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With fuel costs skyrocketing more and more each day, finding ways to save gas and money have become extremely important to those of us that have to drive. There are a number of ways to increase your cars gas mileage that are much more simple and easy than you would think. With hundreds of suggestions out there, we’ve searched the internet for the tips we find to be quick, useful, and most of all, under the $5 mark. Following just a few of these general steps can improve your fuel economy by up to 37 percent while incorporating many of these tips and some routine maintenance can save your wallet some definite cash.

1. Stop speeding! – One would think speeding seems like the best way to get from point A to point B but in all actuality it’s a very inefficient answer. When driving at a speed over 55 mph, your fuel savings can plummet very fast. Just decreasing your speed from 65 mph to 55 mph can raise your miles per gallon by up to 15 percent. A study done by the U.S Department of Energy shows that by driving an extra hour instead of speeding can save anywhere from $5 to $10. Factors like refilling your gas tank or a speeding ticket should make you think twice about putting the petal to the metal.
2. Try not to make quick starts and stops – Avoiding rapid acceleration and sudden starts can improve gas mileage by more than 5 percent. Making jumpy stops and starts will guarantee that you’ll be visiting the pump sooner than expected. Aggressive driving will cost you in the end, so trying some anger management exercises to lay off the road rage can be beneficial to you as well as your dwindling bank account.
3. Too much junk in the trunk – It’s a known fact that excess weight in your car caused the engine to work even harder. Being that said, having too much junk in the trunk, of your car, that is, can significantly affect the way your car utilizes gas. Please leave the unwanted items at home before starting your driving journey. Just think of all the junk you can accumulate in your car and how all those items can start to add up.
4. Carpool – It’s pretty easy to figure out that carpooling will no doubt save gas as well as unneeded wear and tear on your car. Enthusiastic carpoolers will be able to slash weekly gas usage in half. Car-pooling and other forms of transit can really make a difference. This simple action lessens traffic congestion as well as contributes to the reduction of oil use. More and More employers are placing into effect car pooling incentives at their offices.
5. Keep your tires inflated – Checking your tire’s air pressure once a month and maintaining them at the approved air pressure can improve your gas mileage by approximately 3 percent. Tires that do not have the proper air pressure can create extra friction where the rubber and the road meet. This can also cause the tires to wear out erratically which may impact your cars traction on the road leading to an impending blowout. A cars recommended tire pressure can usually be located in your owner’s manual or sometimes on a decal in the door jam.
6. Alignment – It is also important to make sure your wheels are aligned properly. A vehicle lacking the correct wheel alignment will have elevated road resistance which will waste gas. Consistent wheel alignment maintenance and routine tire rotations can help you to stretch your miles per gallon.
7. Keep your air filter clean – Dirty air filters will disconnect the engine’s air supply. This causes a higher ratio of fuel to air increasing gas consumption. Just remember that an air filter is the equivalent to your cars lungs. You should always remember to check your air filter every time you get your oil changed and replace it per your manuals suggestions. A clean air filter helps the engine run much more efficiently, than a clogged one. Replacing soiled air filters can increase your vehicle’s miles per gallon by a whopping 10 percent.
8. Look into different motor oils – By using the right motor oil, your gas mileage can be improved by up to 3 percent. A multi grade oil is usually the best choice. For older vehicles or cars with high mileage, there are specific oils designed for mature engines. The motor oils function is to lubricate the engine, preventing overheating, and reduce the friction caused by moving parts. As the oil disperses, damaging contaminants and dirt are cleaned away.
9. Check oil level – While we are still on the subject of oil, It’s also extremely detrimental to keep your cars oil level within the “safe” range during regular oil changes. If your vehicle does not have enough, l can literally exhaust your engine, causing early wear and tear and a reduction of gas mileage.
10. Shop around – Consider frequenting web sites such as GasPriceWatch.com and GasBuddy.com among others. Sometimes even the same fuel company will charge different prices in different parts of town to remain the cheapest in that neighborhood. By providing yourself with the tools to search your local gas stations for the lowest prices, your hard earned dollars can be spent more wisely. Why pay more for gas if you don’t have to?
11. Overdrive – One basic notion is to go for overdrive. If your car is supplied with overdrive gearing, try to make good use of it as soon as you reach your cruising destination. This will put a little less stress on your engine and helps expand fuel economy. Also, just a heads up, letting your engine idle for too long actually burns more gas than restarting the engine.
12. Fill up before sunrise – While researching some of these tips, we also learned some things about gasoline as well. One of the main things is that has will rapidly expands when exposed to heat. A gas pump measures volume of gas pumped but not the density, which means, the gallon of gas you buy at 6 PM will have less gas in it than the gallon you buy at 5 AM. Fueling up during the coldest part of the day, which is just before daybreak, is the best decision.
13. Combine chores and trips – Take the time to try and organize your daily driving schedule so that you can overall lessen your driving time. Combine your errands with drop offs and pickups. If you know you have to go grocery shopping, drop clothes off at the dry cleaner, and take little Theo to soccer practice, try to get them all done in the shortest route possible. This is a great way to save you both time and money.
14. Look for gas sales – Gas sales are another ways to keep some money in your pocketbook. Some stations will promote “Spectacular Saturdays” or “Thrifty Thursdays” and other specials on certain days of the week. Keeping them in mind, try to time them with other things in your schedule so that you can take advantage of the sales if they do make good financial sense.
15. To be cool or not to be – There is always major discussion involved on this subject. Most people claim that you should only use air conditioning on the highway stretch and to roll down the windows when you’re in city traffic. It’s a common misconception that either one of these methods will reduce fuel economy by about 10%. Amazingly, what we found out from researchers and studies is that there is no difference between and no relation to miles per gallon whatsoever. Read more about this on Consumer Reports.org .
16. Alter your commute time – Are you stuck in your current work schedule? Talk to your employer, if possible, about changes your hours so that you can commute outside of rush hour. Getting stuck in traffic just wastes fuel. If your boss or company will allow it, try coming in a bit earlier or a little so that you can avoid rush hour traffic.
17. Shift gears – If you drive a stick shift, staying in the right gear can save you some pennies. Running your automobile at high speeds in a low gear can use about 45 percent more fuel than if you were driving in the right gear.
18. Invest in some new spark plugs – Spark plugs work in the most hostile of settings. If yours has over 30,000 miles than it’s definitely the right time for changing them. New and clean spark plugs are not covered in carbon deposits which means less fuel consumption.
19. Avoid drive through lines at restaurants – Park your car and go inside and to order your food. In many cases, this is the fastest way anyway. Think about how many times you have gone inside and came out and people were still waiting in line idling. That is a lot of gas being wasted for really no reason at all.
20. Take caution when buying gas saving products – A warning from The United States Federal Trade Commission says that most of these products are not reliable. Many of these ads contain spotless testimonials by satisfied customers. Yet, few of these consumers have the ability or the equipment to test the detailed changes in gas mileage after installing a device or using a product that claims to save gas.

No matter what kind of car you drive or where you’re going, it’s always a good idea to conserve fuel. It saves you money and lessens the burden on the nation’s petroleum reserves. We hope the tips offered will help you save some money the next time you need to gas up.