Saving Money at the Pumps

With gas prices on the constant rise many people are looking for practical ways to relieve some of the tension felt on their wallets. There are a few simple things you can do to make your next fill up less costly.

Put the Card Away
There are a growing number of fuel stations offering cents off per gallon if you choose to pay with cash. This makes sense to the business, as it saves them credit card fees and puts cash directly into their hands. I've saved as much as 5cents per gallon using this method.

Grab Another Card
Large chain stores like Wal-Mart offer a savings per gallon if you use a gift card to purchase your gas. If you're going to be shopping anyway, add some cash to a gift card that you keep handy. Use the gift card instead of your credit card or cash at the pump. Savings here is normally around 3cents per gallon, but I have seen it as much as 5cents.

Don't Nickle and Dime It
Refuse to get into the habit of putting 5-10 dollars worth of gas in your vehicle at a time. Your vehicle gets better fuel mileage when filled. Besides being annoying with constant stops at the fuel stations, it can make you feel like all you do is pour money into your tank.

Hump Day Savings
Many fuel stations adjust their gas prices to be a bit higher on the weekends to catch those who travel. If it's possible, fill your car up mid-week, before the prices start jumping. In the summer, you may want to plan ahead and fill your car earlier in the week when taking vacations.

Errand Planning
This one sounds simple, but we sometimes end up backtracking and looping around from business to business when we are running errands. Choose the route that will allow you to make the most of your time in and out of the car. Consider going in to pay the bill instead of sitting in idle at the drive up window, especially if there is a long wait.

Other Gas Saving Tips
* Don't sit with your car idling. It uses more gas to idle than to restart your car.
* Check your tire pressure. Proper tire inflation will increase your per mile gas savings.
* Don't carry a huge, heavy tool box in your car if you don't need it on a daily basis. It adds weight and reduces fuel savings.
* Check and change air filters regularly.
* Avoid heavy traffic areas when possible to decrease idle, stop-and-go time.

By doing a few, simple things you can increase your savings at the pump, saving yourself some well earned money and a bit of stress.