Tired of spending your hard-earned cash on gas? Cars are important in our lives, apart from the flexibility of moving from one place to another they are also convenient. However, no matter how easy it is to go anywhere, with the gas prices continuing to rise, it’s becoming hard to freely use our cars.
But don’t worry; although gas prices continue to skyrocket, there are plenty of ways to save money on gas . This is especially on weekdays where you get to use your car often.
1. Buy the Gas at the Particular Time and Day
Although you might not think twice about which time to gas your car, it is essential to purchase the gas at a particular time. The best time to do this is early in the morning or late at night especially during warm months. Reason being, gas is cooler earlier in the day and denser. However, as the day progresses, the temperature rise and the gas density falls and becomes less when you pump.
Additionally, according to Gasbuddy, when it comes to the best day to gas up your car, Monday wins hands down in most states in America. However, you should avoid putting gas on Saturdays as it’s the most expensive day to buy gas.
2. Eliminate Unnecessary Weight
Did you know that every 200 pounds of additional weight in your car reduces one mile off fuel efficiency? It’s no secret that most cars carry unnecessary weight such as golf club, toolboxes or heavy materials. Another unnecessary weight comes from external attachments such as roof racks which mostly increase wind resistance and gas use.
If possible remove them when not in use. Remember that, if you have to carry something, place it in your truck and not on the rack on top of the car. By doing this you will avoid slowing your car down which makes it difficult to accelerate.
3. Purchase Discounted Gas Gift Cards
Who doesn’t like gift cards? I know I do. There are various sites like GiftCardGranny.com and cardcash.com that sometimes sell discounted gift cards for gas stations like Mobil, Shell and Gulf. The best part is that you get to save some money. For example, you can get a gas card worth $100 but only pay $ 95 for it.
4. Turn Off the Air Conditioner
No matter how much you love air conditioning, remember, it is one of the biggest drains on engine power and fuel economy. Keep it turned off as much as possible as you find other ways to circulate the air and stay cool. For example, when parking your car in the open, make sure you find a well-shaded place to park and roll the window down a bit to circulate air. Nevertheless, if it gets too hot to avoid driving around without the air conditioner, ensure you set it around 72 degrees.
5. Avoid Buying Premium Gas
Unless your car requires you to buy the higher-octane gas for premium performance, avoid buying it. Octane has nothing to do with gasoline performance, but only provides a slight improvement in performance and efficiency. Therefore, unless your car manual specifically requires it, avoid using premium gas.
6. Utilize Your Smartphone
Just as you use your smartphone to buy your groceries you can also utilize it to find gas. There are incredible apps like AAA Triptik or GasBuddy that assist you in finding the cheapest gas stations in your area. Aside from that, the smartphone goes a little further by providing you with the Maps app that also shows you traffic. This enables you to check the traffic before leaving the house or office and enables you to avoid idling for long thus wasting gas.
7. Consider Carpooling
If your neighbors happen to work near your workplace or you live in the same area with some of your work colleagues then you can consider carpooling. This move will not only save you on gas but also reduce the cost of parking space. However, before you put the idea in motion, you need to agree on which days are ideal for all of you to carpool and whose car you are using.
8. Maintain Your Car
Did you know proper maintenance increases a car’s fuel economy? Therefore, don’t waste another moment and get your car serviced. For example, make sure you maintain engine efficiency by using the correct engine oil, keep the tires inflated to the proper pressure. This increases your traveling distance on a tank of gas.
Furthermore, keep the air filter clean since a dirty one clogs an engine’s air supply which causes a higher fuel to air ratio thereby increasing gasoline consumption.
Conclusion
So there you have it, the 8 great ways to save gas on weekdays. For the chance to save some money, you can start implementing them immediately and see what difference it makes.
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