Save money on gas

One favorite is to shop for best prices. Here is a link to a site that will help you to save money when filling up on gas. Check out Gasbuddy.com.

They have reports on a daily basis or lowest prices in your area.

Also, this great and informative fuel economy site from Uncle Sam It will show 3 different sources of gas / fuel comparisons in most cities.

For fuel efficiency, my reaction is to ride my motorcycle more often for errands. For the folks without an alternative to the gas guzzling cars and vans and trucks, gas prices will still be a problem.

Here is a list of things to do that can help to get better gas economy

• Plan your trips to do multiple errands in one outing driving to them in whatever order is the shortest distance.
• Pick up that gallon of milk on the way home from work.
• Keep in touch with household members to reduce unnecessary trips.
• Avoid the heavy foot on the gas. Drive so that your vehicle is at the bottom of the gear that you need to be in.
• Drive a consistent low rev speed on the highway.
• Cruise control can save as high as 14 % and average 7% savings.
• Do the math and if you log a lot of miles daily a more energy efficient vehicle may be worth the investment.
• Use a bicycle if it is feasible. The gain is economy and good exercise.
• Buy gasoline during the coolest time of day, early morning or late evening. That is when gasoline is densest.
  Gas pumps measure volumes of gasoline, not densities of fuel concentration. You are charged according to the volume that is measured. Gasoline expands by about one percent in size with every 15 degrees in temperature.
• Idling, meanwhile, burns about a half-mile worth of gas every minute, according to the California Energy Commission. Hybrid cars shut down their gasoline engines whenever they stop, even for a moment.
• Park in the shade. On a hot day, a bit of the gas will evaporate from your tank.
• In winter, clean snow and ice from your vehicle otherwise it can cause a lot of wind resistance and add up to 100 extra pounds to an average sized vehicle.
• Make sure your tire pressure is correct. Soft tires cause greater drag and inefficiency.
• There can be a 6% loss for every pound your tires are underinflated.
• Steel belted radials can save up to 10% on gas
• Use public transportation when possible.
• Try carpooling if that can be arranged.
• I like the current Stop & Shop deal (I don't know if it will last or if it is everywhere so check first) Each dollar you spend there earns you a point on your card. 100 points = savings of 10¢/gallon on gas.
  This works up to a limit of $2.20/gallon for a single fill up.
• With your Stop and Shop member card you also save 5 cents per gallon of gasoline.
• Often it saves money to pay cash.
• Reduce the weight in your vehicle. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your MPG by up to 2%.
  The reduction is based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle's weight.
  That weight affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones.
• Try to avoid getting stuck in rush hour traffic. Stop and go eats gas like crazy.
• Leave enough space between you and the car in front of you so that there is enough time to coast to a stop and avoid stepping on the brakes.
• Stoplights are usually timed for your motoring advantage.
  By traveling steadily at the legal speed limit, you boost your chances of having the "green light" all the way.
• Don't idle the car in a drive through. Stop, park, and go inside.
• Park your car so that you can leave in forward gear. Avoid using reverse gear to save gas.
• Every time you put your foot on the brake you wasted the energy to get up to that speed.
• Plan your braking stops more in advance.
• Avoid rough roads whenever possible because dirt or gravel use up to 30% of your gas mileage.
• Take your foot off the accelerator as soon as possible when approaching a yellow or red light or a stop sign.
• Accelerate gradually, over a greater distance. The longer you take to get to speed, the less fuel it will use. For most cars, using cruise control to slowly approach the desired speed, can help control acceleration.
• Don't use air conditioning needlessly as it eats energy which means wasting more gas.
• Roll down windows up to 35 - 40 MPH as faster than that causes too much drag and you lose the advantage.
• Don't use higher octane fuel that is more expensive if you absolutely don't need it for your vehicle. It is usually not needed for ordinary driving. Check your vehicle manual.
• Buy the single things that you find yourself going to the store for in greater quantity so fewer trips.
• Maintain your car with a tune up. Clean plugs and good wires etc. can really save gas.
• Make sure that your gas cap is on tightly. Gas can evaporate from a leaky gas cap.
• Don't rev your engine to warm it up. More that a minute of warm up time is usually a waste even on a cold day.
• Change your air filter. It can help a bit.
• Get a hybrid car and save on fuel but also hybrid cars may get you into a rather large tax advantage. Check on this first.
• Move next door to your job or work from home.
• A GPS can save you time and gasoline consumption when trying to find a location.
• Cut down on visits to the gas station by filling up rather than buying a half tank of gas twice.
• Remove unnecessary bike racks or roof carriers that add drag to the vehicle.
• If you know how to drive it correctly, a manual shift car can save gasoline/ fuel consumption.
• Hypermiling - Can be controversial behavior - but save on gas. I don't recommend any illegal driving methods but for the sake of interest here are some good tips from Wikipedia.
• Wikipedia Hypermiling information (link)

More Info (links)

ScanGauge scan gauge 

How To determine your MPG

Better mileage car

Save Money On Gas <---Highly recommended page