Saving on fuel has been top of every motorist’s agenda as the prices of oil continue to fluctuate now and then. How to save money on gas crosses everyone’s mind in particular at times when fuel prices tend to go up.
Whether you drive to work every day, travel as part of your job, or just want to lower your overall fuel costs, there are several tips available that can help reduce your gasoline consumption without changing your life too much.
Can I Save Money on Gas?
The answer is yes! While gas is one of those inevitable expenses for most drivers, there are quite several ways to reduce the amount spent. Saving money on gas is about being smarter with driving habits, maintaining your vehicle, and seeking out cost-effective alternatives.
Small changes in the way you drive and maintain your vehicle can substantially improve your gas mileage.
For example, driving smoothly and not aggressively, not letting your car idle unnecessarily, and maintaining proper tire inflation will help you travel more miles on a single tank.
Use technology, such as apps that find the cheapest gas stations, and employ fuel-saving behaviors that will help you stretch your gas dollar.
Effective Ways to Save Money on Gas
Now that we can rest assured it’s possible to save on gas, let’s see some of the ways to do so effectively. Here are nine how-to-save money on gas tips you can start using today:
1. Drive More Efficiently
Aggressive driving-e.g., speeding, quick acceleration, and hard braking-can lower your gas mileage by a whopping percent.
You can improve your fuel economy by up to 40% just by driving smoothly and following speed limits. Smooth acceleration and braking saves fuel and keeps your engine running more efficiently.
2. Use Cruise Control on Highways
Maintaining the same speed on the highway will use less fuel. Cruise control can help you avoid needless acceleration and deceleration, which lowers your fuel economy.
The use of cruise control when one is covering long distances on flat highways saves gas since it keeps a constant speed.
3. Avoid Needless Idling
Idling your car- whether waiting in line or parked- wastes fuel. Newer cars use less fuel restarting than idling for extended periods.
If you are going to be stopped for more than a minute, it is a more fuel-economic thing for you to turn off your engine and then restart it when you are ready to drive.
4. Plan Your Trips
Instead of taking several short trips, combine errands into a single trip. Cold engines burn more fuel; thus, chaining errands when the engine is at its warmest will contribute to higher overall fuel efficiency.
Besides, planning routes that avoid traffic congestion prevents unnecessary stop-and-go driving, which guzzles more fuel.
5. Check Your Tire Pressure
Properly inflated tires are a must for the best fuel economy. The more a tire is underinflated, the more rolling resistance it creates, which forces your engine to work harder and use more fuel.
You can improve your gas mileage by up to 3% by checking your tires regularly and maintaining them at their recommended pressure by the manufacturer.
6. Lighten Your Load
The heavier your car, the more gasoline it uses. Remove all unrequired materials from your car, particularly heavy equipment or junk in the trunk. Each additional 100 pounds in your vehicle reduces your fuel economy by nearly 1%.
Note also that if you have a roof rack or carrier, removing it when not in use will help optimize wind resistance.
7. Utilize Gas Price Apps
Apps like GasBuddy or Waze will let you compare gas prices to find the cheapest filling stations in your area. This could save a few cents per gallon because such applications will lead you through those stations that offer the lowest prices. Over time, it means big savings.
8. Take Advantage of Loyalty Programs
Many gas stations and grocery stores have loyalty programs that help you get discounts on fuel. For instance, some chains of grocery stores give you fuel points for every dollar spent, which are redeemable at participating gas stations to get discounts on gas. So, enroll in those programs.
9. Carpool or Use Public Transportation
This can greatly reduce how much you pay for gas when carpooling with coworkers, friends, or family. Carpooling not only helps lower the cost of fuel but cuts down on wear and tear to your vehicle as well.
If at all possible, public transportation can be used for commutes, which can eliminate fuel costs.
Why Does Saving Money on Gas Seem Difficult?
While the ways of saving fuel are many, most people still cannot afford to reduce their fuel expenditures persistently.
Probably one of the most prevalent reasons people fail is because of set driving habits: Aggressive driving or speeding may be considered a habit that one cannot get rid of, yet it is directly proportional to fuel consumption.
Since these are usually subconscious acts, active effort will be required to change them, which may be hard without realizing plausible savings.
Another factor is convenience: many drivers settle for the nearest or most accessible station, even if it happens to be more expensive.
That convenience-over-cost type of mentality can add up after a while, especially when gas prices skyrocket. While using various apps to check on gas prices or planning one’s trip to reduce driving does indeed require more effort, it pays off substantially in the end.
Last but not least, car maintenance is generally neglected. Minor activities such as checking tire pressure or tuning up the engine are hardly done, which lessens fuel efficiency. Maintenance of one’s car will save gas, but most drivers do not bother.
Can You Save by Driving More Efficiently?
Although the exact quantity will vary based on one’s driving habits and the type of vehicle one drives, various studies indicate that driving efficiently can save one anywhere from 10% up to 40% on fuel costs.
Such drivers may experience huge savings just by staying within the speed limit, not accelerating suddenly, and maintaining uniform speed.
You can further enhance your savings by adopting other fuel-saving behaviors, such as planning your routes, reducing idling, and making sure that your tires are properly inflated.
Altogether, this may amount to hundreds of dollars saved on gas per year for the average driver. Used in concert with gas price comparison apps and loyalty programs, efficient driving can dramatically reduce the overall cost of fuel.
Conclusion
The constantly changing fuel prices have made the question of how to save money on gas a very important one for drivers.
By following fuel-efficient driving habits, maintaining your vehicle, and using technology to locate cheaper gas stations, you can significantly cut down the cost of gas.
Breaking old habits takes effort, and it takes effort, too, to be consistent with the practices that promote fuel efficiency; this is well worth the financial benefits.
Over time, such savings hacks may help set up a healthier budget and leave you with more money to put toward other vital financial goals.