In a world of fluctuating gas prices, no one wants to bust their budget. Here are some money-saving tips.
 |
Use a website like Gas Buddy (http://www.gasbuddy.com/) to find gas stations near you that have the lowest prices. Remember not to drive too far to get to a discount gas station. If you drive 10 miles each way and are paying $.15/mile in gasoline, and you save $1 at the pump, you still actually lost $2 because of the cost of getting to the station.
|
 |
Make sure your car is in good shape. If the check engine light is on, check it out. A place like Autozone will read the engine codes for free and give suggestions for what is wrong.
|
 |
If you haven't changed your spark plugs in a while, do that. If the spark plugs aren't sparking as they should, you will either not be capturing all the power you could from your gasoline, or you might even be sending unburnt gas out the exhaust pipe. (30,000 miles is recommended for spark plugs.)
|
 |
Check your air filter. Dirty air filters make your engine work hard to get the air it needs. You want your engine working to move you - not to get air. (10,000 miles is recommended for air filters.)
|
 |
Don't drive so fast! 55MPH is the optimal highway driving speed for fuel efficiency in most cars. There is no need to speed.
|
 |
Use the cruise control on stretches of road (such as highways) where you rarely have to adjust your speed. The cruise control will generally make you accelerate more smoothly than you would on your own.
|
 |
If you see a red light ahead a decent distance ahead, stop accelerating. There is no sense in coming up to a red light at full speed then stopping suddenly. If you can coast up to the red light at a safe speed, it's better than wasting gasoline to get there.
|
