Saving Money at the Gas Pump

With rising gas prices, experts say that there are a number of things that we can all do to save at the pump. Some of the things are things we acctually do at the pump, while others involve driving habbits.

Don’t top off your tank, overfilling is bad for the enviornment and you may pay for gas that won’t make it into your tank.

Driving sensibly and avoiding rapid acceleration and braking can lower your gas mileage by as much as 33 percent on the highway and 5 percent around town

Watch the speed limit! Each 5 miles per hour you drive over 60 is like paying an additional 10 cents per gallon.

When the pump automatically shuts off, turn the handle upside down 180 degree to release the small amount left from the pump to make sure you get all the gas you’re paying for.

If you are on the highway, maintaining a steady speed conserves fuel.

One of the biggest tips is to plan your outings ahead of time to cut down on driving. Find a shopping area where you can get most of your errands done in one trip.

Sometimes when you come to an intersection, you'll see three or four gas stations. Don't assume that just because they're right next to each other they will have the same prices. They could vary by as much as 10 cents a gallon.

When operating in overdrive, the car's engine speed goes down, which saves gas and reduces wear on the engine.

Shop for gas during coolest time of the day, when gas is at its densest, so you get more for your money. Another tip, relating to time and day is, The day and time when you buy gas does matter. Through Labor Day, don't buy gas on Mondays and Thursdays. After Labor Day, don't buy gas Wednesday evenings or Thursday mornings. It's generally best to buy gas before 10 a.m., because that's when prices change. All though, I am not sure why those specific days.

A lot of people think that turning the air conditioning off will improve gas mileage, but they are wrong. If you open the windows, which you probably will, that increases drag, and overall, you'll get worse gas mileage. So you're better off keeping windows closed and the air conditioning on.



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And, if it makes you feel any better, when adjusted for inflation, the price of gas hasn't reached a record yet. The all-time high, $3.16 a gallon in today's dollars (according to CNN), was set in March 1981. All though, a very few places, in recent weeks, it has come dangerously close to this high mark.