3. Reduce your commute. Move closer to work if possible, work from home a day or two a week, or get a job in your neighborhood. 4. Don't wait for a holiday. Gas prices rise whenever more people travel, such as around the holidays. Fill up at least three days before a holiday. 5. Fill up mid week, in the morning. Wednesday is the cheapest day of the week to fill your tank. The weekends are the most expensive. Gas stations change their prices midmorning, so head to the pumps before you go to the office. 6. Park it. Park once, in the first spot you see. Unless you can't walk, park as soon as you find a spot instead of driving around to find one that's close. Also, if you're going to make several stops in the area, leave your car parked and drop off packages between stops, if need be. You can squeeze in a bit of exercise while you shop! 7. Charge it! Get a gas credit card that offers you savings. If your card is specific to one company, make sure those gas stations are located in the areas where you typically drive. You won't save money if you drive across town to get gas! (Just be sure to pay off the card in full each month so you don't get hit with finance charges.) 8. Go low. Use the lowest recommended octane for your car. Check you're the owner's manual for your car, but most cars on the road today can go with the lowest-octane (and cheapest) gasoline. 9. Wait to fill up. Always fill up when you've got a quarter of a tank or less. You get better gas mileage with a lighter load, so that means gas mileage improves as you near empty. However, don't let it get too low-you could end up stranded! 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. 11. Quit idling! Idling wastes gas and pollutes the air. Whether you're in line at a drive-thru, waiting for school to let out, or stopped in a parking lot, turn off the car. Turn the ignition to "accessory" mode to keep the radio and AC on. Even better, park and walk inside instead of using a drive-thru. Continued › |
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About The Author
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Stepfanie Romine A former newspaper reporter, Stepfanie now writes about nutrition, health and fitness, with an emphasis on whole foods and from-scratch cooking. She is a certified Ashtanga yoga teacher who enjoys Spinning, international travel and vegetables of all kinds. See all of Stepfanie's articles. |
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