Shopping Smart - How To Save Money on Gas

Shopping Smart - How To Save Money on Gas

Most people are currently reeling from the rising mortgage rates and food costs.  Unfortunately gas prices are on the rise too. According to AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report, as of September 29, the national average price of a gallon of regular gas is $3.78 (AAA, 2012). If you are among those people who cringe every time they drive up to the pump, or if you are worried about how you can afford to continue filling your tank, it is time to relax. You do not have to put off the summer road trip which you have been planning for a long time. Below are a few tips you can use to cut back on your gas expenses.

You should Maintain Your Vehicle

According to the available published evidence, checking the tire pressure, replacing the air filter every 12,000 miles, changing the oil regularly, and conducting a tune-up as required  can help to maximize a car’s fuel efficiency. In addition, according to FuelEconomy.gov(a website that offers tips on improving fuel efficiency), fixing serious maintenance problems  can go a long way towards improving your gas mileage by almost 40 per cent. Stating the point more correctly,  you can save as much as 38 cents per gallon by checking and replacing old filters.

Use A Gas Reward Card

With a designated credit card, you can earn up to 5 percent rebate each time you buy a gas. If you use a Discover Open Road Card, you can also get as much as 5 percent cash back on all auto maintenance and fuel purchases. To see the benefits of other reward deals, go to cardratings.com – it is a website that has the listing of the best gas reward cards. Other great deals you can get on the web include the following:

·         GasPriceWatch.com – which you can find the lowest prices in your area by conducting a search by city, state or ZIP code.

·         GasBuddy.com – Here, you can find daily current prices  at gas stations around the country.

·         Freegashelp.com – Here you can get a gift card for free gas of up to $200. However, it comes with a condition, which is that you will agree to display their advertisements on your car.

Improve  Your Driving Habits

If you make small adjustments to your driving habit, you can save big bucks. Try as much as possible to consolidate all your trips. And, where possible, avoid sudden breaking and acceleration. Whenever you are  in a less-congested road, you should consider using your cruise control. If applied properly,  especially when it is done each time you are driving, these measures can maximize your vehicle’s fuel economy(Black Enterprise, 2008).

Buy A Hybrid Car

Even though  a sport utility vehicle(SUV) may be your dream car, don’t forget that they are gas guzzlers that will leave you with an empty tank as well as empty wallet. So, if you must have an SUV,  then you should consider getting a hybrid – the type of SUV which uses both a gasoline engine and an electric motor and hence can achieve as much as 45 per cent improvement in gas mileage. Note that even though a hybrid cost more than their non-hybrid counterparts, you will definitely save a lot of money in the long run by buying a hybrid SUV  or any hybrid car of your choice. I will illustrate my point  by presenting  one important example. Intellichoice.com, a website that helps car buyers make purchasing decisions, conducted a hybrid study in 2008. This study revealed that,  in terms of maintenance, repairs,  and higher re-sale values(based on five years of ownership), 50 percent of the 24 hybrids on the market at the time of the study performed better than their non-hybrid counterparts(Black Enterprise, 2008).

Alternative Transportation – Use It

You may consider parking your car sometimes and hitching a ride on the train or bus. This may surprise you: when you use public transportation and forgo the typical vehicle expenses, you can save up to $6000 each year. Participating in a car pool can also help you to save big bucks. Suggested websites in this regard include eRideShare.com and RideSearch.com.

References

AAA(2012): National Average Prices. AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report. Retrieved September 29, 2012 from http://fuelgaugereport.aaa.com/?redirectto=http://fuelgaugereport.opisnet.com/index.asp

Five Ways To Save Money on Gas(2008, July). Black Enterprise, p.120.