20 Tips to Save Money on Gas

Don't let the car go under 1/4 tank before you fill up if you can. My cousin is a mechanic and he told me that on newer cars the sensors can be damaged if you allow the car to run too low on gas too often. Also in the summer running your car under 1/4 tank will more likely lead to vapor lock which can be expensive to repair depending on your vehicle. - 1/25/2011 1:29:44 PM

I take a vanpool to work on my 4 work days. I pay about $12 a month! and don't have to fill up my tank often at all.

I do utilize a gas card (Mobile) and it is great to see the cash rewards add up.

I don't agree with #9 though. I learnd from my self defense professor in college, that you should never let your tank get below 1/4 a tank - especially for women - if you are being followed, you need to have enough gas to get away. - 6/3/2010 11:18:55 AM

In re: "10. Don't top off. When filling up, use the automatic "stop" function on the pump. When it stops, don't pump out a few extra cents worth of gas by hand. That gas evaporates (talk about a waste of money) and is bad for the environment, too. "

Where I usually fill up, I can add at least another 1.5 gallons of gas to my tank, which usually saves me from having to make an extra trip to town (waste of time and gas).

I also question the statement that gas pumped by hand evaporates. It wouldn't do so unless it didn't go into the tank. Otherwise it would be just like all the rest of the gas pumped into the tank.
- 11/29/2009 11:28:55 PM

I read where if you pump your gas slow that it would not cause as many fumes to form inside the tank and you would save on filling up with gas. I have actually tried this and it works. With gas prices high, every penny counts for me. The faster you pump, the more fumes to evaporate instead of liquid staying in the tank. Try it, it really does work. - 11/1/2009 5:34:36 PM

In hot weather, get your gas when the day and car are both cool - early morning or late evening. Heat makes the gas expand (and move from liquid to gaseous), so you actually get less gas per gallon. Gas stations in Hawaii are calibrated to account for this change, but most other places do not. - 5/2/2009 1:27:10 PM

I drive about 70 miles a day to and from work. I live in South Dakota so interstate speed limit is 75 mph. Now if I take interstate the whole way, my car gets about 27 mpg. If gas is about 1.75 which is what it is here, that costs me about 4.54 a day. If I take another route and go 55 on the highway and 65 on the interstate, I get 32-33 mpg, which costs me about 3.80 a day. This route is the same distance and takes me maybe 5 minutes longer. Now that may save me only about .75 a day, but it will be more savings when gas prices go up again. Saving .75 a day over a year equals about $200.
I wish I could do more to save gas, but kinda impossible til I move closer to work in May. - 1/20/2009 3:16:36 PM

This article seems behind the times - gas prices are going down!

But that doesn't mean we shouldn't conserve and try to save even more. We just bought a hybrid vehicle and are doing our part to consume less gas. That will also help us pay for the car!! - 12/14/2008 12:57:08 PM

I used fueleconomy.gov to determine that downsizing was right for me. I had a 2006 Chevy Trailblazer EXT that I still owed $15,000 on. I sold it to CarMax in May 2008 for $14,000, and bought a new 2007 Pontiac Vibe for $16,400 (which is a rock-bottom price because 2009 models were already out). I drive 20,000 miles a year (my work commute is 70 miles/day), and the Trailblazer averaged 15 MPG, while the Vibe averages 27 MPG. At $3.50 a gallon for gas, I save over $2,000 a year in fuel, so the $1,000 I lost selling my Trailblazer will be made up next month, and after that, it's nothing but savings...Woo Hoo! Oh, and it's good for the environment :) - 10/9/2008 4:54:05 PM

The article is definitely correct on one thing!
You guys really have no idea what expensive gas is!
Try living in Britain these days lol - 9/25/2008 11:26:24 AM

This seems like pretty reasonable and sensible information EXCEPT the comment that driving 5 mph over 60 mph on the highway is like spending an extra 30 cents on gas. That doesn't even make sense. 30 cents compared to what base price? 30 cents on $3.50 gas is a heck of a higher percentage than 30 cents on $5 per gallon gas. I'd like to know how they arrived at that statistic. - 9/13/2008 2:19:25 PM

This seems like pretty reasonable and sensible information EXCEPT the comment that driving 5 mph over 60 mph on the highway is like spending an extra 30 cents on gas. That doesn't even make sense. 30 cents compared to what base price? 30 cents on $3.50 gas is a heck of a higher percentage than 30 cents on $5 per gallon gas. I'd like to know how they arrived at that statistic. - 9/13/2008 2:19:17 PM

This seems like pretty reasonable and sensible information EXCEPT the comment that driving 5 mph over 60 mph on the highway is like spending an extra 30 cents on gas. That doesn't even make sense. 30 cents compared to what base price? 30 cents on $3.50 gas is a heck of a higher percentage than 30 cents on $5 per gallon gas. I'd like to know how they arrived at that statistic. - 9/13/2008 2:18:50 PM

I drive an old SUV ('93 Toyata 4Runner- diesel) that gets horrible gas mileage. It costs about $70/tank and I fill up 2-3 times a month. I'm single with no kids and live about 3.5 miles from work so most of my trips are just me and sometimes my dog. I figured that if I could save one tank of gas a month during the summer and fall, it would only take a couple of months to equal the $400 I spent on a bike. It is not really feasable to carry a week's worth of groceries on my bike but I ride to work and back. Plus, it adds 30 minutes or cardio to my day. The dog rides in my CamelBak:) - 8/16/2008 8:41:13 AM

Save gas, the environment, and your health by taking the bus, biking or walking. When I take the bus, I lose weight because there is always a little walking involved. Bike or walk to close destinations. If your destination is within a few blocks, why are you taking the car? - 8/2/2008 10:19:51 PM

Save gas, the environment, and your health by taking the bus, biking or walking. When I take the bus, I lose weight because there is always a little walking involved. Bike or walk to close destinations. If your destination is within a few blocks, why are you taking the car? - 8/2/2008 10:18:14 PM