How To Save Hundreds Of Dollars Per Year On Gas

If you’re anything like me, you probably don’t pay too much attention to who is offering the best price on gas. When I’m on empty, I find the closest gas station and fill up the tank but after doing some research, there are actually many of secrets that I recently discovered may help you save up to $300 per year.

First, I decided to find out actually how much I could actually save by simply paying attention to gas prices.

On Sunday, July 17th at 10:10 am, I checked http://www.cincygasprices.com and found that there was a range from 3.43 to 3.69 per gallon. That is a difference of .26 cents.  I have a 20 gallon tank and usually fill up about once a week or 52 times per year. If I paid more attention, I could save .26 x 20 gallons = 5.2 per fill up x 52 = $270 per year.

I have also gathered some additional tips to save even more money…

1. The best day to fill up is Wednesdays because prices tend to go up on Mondays and Thursdays before 10 a.m. Stations tend to raise prices on the weekends and especially during the summer. Who knew?

2. Sign up for a text message alert that is sent to your cell phone when gas prices are expected to rise.

3. Fill up your tank before dawn or late at night, when the sun and traffic volume are both down. Stations usually will raise prices during the day, especially for rush hour.

4. Don’t wait until your gas gauge drops down to “E.” It’s not good for your car’s fuel injection system. Better to fill ‘er up when the gauge indicates a quarter-full tank. Thinking about a refill at that point leaves you some time to shop around for the best gas price.

5. Avoid high speeds, quick starts, and squealing stops because this tends to burn more gas and money. Professionals claim that you can save 15% by driving 62 mph on the open highway rather than 75 mph and using cruise control can save you even more. Smoother rides, with less pedal pushing, can save up to 37% in fuel economy.

6. Avoid idling. One minute of idling burns the same amount of gas it takes to start the engine.

7.Consider a GPS system: It’ll provide the fastest, most efficient route to your destination, which can save you money. It beats getting lost.

8. Keep Your Car in Healthy Shape. Keep our Service Department in mind for proper maintenance of air filters, spark plugs, and fluid levels is best for your car and wallet. Not only are we open til 3am, we offer fresh Starbucks coffee and doughnuts!

9. Proper tire pressure is very important for good fuel economy and is checked as part of our free 27 Point Inspection with every oil change. Every pound-per-inch under the manufacturer’s recommendation for your tires loses you one mile per gallon per fill-up.

10. Get a Gas Rewards Card. Carrying the right credit card can earn you rebates on gas purchases. Some cards will get you 5% cash back when you purchase certain brands of gas. The ChasePerfectCard offers a 3% gas rebate no matter where you fill up. Use our credit card tool to find the card for you.

Finally, I found a great article about an experiment that Chevrolet conducted recently. They drove two identical compact cars on a typical workday commute. The results show that it is possible to save up to $100 a month at the pump. CLICK HERE to read the article.