Who wouldn’t want to save on gas?If you own a car, you know how painful it is whenever you have to fill up your gas tank. Saving some cents here and there may not seem like much but will have a greater impact in the long run. The obvious question here is, why not get an electric car? That is a reasonable question however, electric cars are still somewhat expensive and the majority of us still drive gas powered vehicles. If you fall into this category, take a look at some easy ways to save some gas. Help the environment and yourself.Slow Down!We are all guilty of speeding every now and then but it’s never necessary. If you’re going to be conscious of your gas budget, remember to obey speed limits at all times. The easiest way to save money is to simply keep your foot off the gas pedal. Every year, cars are getting faster and it’s more tempting to speed every now and then. Keeping a steady speed helps avoid sudden braking and having to accelerate frequently. Accelerating is the main cause of gas consumption and you want to avoid that as much as possible. When you do need to accelerate, do it gradually. This type of driving mentality is great for avoiding accidents as well, just make sure that you are keeping up with traffic flow.Pump your tiresA lot of people don’t pay attention to their tire pressure as much as they should. Most cars nowadays make it easy to do so with built in tire pressure monitors but there are still cars out there without them. Your tire pressure should be checked at least once a week. Do yourself a favor, if you don’t have one already, get a tire pressure gauge. This tool is very handy and will help you know when your tires are too low. Every car comes with a specific PSI for each tire which is stated in the manual or on the tire itself. Make sure to always keep your tires filled at the right PSI. The lower the tire, the harder the engine will work to move the car and the more gas you will use. PSI fluctuates a lot depending on temperature so it is very important to keep checking your tire pressure.Shut off your engineThis is an obvious tip that everyone forgets about. Don’t idle your car, shut it off instead. Besides the gas you will save, you will also be saving the environment. EPA(Environmental Protection Agency) suggests that you always shut off your car when it’s not in use to help lower the effect of car emissions. If you are picking someone up, turn your car off while you wait, you will save some gas and maybe even a ticket. Yes, there are laws in some states regarding engine idling.Road TripRoad trips are the perfect way to get more bang for your buck. Your car consumes less gas when it is running at a steady speed. If you are heading on a long trip, make sure to use your cruise control. This feature is not available in every car but it is very common. You can keep your car running at the same speed and just sit back and watch your MPG rise. This is much easier than constantly accelerating and braking behind cars on the highway. Make sure that you set your speed to match the flow of traffic. It may not be easy to change your driving habits but over time, these minor changes will add up and you will be at the pump less frequently. |