TIP: Reduce Gas Consumption on your Road Trip, part 3

TIP: Next week I'm going on a driving vacation, so this topic is very timely for me. Whether you're going on a driving vacation or just driving to work each day, you can save money using less gas by changing your driving habits, according to The Daily Green. This is Part Three of series on saving money by changing your driving habits.

*Avoid idling. While you're waiting in your car picking up your kid, or waiting for a frieght train to pass by, you're wasting gas. Turn the motor off if you'll be sitting still for more than one minute.


*Check tire pressure. Make sure your tires are inflated to the pressure recommended by the manufacturer (check the sticker on your driver's side door) and use 3-5% less gas.


*Don't tailgate. My pet peeve! Not only is this annoying habit dangerous, it wastes gas with the constant braking and accelerating and contributes to road rage!


*Use cruise control. Sure and steady wins the race, as the saying goes. Apparently it's true. The research team at Edmunds.com research say you can improve your gas mileage by 15% by using a steady speed with cruise control as compared to inconsistent speeds and frequent lane changing.

TIP: Reduce Gas Consumption part 2

TIP: With so many people planning road trip vacations this summer, we're offering some money saving tips for reducing your gas consumption this summer, according to The Daily Green. This is Part Two of our series on saving money by changing your driving habits. You can get better gas mileage just by changing your driving habits. Here are two things you can do to save on gas:

1) Don't put luggage on top of the car. When you pile the luggage on top of your car in your roof-top carrier, you increase the air resistance and thus the gas mileage by 21% in tests conducted by Edmunds.

2) Pack light. Your gas consumption increases for every additional 100 lbs of weight. So lighten up!

TIP: Reduce gas consumption part 1

TIP: You don't have to change your car to cut your gas bill. You can get better gas mileage just by changing your driving habits, according to The Daily Green. Here are two habits that save a lot . . .and can also reduce the frustration of your fellow drivers on the road!

Avoid jack-rabbit starts and stops. Steady driving increases your fuel efficiency about 66 cents a gallon!

Don't ride the brakes. Driving with one foot on the brake pedal and one foot on the gas pedal costs as much as 35% more gas. Plus, you'll have the added expense of wearing out your brake pads sooner. Drive with just one foot and save 70 cents per gallon.

This post is Part 1 of a series about improving gas mileage by changing your driving habits.

TIP: Slow down and use 5% less gas

Gas prices typically go up in the summer, although they shouldn't go higher than $3 a gallon according to an article in The Bolingbrook Sun (remember last year when they topped $4?) The website fueleconomy.gov offers many tips on how to save money on gas, my favorite is slow down (one I struggle with!). We use 5% more gas with every 5 MPH that we drive. I also learned that fuel economy peaks at 35-55 MPH, so slowing down really does use less gas.

Here's where you can find the lowest gas prices in your town.

TIP: Skip stamps, save $100 and the environment too

TIP: With postage going up to 44 cents a week from today, now's a great time to "stamp out bill paying by mail". Eliminate postage with Billpayer, and you can save about $100 per year. Plus paying your bills online is gentler to the earth! Here's what you'll save the earth by paying just 5 bills per month electronically:

1.9 pounds of paper
18 gallons of wastewater from discharging into lakes, streams and rivers
2.4 gallons of gasoline
74 pounds of greenhouse gases
1 tree
10 square feet of forest preserved from deforestation

Check out these facts and learn more at PayItGreen.org.

Declare your Independence from High Gas Prices

I love this stuff. This article from TheDailyGreen.com suggests ways to cut and maximize your use of gas so that your average cost per gallon drops to $1! Below is a summary of the ways to save, but read the entire article here.

How to Pay Less Than $1 For Gas
The average price of gasoline in the United States has topped $4 a gallon, and won't peak until it hits $4.15 in August, according to the latest government prediction. (The last prediction: Gas would peak at $3.73 in June, so take it with a grain of salt.)

We've seen 11 straight weeks of record price increase. Oil is threatening to rise to $150 a barrel, according to Goldman Sachs. That's 50% higher than the milestone of $100 a barrel that some analysts thought impossible just a few months ago.
Some areas of the country, like California, are already seeing gas prices rise toward $4.50 a gallon.

That has some speculating we're in the midst of a bubble bred by greedy speculators. Everyone else is just trying to save a few pennies on gas.

Here are five road-tested ways to save money on gas. Of course the more gas we save, the less pollution we create, and the less beholden we are to those who control the oil supply.

1) Take public transportation. Sure, it costs money to take the bus or subway. But consider this: The average U.S. commute is 16 miles, and at these prices the average U.S. passenger car will go just 11 miles on $2, a typical public transit fare.

2) Car pool. Share your trip to work with one other person and split the bill. That's like paying $2 for gas, instead of $4. Put a third person in the car, and the price per gallon drops to $1.33. With a full car of four people, the cost is just $1 a gallon.

3) Pay nothing: walk or bike. Every mile you pedal or stride saves you gas, saves you money and puts you in better shape.

4) Trade in for a fuel efficient vehicle. If you must drive, replace your gas guzzler with a fuel-efficient model.

5) Drive smarter. Start by checking your tire pressure and inflating your tires to the appropriate level. Visit your mechanic for a tune-up if you're due. Be sure to have your tires aligned, your air filter checked and your oil changed if needed.

Save Gas, Cut Carbon Emissions, Burn Calories

Here's a way you can do all three - it's simple too. This tip is from The Daily Green. Check it out.

"When you are picking up food, doing your banking or even filling a prescription,
park your vehicle and walk inside instead of using the drive-through. It will
cut down on unnecessary fuel use as well as carbon emissions.

Every time you use a drive-through, you burn about 18 cents worth of gas idling your car. According to Quick Service Restaurant Magazine, the average drive-through wait time once the order is taken is three minutes. Add the minute or two that it takes to place the order, and that means one billion car-minutes spent idling
each year in front of Burger King restaurants alone! Estimates for total fuel
costs for idling in front of every drive-through in America are in the hundreds
of millions of dollars.

Parking your car and getting out also allows an opportunity to stretch your legs. Given the obesity epidemic in this country, any chance to get your body moving is also nothing to scoff at. Getting out also gives you the chance to throw away garbage, so you will be less tempted to toss litter out your window later on."