Think Your Way to Wealth

If you're new to "Think Your Way To Wealth", get free updates on debt reduction, saving money, and building wealth by subscribing to the RSS feed or via Email . Thanks for visiting!

Even though my commute is only 3 miles one way to work, I do drive quite a bit on the weekends, and frequently take longer trips.  My wife does quite a bit of driving throughout the week as well. With the price of a gallon of gas having risen to about $3.10/gal. in my part of the country, I have been trying to adjust my driving habits to increase my mpg’s. Here are a few tips to remind you how to drive more efficiently and increase your gas mileage.

1. Combine errands- Instead of running 3 or 4 errands on the weekend, try to
   take care of everything in one trip. This can actually help you plan your shopping better as well.
2.  Make it a habit to pick things up, if possible, on the way home from work or when you are already out. Make a list to remember things you need, or call your spouse to see if you need to pick anything up.
3.  Go inside, don’t use the drive-thru- At the bank, fast food places, etc., you can frequently spend 10 minutes or longer in a drive-thru line.  When you idle you get 0 miles per gallon-Try not to idle (except at a stop light) for more than 20 to 30 seconds.
4.  If possible, avoid stop and go traffic-Consider altering your normal route (depending on how much longer it may be.) to avoid lost of stopping and starting.
5.  Accelerate slowly-Even acceleration and braking is the key to maximum fuel efficiency.
6. Use cruise control while on the highway.
7. Consider adopting the safe hypermiling techniques (I would consider some of these -such as drafting behind an 18-wheeler truck-to be dangerous) But coasting well in advance of a red light when there is no one behind you, driving slower when there is no traffic, etc. are quite OK and can boost your gas mileage.)
8. If your car actually runs better on a higher octane gas (mine does) consider try filling up 1/2 with higher octane and 1/2 with the lower octane to see if helps.
9. Keep your trunk empty-Carrying extra weight will decrease your gas mileage.
10.  Inflate your tires to the recommended psi-This can usually be found on a sticker on your vehicle’s door jam.

Related posts:

1. If Gas Prices Dropped Suddenly, Would You Stop Trying to Conserve Fuel?
2. 10 Money Saving Vacation Tips
3. Weekend Roundup-Easter Edition

Filed under: Cars/Auto, Frugality |