Ways To Save Money On Gas

Have you given any thought to how many ways there are to save money on gas? I haven’t until recently!

Most of our budgets are getting hit pretty hard, these days and most Americans are wondering the same thing. If you own and drive a car, will we be able to continue to afford to? It’s seemingly impossible to find ways to save money when the price of everything, especially on gas, has skyrocketed more than 50% in the last year!

Gas prices have been on the incline for many months now, and most Americans have been feeling the pain at the pump, worse than ever! The inflation rate (as of the writing) is currently at 9.1% (ouch!!!!) which means that not only are we feeling a severe pinch at the pump, we’re also feeling it just about everywhere else! Groceries are the next thing that come to mind for me!

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What’s caused surge in gas prices?

Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, our government imposed sanctions on Russian oil in March. This shut down imports of oil, natural gas and coal from the country. Even though Russian oil only represents a small portion of the U.S.’s gas imports, about 8%, the conflict in Ukraine and the U.S’s decision to ban Russian oil led to a spike in gas prices in the global market.

Furthermore, during the pandemic, oil suppliers decreased production to meet reduced demand for gas. However, as lockdowns eased and people started traveling more, demand for gas skyrocketed. The result was oil companies couldn’t keep up with increased demand which drove global gas prices up.

So now that we know why, here’s what we can do.

Easy ways to save money on gas

Everyone is feeling the pain at the pump these days, but don’t despair! While we can’t do anything about gas prices, there are actually quite a few things we can do ourselves to at least ease some of the burden on our wallet when it comes to ways to save money on gas.

Batch errands

Combining errands into one trip saves you energy, time and money. Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as a longer multi-purpose trip covering the same distance with a warm engine. Trip planning ensures that traveling is done when the engine is warmed-up and efficient. The easiest way to do this is to keep a running list of where you need to go during the week and then pick one day to get most or all of your errands done.

You also need to be strategic about how and where you run errands. If possible, don’t travel during high-traffic times. Sitting in traffic with your car idling will cost you money. Read on…

Don’t let your car idle

Idling burns 1 gallon of gas per hour and will earn you zero mpg. Turn off your engine when your car is just sitting (unless you’re sitting in traffic.) You’ll not only save fuel, but you’ll also help the environment by not releasing more emissions from your car than absolutely necessary.

Get the junk out of the trunk!

Remove excess weight from the trunk or inside of the car: extra tires, car seats (if you can), unnecessary heavy parts or just crap in general. Extra weight reduces mileage, especially when driving up inclines.

Slow down!

Although most vehicles reach their optimal fuel economy at different speeds, gas mileage usually decreases rapidly over 60 mph. If you find it difficult to maintain a proper speed, using the cruise control works great for this! Driving 75 as opposed to 65 doesn’t really get you where you’re going any faster and it increases your chances of getting a costly speeding ticket.

Additionally, speeding up quickly and braking suddenly can reduce fuel efficiency. If you see a stop light or stop sign ahead, don’t speed up and brake hard! Gradually start slowing down way before you get to it.

“The harder your engine works, the more gas it’s going to take. Rapid acceleration and high-speed driving make your engine work harder, and therefore, it sucks up more gasoline,” says Jack Gillis, executive director of the Consumer Federation of America.

Keep your tires properly inflated

Properly inflated tires are safer, last longer and can improve your gas mileage by more than 3% per tire. Check your tire pressure at least once a month and compare it with the recommended pressure listed in your owners manual. You can also find it on the placard inside your car door. Inflate your tires as needed and be sure to check tire pressure when your tires are cold. A good time to check is early in the morning after your car has been idle overnight.

Don’t wait until your tank is almost empty to fill up!

You’ll be stuck paying for whatever gas you can find nearby. It’s also not good for the carburator. When you let your gas tank go down to empty, whatever dirt & sediment is on the bottom of the tank will be sucked up and into the gas pump. It also means that there’s no way to lubricate the gas pump, which uses fuel. This can cause the engine to overheat, costing you a whole lot more money.

Change filters

Clean air filters help to keep cars running more fuel efficiently and improve gas mileage.This could result in saving as much as .15 cents a gallon every time you fill up. Clean filters mean clean air in the engine which keeps the car from straining to burn gas.

Download a gas app

Using an app, like ‘Gas Buddy’ can really help you save at the gas pump, sometimes up to $0.20 (or more)per gallon.

