With the rising cost of gas prices, we all need to learn how to save money on gas. Every little bit of savings helps to make an impact on your budget. Try these 5 money saving tips.
How to save money on gas
Being frugal at the gas pump is something that many people give little thought to. We all need gas for transportation.
It is easy to just fill up without any thought given to saving on gas. Interestingly, it is one of the most powerful places to have an impact on your budget.
Saving money at the gas pump can have a huge impact. Even more importantly, the changes that can save you money are easy.
They take little to no time at all to implement. Try some of these today and watch the savings add up.
How to save on gasoline costs
You will be surprised how the savings add up and how effortless it was to do. We have several things you can do right now to save cold, hard cash at the pump.
1. Fill Up Middle of the Week
It is a well known fact that gas prices are at their highest on the weekends. This is due to most people having more time to fill up then.
Furthermore, many families travel on the weekends and thus need to fill up with gas. Rather than paying top dollar on the weekend for convenience, stop on a Wednesday instead and enjoy the savings.
Sometimes, you can also save by pumping gas at gas stations earlier in the day. I recently filled up after school drop off because the lines are shortest then. I noticed by lunch time, prices had risen.
2. How to save fuel while driving – Never Ride on Empty
Many people think this is an old wives’ tale but it is based on fact. Running a car on less gas than is optimal means the car has to work harder.
This means that the car is not efficiently using the gasoline and pulling more than is needed to operate the car. There is also that added inconvenience of potentially running out of gas.
Rather than doing this to your car, fill up when you hit the half empty line. This will keep your car running optimally and your gas prices down.
3. What is the best gas to use for your car.
Stick to Regular Fuel Unless You Own a High Performance Sports Car that requires premium gasoline. Buying a high grade of gasoline is going to do very little for your family sedan.
The old station wagon is not going to perform better or last longer by using high grade premium gas. What you will accomplish is paying way too much for your gas each week.
This costs people a ton of money every single week. The truth is…it is money down the drain
4. Do Trip Combos
This means sitting down and planning out your day beforehand. Each evening, sit down and figure out where you need to go and what you need the car for.
Consider where everything is and how you can combine trips. Nothing stinks worse than to pass right by someplace and then get home and realize you needed to stop there.
Plan ahead and work out trip combos to use less gas and save money. Not only will this save on gas but is a better use of time.
You will be more organized by having your day mapped out. This will result in saving time as well.
5. Use an Online Gas Finder
These little websites are awesome. Simply put in your address and it will spit out the lowest prices and where they are located.
There are also phone apps that can do the same thing if you are on the go. Find one you trust and that consistently gives you the right information and stick with it. This is especially helpful when traveling when you are not as familiar about the area.
Do you have any that you recommend?
More ways to save on gas:
- Some gas stations offer fuel savings in the form of a percentage back or savings on each gallon of gas. It is worth checking into what your local stations offer. Cents per gallon savings may not sound like much but add up over time.
- Gas credit cards often issue rewards, points or other savings. This is a good way to save on gas if you can commit to paying off your credit card each statement.
- Grocery stores that also have gas pumps usually have a rewards system connected to your grocery spending. I have spotted savings as high as 25 cents off per gallon.
- If you are in the market for a new vehicle, make sure to purchase one that is fuel efficient and gets good gas mileage. The more miles per gallon you can get, the more money you will save with fuel efficient vehicles. Fuel economy makes a huge difference.
- Make sure your tires have proper tire pressure. Driving with tires that are not inflated correctly, can decrease fuel economy and increase fuel costs.
- Use a fuel efficient motor oil to save on fuel economy.
We can’t control the gas prices, but we can control our spending. Therefore, use some of these simple tips and tricks to save money. It will greatly reduce your gas bill and overall budget.
Do you have any tips to save on gas?
Great tips! Never ride on empty is a really important one – especially down here in Houston during hurricane season! I’ve seen all the gas stations around me CLOSE because there is no gas – it is scary!