A Few Gas Saving Tips for Everyone
As impractical as the advice that comes out of every politico and news analyst’s mouth can be, I figured it’s time to share a few tips that can save time and money on the front side, instead of down the road as an investment or financial parachute plan. People will always have to drive, in any economy, so some tips on how to save gas could prove extremely useful to everyone, whether they own an investment portfolio or not. Some of these tips are common sense, others are not so well known. Hopefully they all help to reduce the pain associated with gassing up your ride.
What burns more gas, using your air conditioning on or rolling windows down? That’s the question that many are faced with when the weather gets warmer and driving in the heat becomes more and more unbearable. Rolling your windows down can cost you up to 10% more in lost fuel efficiency due to the drag it creates, mostly at higher speeds. Turning on the AC costs drivers about as much, and some vehicles guzzle up to 20% more fuel with the AC on. So if you have to, roll the windows down when you’re driving slow, and when you’re on the freeway, use the AC. This is the best of both worlds and takes advantage of the pros and cons of either method of cooling.
Make sure you inflate your tires to the recommended pressures. Not doing so can cost up to 25% more at the pumps. Tires that are not properly inflated also wear faster than those that are, so you’ll find yourself replacing more tires as the tread wears faster if you’re not keeping up with the recommended psi.
In most cars, the faster you speed, the more gas is consumed. For every 5 miles per hour over 60 miles per hour that many cars travel, gas mileage drops by at least 10%. The faster you go, the worse the loss in miles per gallon. The curve is exponential, and at 90 miles per hour, most cars burn almost twice the amount of gas as they do when they’re traveling at 60miles per hour.
By removing unnecessary weight from you vehicle you can save money on gas as well. Each pound you add to your car or truck is another pound that the engine has to work to pull around. I’m sure you’ve experienced what it’s like when you load your car or truck up with people and see how horrible the gas mileage is. It’s the same on a smaller scale with anything else that adds weight to your ride. If you don’t need it in your car, ditch it. Saving weight is saving gas.
Believe it or not, washing your vehicle can save you money at the pump. The aerodynamic disturbances created by dirt, grit, dead bugs, or whatever’s on your car’s paint, even at the microscopic level, can disrupt smooth airflow and cost you precious gasoline. If you wash you car or truck on a regular basis, you’ll find that the positive psychological effect created when you do so becomes more of a reality. Not only does it feel like you’re going faster in a clean car or truck, but it’s true, you actually can go faster, or save gas because of the reduced parasite drag.
