How to Save Money on Gas

Gas is expensive and filling up your gas tank is more than just a trivial expense. Why not make a few adjustments to your normal gas buying behavior and save a little extra money each time you fill up your vehicle's gas tank. Although you can't do much about rising gas prices, you can at least ensure that you get the most gas for your buck and also ensure that the gas that you do buy lasts as long as possible!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Knowledge
• Effort
• Consistency

1. Fill up Early - Make it a point to buy gas in the early morning hours as a great way to save money on gas. Gasoline is much more dense in cold temperatures; therefore, you get more gas for your money filling up in colder weather. Also, most gas stations raise their prices around noon, so filling up early is a great strategy for saving gas by getting the cheapest gas prices.

2. Shake/Tilt the Gas Nozzle - Shake and/or tilt the gas nozzle for a few seconds as you finish fueling your car. This will save money on gas by releasing the gas that gets stuck in the fuel hose and delivering it into your car's tank. This can add up to a 1/2 cup of gas or more that would have otherwise been wasted. This is an often overlooked way to save money on gas!

3. Buy Gas on Weekdays - Gas prices normally rise on weekends, so buying gas during the week is a good gas saving strategy. Filling up your gas tank Monday thru Thursday is a great gas-saving strategy to avoid any weekend-related gas price spikes. Buying gas during the week will not only save you money on gas, it will likely result in shorter lines as well!

4. Don't Buy Gas Near Freeways - Gas prices are generally higher at stations located near freeway exits and onramps (due to their convenient locations). To find cheaper gas, buy gas from gas stations located at least a few blocks from any freeways. Do this regularly to find the cheapest gas prices and save money on gas.

5. Don't Let Your Tank get Empty - Allowing your gas tank to get empty, or near empty, wastes gas due to evaporation. To save money on gas, make it a point to fill up your tank when your tank is around 1/2 full. This will prevent excess gas evaporation, which will make your gas last longer and, ultimately, save money on gas!

6. Don't Buy Gas from Recently-Refueled Stations - Recently-refueled gas tanks generally have a lot of stirred up dirt/sediment in their tanks. This pollutes and dilutes the gas mixture and results in less-concentrated gasoline, which costs money and wastes gas. To save money on gas and to maximize gas-savings, avoid buying gasoline from recently-refueled gasoline stations.

Tips & Warnings

• Change your Vehicle's air filter regulary
• Keep your vehicle's tires properly inflated
• Avoid jackrabbit starts
• Use Air conditioning only when absolutely necessary