Gasoline prices continue to rise and yet it appears from the amount of traffic on the roads, no one is cutting back on the amount of driving they do. You still have to get to work, get to the grocery store and get the kids to their activities. However consumers may be cutting down on their gas usage in other ways to compensate for the increased prices at the pump. Prices went down a bit in the fall of 2012 and early 2013, but lately they are beginning to rise again and consumers are bracing for $4 / gallon again this coming summer. Are you ready for these high prices and can your budget afford the increases.
Cut Down On Gas Usage – $1000
We are probably spending an extra thousand dollars on gasoline every year due to the increased prices of oil. The only way we can control how much we spend on gasoline is to either drive less or keep our car in optimal condition so that it uses gasoline as efficiently as possible. It is just a matter of time before we are paying $5.00 a gallon and if you have not already begun finding ways to reduce your gasoline usage, you should start now.
Here is a short list of things that you can do to reduce your overall cost for operating your car and help deal with the increasing price of gasoline.
- D-I-Y – Do It Yourself – do your own repairs and fluid checks
- Check and replace air filters – keep them clean to maximize air flow
- Change their own tires – hard to do for most people, can rotate them yourself
- Monitoring and topping up their vehicle’s fluids
- Inspect and replace vehicle light bulbs – follow the manual or buy a car care manual
- Cleaning the car – inside and out with your own vacuum and hoses.
- Brake repairs – only do this if you have the tools and the appropriate skills
- Replenish all essential fluids (automatic transmission fluid, brake fluid and coolant) and get regular oil changes
- Replace worn or damaged wiper blades and burned out light bulbs to maintain good visibility and safety
Reduce Gas usage
- Remove winter tires and install summer tires at the right time
- Wash away winter grime and salt build-up to prolong the life of your cars body, this is most important in states and provinces were salt is used on the roads.
- Check tire tread – make sure that you have sufficient tire tread on the tires to be safe.
- Ensure proper tire inflation at least once a month – visually check your tires every day
- Take public transit whenever you can to conserve gasoline and wear and tear on the car
- Drive at or below the speed limit – this is the most efficient speed to drive at
- Avoid jack rabbit starts and stops at stop signs and stop lights
- Check and adjust tire pressure will help to improve fuel economy
These are pretty standard things that most people can follow easily without too much trouble. Getting into the habit of checking tires etc is easy and will help you save gasoline. Make sure that the tires are balanced and that your car is properly aligned. all of these things contribute to better gas mileage and reduced cost when you travel. Buy a gas guzzler is another approach especially for commuting.
More Ideas
If you have additional ideas to contribute about how to cut down on gas usage, please leave your comments. We can use all of the help we can get these days as prices go higher and higher. Gasoline has recently dropped in price a bit which gives us some breathing room, however any time you can save money and use it for other things, this seems like a good thing to me. For more information on energy savings ideas, click here.
June 13th, 2012 on 2:51 pm
we all need to sav emoney especially with gas prices so high. maintaining your car is one of the best ways to squeeze the most you can get out of gas mileage.