With Gas Buddy, the app uses your location and shows you the price of a gallon of gas at stations in your vicinity. Be careful chasing cheaper prices, though. If you find a cheaper price at a gas station that’s several miles from you, the cost of driving there could erase any of the money you would be saving.

change how you commute

Carpool when you can! 33 percent of drivers in a survey by AAA said that they were carpooling to offset the increasing gas prices. This is great because not only does carpooling save money by splitting the cost of gas, it also reduces the number of cars on the road. Think about that when you’re sitting in traffic! It can also allow you to use the HOV lane, reducing your commute time!
Take public transit! Way cheaper than the cost of owning your own car!
Take a bike! If you are in pretty good shape, biking is by far the cheapest way to go! Many people are opting for E-Bikes, as well! There’s an initial investment, but E-Bikes are powered by a battery & an electric motor. No gas!

get a rewards card

Most large gas station chains have some kind of rewards program that offers discounted gas, either through a customer rewards program or a credit card tied to the chain. If it’s a credit card, consider getting that card solely for gas purchases and paying off the balance in full each month to maximize rewards without increasing your debt.

This is what we do with our Walmart credit card. We NEVER use it for anything other than gas. We let the ‘rewards’ build up over several months and then we apply them to the balance on the card. It’s like getting free gas!

ride with the windows up!

Down here in Texas, you only ride with the windows down if your AC is broke. It’s just too dang hot down here in the summertime!

But in other places, it may be quite pleasant to do so. The only problem is riding with your windows down is actually a bigger gas sucker than having the AC on! According to AAA, “The AC system, when operating, does add a slight load to the engine, which could slightly increase gas usage. This usage would not be recognized by most consumers.” In addition,“When the windows are up, the vehicle is more aerodynamic. When the windows are down, this creates excess drag on the vehicle, which increases resistance” Make sense…right? It actually uses more gas with the windows down and ends up costing you more money! So why be miserable when you don’t have to be?

don’t top off the tank!

How many times have you filled your tank and when it stops/clicks, you keep forcing just a little more gas into it? You’re like “I need to fill it to the nearest dollar!” Well…all this time, you had no idea that was a bad thing, but it stops on it’s own when it’s full. “Why is this bad?” you ask? It’s bad because topping off your gas tank can cause pressure to build in the tank and flood the carbon filter vapor collection system, only meant for vapor. Subsequently, this overflow can affect your car’s performance and could possibly damage the engine. So, when it clicks, you’re done! Rounding up to the nearest dollar doesn’t make sense when you risk engine damage.

keep it tuned up!

Maintaining your vehicle can and will save you a bundle of money in the long run. It just makes sense that if you want your car to last for many years, you take care of it. A ‘tune up’ is one of the top ways to do this. It can breath new life into your car and significantly help with fuel mileage.

A typical car tune-up focuses on the vehicle’s engine and will include:

A detailed engine inspection.
Change out any worn or damaged spark plugs.
Changing out your fuel filters.
Replacing your air filters.
Adjust the clutch (if your vehicle has a manual transmission)
Fix any faulty electronic engine components.

Make sure to find a reputable mechanic for this.

make sure your gas cap seals

A leaking or broken gas cap affects your fuel economy, crucially causing low mileage. If you don’t replace it, you can waste as much as 30 gallons of fuel within a year. Replacement caps can be found on Amazon, as well from your dealer.

buy a fuel efficient car

When shopping for your next car, look for a car with a high fuel efficiency. That means looking at the MPG (mile per gallon) data on the kind of car that you’re considering. Some folks are even opting for hybrid and fully electric options.

When buying a vehicle, taking into account a car’s fuel efficiency can make a huge impact on your fuel expenses, especially if you plan on owning it for a while.

stay home more!

This one’s kinda obvious…you can save a lot of money by not going anywhere! Every time the wheels turn on your car, it’s costing you, so try and find things to keep you busy or entertained at home.

You might like to read: Frugal Ways To Spend Your Free Time That Are Fun!

small changes can add up to big savings!

Making small changes to our driving habits can have a big impact on our gas budget! I hope you can use at least some, if not all, of these ways to save money on gas. If you have more tips or ideas for gas saving ideas, leave it in the comments, below! We all need all the help we can get!

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Ways To Save Money On Gas

What’s caused surge in gas prices?