Yahoo Finance 7 Driving Hacks To Save Money on Gas
The cost of gasoline has always fluctuated historically, but in the past few years it has been especially expensive. Unfortunately, not everyone has the option to purchase an electric vehicle or give up their commute.
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For many people, driving is a necessary part of life. How, then, can you soften the financial impact of steep gas prices? Try implementing one or of these money-saving driving hacks.
Don't Idle
You're waiting to pick your kid up from school, and you keep the car running even though you've got 20 minutes to wait. Your spouse is running into the store, and you're idling while they shop, because how long can it really take?
These examples don't seem like a big deal, but the fact is, idling wastes an astonishing amount of gas -- up to half a gallon of fuel per hour -- and is bad for the environment too, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). In some states and jurisdictions, idling for more than a few minutes is even illegal. So save yourself some gas and try not to idle if you don't have to.
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Buy Gas on Mondays or Fridays
Gas is gas, no matter what day of the week, right? Yes, but it doesn't cost the same every day, per the laws of supply and demand.
In fact, according to a 2021 study done by the gas rewards app GasBuddy, Monday is the cheapest day of the week to buy gas (they got the same results in their 2017, 2018 and 2019 studies, too, it turns out). The second cheapest day, counterintuitively, is Friday. You'd imagine that people would be gassing up to go on trips and other weekend events, but apparently that's not the case. Instead, Thursday is the day you want to avoid.
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Don't Top Off
If you've set the gas pump to automatic so you don't have to hold the nozzle while it pumps, the gas pump will stop on its own when the gas tank is full. But you might think, hey, I'll top it up with a few extra pumps to make sure it's really full.
Stop right there.
According to Cars.com, topping off is not only wasteful, it is potentially dangerous and damaging to your car. Topping off can potentially damage adjacent parts to your gas tank, such as the charcoal canister, which are meant only to handle vapors, not liquid gas. If you overfill your tank with liquid gas, it could potentially cover over the the vapor intake hole, which can make its way into the charcoal canister. This could damage the canister and other parts of the system.
What's more, gasoline expands in volume as temperatures get hotter. According to Consumer Reports, it will expand 1% by every 15 degrees Fahrenheit. So if you overfill in the morning and the day heats up ,you could force gas where it shouldn't go, or create a dangerous leak.
Get Regular Service
What does regular maintenance of your car have to do with saving on gas? It's pretty simple: If your car is working as intended, you should actually be getting the gas mileage it promises.
If you haven't serviced your car and something isn't working well, your engine could be working twice as hard -- and using more gasoline -- to do its basic functions. Things such as dirty air filters, old oil, using the wrong kind of oil, tires that aren't properly inflated and a number of other problems can be wasting you gas in the long run.
Don't Pick Premium Gas
Premium gas sounds like it must contain some fancy ingredients, and at one time it did actually contain more detergents and additives that helped to cut down on carbon deposits, according to Edmunds. However, government regulations eventually forced all grades of gasoline to have those additives to reduce pollution as well as protect engines. So now, the differences are minimal.
You really only need to buy premium gas when it is mandated for the proper running of your vehicle. Edmunds suggests that your car's performance might experience a slight dip, such as a half-second lower timing, but unless you're a professional racer, you probably won't notice. Opt for regular gas and save as much as $0.80 cents per gallon, according to The Penny Hoarder.
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Drive Slower
The faster you drive, the more gas your car consumes and the poorer your mileage in the long run. While every car has its optimal speed for best fuel economy, the DOE suggests that gas mileage starts to decrease rapidly above 50 mph.
So, if you don't have to be anywhere in a hurry, take the back roads, drive in the slow lane and put a little leisure into your commute. When you can, use cruise control, which the DOE suggests can improve fuel economy by as much as 15% to 30% on highways and 10% to 40% in stop-and-go traffic.
Use a Gas Rewards App
Many gas companies offer customer loyalty rewards programs where you can earn gas money through shopping or other purchases made on a qualifying credit card. Additionally, there are popular gas apps like GasBuddy. The app relies upon real-time reports from users to tell them the price of gas in any area and passes that information to its users so you can find a nearby gas station with the best price. Additionally, for a small fee, you can sign up to earn cash back with a GasBuddy credit card.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 7 Driving Hacks To Save Money on Gas
