What Sort of MPG do Reindeer Get?

December 9, 2009 by Leave a Comment

If you’re anything like me, you’ve gotten a late start on your holiday shopping. In an attempt to help you avoid the crowded malls and shops, wandering around searching for gifts, I’ve come up with three gifts that would be great for any interested in getting the best fuel economy out of their vehicle.

Scan Guage IIScanGauge II – This 3-in-1 compact multifunction vehicle computer with customizable display will show you your real-time gas mileage and cost per mile, in addition to acting as a diagnostic scan tool.

This devise works on all 1996 or newer OCDII vehicles, requires no special tools for installation, and fits pretty much anywhere in the vehicle.

So, if you or someone you know is interested in testing out different ways to increase your gas mileage, this gift would be perfect!

Garmin Nuvi GPSGarmin Nuvi with Traffic Updates – The average driver could cut their carbon footprint by 21% and reduce their annual commute by four days by using a GPS with real-time traffic updates.

This particular Garmin Nuvi 780 model has a 4.3 inch display, gives turn-by-turn directions and has the option to receive traffic updates from MSN.  And the best part?  It’s currently priced at 75% off!

Gas Mileage BibleThe Gas Mileage Bible – As if the tips on Daily Fuel Economy Tip weren’t enough, this book will provide driving and car maintenance tips that could help to increase your vehicle’s gas mileage by up to 30%, with very little effort on your part.

Obviously, this isn’t an all inclusive list, but if you’re looking for great last minute gifts, any of these will be sure to bring a smile to any fuel economy enthusiast’s face!

What are your thoughts?  If you’re a gas mileage enthusiast, what do you want for the holidays?  If you’re giving gifts to a fuel economy freak, what are you planning on giving?

Per the new FTC regulations, the above links are affiliate links, and I will receive a small commission should you purchase any items after clicking the link(s).

Filed Under: Creative Ideas, Miscellaneous Tagged With: , , ,

GPS Systems Can Cut Your Carbon Footprint (and Your Commute)

October 14, 2009 by 19 Comments

According to a recent study released by NAVTEQ, the average U.S. driver that uses a GPS system with real-time traffic updates is able to cut nearly 4 days off of their annual commute as well as decrease their carbon footprint by over 21%.

Both of these data points should be reason enough for you to go out and pick up a new GPS with real-time traffic updates.  Think about it: how much would you be willing to pay to cut four days off of your annual commute AND reduce your emissions by 21%?  That would probably be worth a couple hundred bucks a year to you, right?

Well, funny, because that’s about how much a new Garmin Nuvi GPS with real-time traffic updates costs.

As the late Billy Mays would say, “But wait!  There’s more!”

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Creative Ideas, Gas Saving Innovations Tagged With: , , ,

Higher Gas Prices – The Downside of an Improving Economy

August 12, 2009 by 2 Comments

Over the past three weeks there have been several major indicators that “The Great Recession” is finally starting to ease and turn the corner.

First, the Case-Shiller index showed the first month-over-month increase in home prices, the first such increase in nearly three years.  In other housing related news, sales of existing homes climbed for the third straight month.

Then there was the better than expected preliminary reading on the second quarter GDP, which showed the economy dipped at only a 1% annual pace between April and June.  Economist had been expecting the second quarter GDP to decline at 1.5%.

Finally, this past Friday, the July job report showed the economy lost “only” 247,000 jobs and unemployment actually dipped from 9.5% to 9.4%, the first such dip in 19 months.  Again, economists were expecting things to get worse, predicting unemployment would jump to 9.6%.

This is the sort of data we need to see on a consistent basis in order to know the economy has finally turned the corner and that this recession — the longest since WWII — is finally over.

That being said, it’s not as if this economic turn around won’t come without a little bit of pain, namely higher oil and gasoline prices.

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Filed Under: Gas Prices, Oil Prices Tagged With: , , , ,

Gas Prices in Late Summer Climb

August 9, 2009 by 5 Comments

While the national average price of gasoline is nowhere near the record highs of last summer, it has been on a bit of a climb lately, jumping about ten cents over the past week, and is now at $2.63 per gallon.

At this time last year the price of gasoline was $3.84 per gallon — nearly 50% higher — so today’s average price really isn’t all that bad, comparatively speaking.

However, the glass-half-empty part of me would also like to point out that the price of gas is still $1 higher than the lows hit back in January of this year.  With the economy still kind of sluggish and the ranks of unemployed growing, even a slight increase in the price we pay at the pump can make a dent in our finances.

