Even though gas prices are a lot lower than they used to be, gas for my car is still something I don’t like to spend too much money on.
Luckily it’s actually pretty easy to save money on gas by changing just a few small habits.
Here are eight ways to save money on gas for your car with little effort.
Don’t Warm Up Your Car for too Long
Most people warm up their car for 5 – 10 minutes on really cold winter mornings, but the truth is your car won’t run any better if you let it warm up for that long vs. only a minute or two. The only benefit of letting you car warm up for a longer period of time is that it will be warmer on the inside of the car for you. But the trade-off is having to spend more on gas. You can save money and stay warm by wearing a winter coat instead.
Buy Gas Early in the Morning or Late at Night
During summer months, it’s best to buy gas early in the morning at late at night, when it’s cooler. When it’s cooler outside gas is more dense and you lose less through gas emissions when it’s cooler and more dense.
Shut off Your Engine
Letting your engine idle is a huge waste of gas. Instead of sitting in line at a drive-thru restaurant with your engine idling, it’s best to shut it off and save gas.
Brake and Accelerate Slowly
Avoid jack-rabbit starts and sudden stops, which use more gas because your car is being less efficient. Braking too hard or too often can also cause your brake pads to wear out prematurely.
Drive Slower
If you can, leave a few minutes earlier and drive slower to reach your destination. Although speed limits on interstates and highways are higher than ever before, allowing you to reach your destination more quickly, this higher speed limit does result in a higher use of gas.
Use Cruise Control
When you are going a longer distance, use cruise control to help your speed stay steady. Driving at a steady speed will help your car use less gas.
Monitor Tire Pressure
You need to check your tire pressure regularly. Temperature changes can cause your tire pressure to fluctuate, which is hard on your tires and your gas mileage. Under-inflated tires are a particular concern because they cause tires to wear out faster and are a waste of gas.
Avoid Using the A/C
Just like how the A/C in your home can cause your summer utility bills to be high, using the A/C in your car will also cost you money by using up more gas. Instead, use a sun shade to block the sun while you are parked, and roll down your windows to circulate air and keep you cool.
Even though gas prices are lower than they used to be, you can still use these tips to help you save additional money?at the pump.
Do you do any of these things to save on gas??What other tips can you think of to help save money on gas?
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All great tips! We read somewhere that gas is cheapest on Wednesdays, so we try and fill up then. Also, hypermiling is huge! We’ve upped our MPG big time when practicing it.
Yes! Mid-week gas prices are usually lower. That’s one I forgot to include. Good tip! 🙂
Kayla, those are really great, very helpful tips. The one that I always practice is I buy gas early in the morning because of that reason and I notice that it can last longer.