Spend Less at the Pump with these Gas saving Tips

Summers coming and, whether you’re planning to head out on the open road and do some exploring or just want to cut down on expenses, there are a number of excellent ways to do it at the gas pumps. Read below and we’ll gladly share them with you! Enjoy.

The 1^st is simply to not wait until you’re so low on gas that you have to use whatever gas station is nearest. In most cases you’ll be stuck paying whatever crazy price that the station charges which, depending on where you live, could be from 5 to 15% higher! Your best bet is to simply get into the habit of putting gas into the tank when you’re about a quarter full, giving you the option of going to a station with the lowest prices.

Another great tip is to use your smartphone to map out your route ahead of time. For example, Waze is an app that will tell you about road closures, travel delays and real-time accident reports so that, wherever you happen to be going, you don’t waste time and gas sitting in traffic. There are other apps to do the same thing too so, if you have one of the latest smartphones, download 1 of them and save yourself some time, money and gasoline.

Sticking to your car’s maintenance schedule is extremely important not only to save gas but also to save on car repairs as well. Your car’s performance, especially the engine of course, will determine how much gas you use and how much money you spend. Things like your tires, your oil and your coolant should all be checked regularly by a qualified mechanic to keep your car in excellent running condition and keep your gas expenditure as low as possible.

If you’re the type of person that pays off your credit cards at the end of every month, using a gas card that will let you earn rewards points and even get you free gas is a great idea. Remember however that, if you don’t pay those cards off in full, the interest that you pay could negate any savings that you might gain,  so if you don’t pay them in full, you probably shouldn’t use them.

On longer trips, and even just around town, your best bet is to keep the roof of your car unloaded.  Incredibly, hauling cargo around on your roof  can actually cost you over $.60 per gallon so, if you have to haul something around, try doing it with a trailer or by hanging it off of the back of your car instead of the roof.

Finally, we mentioned earlier that using your smart phone to map out your route ahead of time is a good idea, and using that same smart phone to download a gas app and use it to find the cheapest gas station is also a great idea. One of the best is called GasBuddy and, since it’s updated by users in real time all day long, it can easily show you where the closest local gas station is in your town with the cheapest gas prices.

So there you go, a slew of gas saving tips that you can use all summer long to save time, energy and money every time you had over to the gas station. Happy travels!