, but rather costly. However, the cost to get a good quality tune up will cost you less then the money you would spend on gas running a car with an engine out of tune.
8. Stop! Go! Stop! Go!. . .STOP IT! Try to avoid the accelerate, stop, accelerate, stop between all the red lights. Let off the gas a little when you see a red light ahead. This kind of goes back to the "drive like your grandma". The less stopping you do, the better gas mileage you will get.
9. Travel Smart! In this world of technology, we should be able to plan our trips out carefully so we don't get lost or spend time back tracking. Also, don't ever buy gas from a gas station you can see from the highway. The prices at these stations are generally higher. It's worth going a mile or two off your path to fill up cheaper.  Fill up whenever and where ever gas is cheaper even if your tank is half full.
10. To A/C or Not to A/C. . .that is the question? Running your A/C can decrease your gas mileage drastically. Only use it when you really need it! However, rolling the window down also drastically increases gas consumption. . .so. . .If at all possible leave the A/C off and the windows rolled up. I know, this won't always be possible. =)
11. And to Top it All Off. . .or just don't! Avoid the temptation to "top of the tank". There is a reason there is a mechanism in the pumps to automatically shut off. Over filling your tank can cause spills and is just a waste of gas. This one is tempting for me because I like to see an even #. I know, the OCD in me!
12. Drive Less! Hmm. . .seems like a no brainer! Combine errands and car pool with others. Walk or ride your bike to work/school or other quick errands. You'll save gas and get in shape, a win win situation!