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Filed Under: Gas Prices Tagged With: , , ,

Has the Economy Changed Your Vacation Plans?

August 3, 2009 by 1 Comment

The current recession, which just entered its 21st month and is the longest downturn since World War II, has caused many of us to reevaluate our personal finances.  With unemployment rising and credit still hard to come by, saving money and cutting costs has become a priority for many families throughout the country.

While most of these cost cutting measures haven’t been too drastic (i.e. not going out to eat as much, making fewer impulse purchases, etc.) many of us have had to take things a little further.

One of the bigger “discretionary” expenses for families (and individuals) is the summer vacation.  Whether it’s driving to the beach or flying across country to visit family, when everything’s said and done, a week long summer vacation can cost thousands of dollars.  No matter your financial situation, this is a lot of money.

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Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , ,

Mother Nature Would Like to Have a Word

March 25, 2009 by 14 Comments

While I certainly can’t speak for everyone, it certainly seems to me that the call to go green, especially with regards to oil, gasoline, driving less, and more fuel efficient vehicles, has sort of been muted as of late.  I also think the explanation why is obvious.

I have long subscribed to the theory that if you want people to pay attention, take action, and make changes, you’ve got to hit them where it counts: in their wallet.  This is why I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the cries for becoming more environmentally friendly grew louder as gasoline prices climbed higher.

On the flip side, I think this is also why many of us seem to not be as concerned about the environment — or at least trying to make immediate changes — as we once were.  After all, the price of gas has fallen about 50% from it’s peak.

But, one opinion does not a fact make, so I thought I’d pose the following question to my Daily Fuel Economy Tip readers: Are you less concerned about environmental issues now that gas prices have fallen over 50 percent?

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Filed Under: Gas Prices Tagged With: , , , , ,

$4 Gas and A Financial Mess

March 10, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Whether you’re fearing for your job, or watching your retirement account get smaller with each passing day, you’ve been affected to some degree by the dramatic downturn in the U.S. economy.  You’re probably spending less money, and making an extra effort to make sure that the money you do spend goes a lot further.

Without a doubt, times are pretty tough.

Now, just imagine what it would be like if $4 gas came back and compounded the economic problems.  Would you be able to make it financially?

According to a recent poll on Daily Fuel Economy Tip, nearly three out of every 10 people would experience a severe financial hardship if gasoline prices were to return to $4 per gallon.

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Filed Under: Gas Prices Tagged With: , , ,

Worried About $4 Gas in 2009? You’re Not Alone

March 6, 2009 by 1 Comment

The stock market is cratering, home prices show no sign of bottoming and unemployment may very well hit 10% or higher this year.

In the past six months, essentially an entire decade of “created wealth” has been erased.  Surely things can’t get much worse this year, right?

Apparently they can, says a recent poll on Daily Fuel Economy Tip.  According to a survey of nearly 300 people, nearly half expect $4 gasoline to return during 2009.

The poll asked “When do you think gas will return to $4/gallon?”  Here’s how the responses broke out:

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Filed Under: Gas Prices Tagged With: , , , , ,

Gas Prices Creeping Back to $2

March 5, 2009 by 2 Comments

One of the few silver linings of our currently pitch black economic cloud was the fact that the price of gas had fallen from this summer’s record highs to levels not seen in over five years.  For those of us struggling to make ends meet, the quick decline in the price of gas couldn’t have been better news.

Unfortunately, it looks like the break on gas prices may end up being short-lived.

Since the first of the year, the national average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline has climbed nearly 20% — from $1.61 to $1.92 — and with the summer driving season right around the corner, it seems unavoidable that prices will climb even higher.

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Filed Under: Gas Prices Tagged With: , , , ,

Oil Demand Down .25%, Price Down 56%. That’s Odd.

February 18, 2009 by 2 Comments

Without a doubt, 2008 was a crazy year for oil and gasoline prices.  Not only did both oil and gasoline hit record high prices — $147 per barrel and $4.12 per gallon, respectively — but both also managed to fall to five year lows.

When looking at the year in total, from January 1 to December 31, the price of oil fell from roughly $100 per barrel to roughly $44 per barrel, or about 56 percent.

Obviously, it is pretty abnormal that one of the world’s most valuable natural resources would lose over half of its market value.  The only real and logical explanation behind the drop in price would be an equally dramatic decrease in world wide demand, right?

Well, in this case, wrong.

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Filed Under: Oil Prices Tagged With: , , , , ,
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