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Tips
for Saving Money on Gas
- Automotive.com
offers a free service for Internet users to find local gas
stations offering the lowest gas prices. When I checked
their site as I was writing this article, the lowest price
gas station in my area was about 10 cents a gallon cheaper
than average, and 20 cents cheaper than the highest priced
station in town. I have a gas guzzling min-van that takes
about 17 gallons eachweek to fill up. So if I have to fill
up my tank once a week, and I go to the lowest price station
each time, that is a potential savings of $1.70 a week,
or $88 dollars in a year's time.
One thing I did notice at the automotive.com site is that
price list for my area didn't include the local Costco's
gas station, which usually has pretty good gas prices. So
if you do use their site, remember to also check on your
own any warehouse stores you belong to that also sell gasoline,
if you don't see them on their list.
Check out
their site at:
http://www.automotive.com/gas-prices/index.html
- The heavier
your car is, the more gas you will use up driving around,
so try not to drive around with anything weighty in the
car that you don't absolutely need to take with you
on each trip.
For example, leave the double stroller at home if you are
going out without the kids or are going some place like
church where you know a stroller will not be needed. If
you live in a colder climate, leave the sand bags, chains
and shovels at home as soon as the weather turns nice and
there is no longer a chance of getting stuck in the snow.
Take the ski racks and bike racks off for doing errands
around town and only put them on when you know you will
really be going skiing or biking.
| Dr.
Dipstik's Temple of Thrifty Motoring
- has some good tips to save more than $250,000 in
a life time of car ownership by simply taking good
care of your cars and making them last as long as
they possibly can. |
- Save up all
of the errands you can to do on one day of the week.
Make a list the night before of all of the places you need
to go to on errand day and map out the shortest route. This
will save you time as well as gas money.
- If you are planning
a trip, the American Automobile Association has a cool site
where you can enter your starting city, destination city
and your type of car information, and their program
will calculate the gas cost of the trip for you based on
local gas prices.
- Explore alternative
forms of transportation such as the bus, or ride your
bike or walk when possible. Americans are in the habit of
driving everywhere, but in many other countries bikes are
a main form of transportation. Walking and bike riding can
also be inexpensive ways of entertainment
and exercise.
- It is a standard
on everyone's list of tips to save on gas, but it is still
worth mentioning - try car pooling. Try to find someone
else to car pool with for any regularly scheduled events
like school, work, soccer practice, etc. If you or your
kids are going to an event like a Scout outing or a party,
try to car pool with someone else that you know who will
be attending the same event.
- The way you
drive your car can save on gas costs. Check out these tips
on more efficient
driving from The U.S. Department of Energy.
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