10 Tips to Spend Less On Gas

Have your gasoline expenses risen lately? You are not alone. According to GasBuddy, on March 5th, 2022 the U.S. national average for gas surpassed $4.00 per gallon for the first time since 2008 and recent spikes in prices are nearing record daily increases! With an end to this pain at the pump nowhere in sight, we’re all looking for ways to spend less on gas. We don’t have any answers for how to stop skyrocketing prices, but we do have a few tips for improving fuel efficiency. Let’s face it, at this point every penny helps!

How to Spend Less On Gas By Improving Fuel Efficiency in Your Car

Maintain your vehicle. A properly maintained vehicle uses less gasoline because it works more efficiently. Three common maintenance tasks involve keeping tires properly inflated, changing the oil, and tuning up your engine. A quick trip to the service center is likely to be worth every penny if helps save at the pump!
Don’t speed. Seriously, don’t speed! Along with avoiding costly speeding tickets (which aren’t good for your insurance premiums), going the speed limit uses less gasoline. Generally
speaking, once you travel over 50 mph, gas mileage rapidly decreases.
Use the lowest manufacturer-recommended octane. Higher octanes are only necessary in specific circumstances. Otherwise, you are just spending extra money for no benefit.
Avoid unnecessary idling. If you are going to idle for more than a minute, it is better to turn off the engine and restart to avoid unnecessary gas usage. Idling may be more convenient, but it won’t help you spend less on gas.
Use cruise control when possible. Maintaining a constant speed improves fuel economy. It also helps you avoid those speeding tickets we keep warning you about.
Use the air conditioner sparingly and on the economy or recirculation settings. Air conditioning puts about a 20% greater load on the engine and that means more fuel burned! Use the economy setting, if your AC has one, to circulate uncooled air and the recirculation setting to reduce the amount of outside hot air that needs to be chilled.
Combine errands. Combining errands, especially if you select an efficient route, decreases the number of miles you drive and thus the amount of gasoline used. Think like an Amazon delivery driver and plan out that route ahead of time!
Don’t accelerate or brake hard. Aggressive driving decreases your fuel economy by about 5% in the city and 33% at highway speeds. Sensing a trend yet? Safe driving means spending less on gas all around!
Keep car windows closed. Driving with the windows open creates a greater drag on the vehicle and decreases fuel economy by about 10%.
Avoid heavy loads. Do not store unnecessary items in your car. Just an extra 100 lbs. can decrease mileage by 2%. If you don’t need it, leave it at home.