Ways to
Save on Gas at the Pump
1.
Shop Around
You can try to shop around in
your local area for the cheapest gas that you can find but you
shouldn’t go too far out of your way to try and get that best
price unless you’re already traveling in that direction
anyway.
2.
Paying For Gas The Smart Way
One of the ways that you can save
money at the gas pump is by using an automobile or gas rewards
credit card. Automobile and gas rewards credit cards allow you
to earn rewards with every dollar you spend! According to an
analysis by CardWeb.com
, a consumer could save as much
as $300 a year on gasoline by choosing to pay with a gas
rewards credit card at the pump. Gas rewards cards are
available for just about every station — from Citgo to
Shell — and offer between 1 percent and 10 percent back
on gasoline purchases.
Some cards only offer the savings
at specific stations, while others allow a user to fill-up
anywhere. Additionally, all of the major reward cards in this
space do not charge an annual fee.
The Web
site www.cardratings.com
can help you to
compare the various gas rewards credit cards in one
place.
 3.
Buy Gas In The Morning Or Evening
Gasoline becomes denser in colder
temperatures. Gas pumps are set to measure the volume of the
fuel that you pump and not the density. This means that if you
fill up your gas tank in the cooler morning temperatures, or in
the colder evening hours, that you’ll be getting better fuel
economy.
4.
Buy Gas From A Busy Station
Try to buy your gas from a gas
station that is consistently busy and therefore has its
underground tanks filled on a regular basis. Gas stations that
are slow will have gas that has been sitting in underground
tanks for longer periods of time, leading to gas contamination.
This contamination can mean that the gas you are purchasing is
less powerful than fresh gas and will decrease your fuel
economy.
4.
High Octane Gas
Choose the right octane gas for
your car. Unless your vehicle requires it, buying higher-octane
gas is a waste of your money. The higher the octane, the higher
the price.
5.
Avoid Topping Off
Try to avoid over filling or
“topping off” at the gas pumps. When filling your tank, the gas
nozzle automatically clicks off when your gas tank is full. Too
much gas will just slosh or seep out. In warmer weather, the
gas will expand and may leak out.
6.
Always Fill Up Your Tank
When you purchase just a bit of
gas at the gas station the pump doesn’t have enough time to
really activate, resulting in short bursts of fuel that may
short change you from the amount of gas that you are
purchasing.
The best time to replenish your
gas tank is when you have half a tank or less left in your
vehicle, or when you find a gas price that you just can’t
afford to miss.
9.
Avoid Buying Gas From A Just Replenished Gas Station
When a gas station has its
underground tanks filled, the particles at the bottom of the
tank are stirred up. These particles can become mixed in with
the gas that you are putting into your car, which can lead to
efficiency problems. The particles can clog your fuel filter,
causing your car to stall and start with some
difficulty.
10.
Tighten The Gas Cap
It may seem like a small thing to
do, but tightening the gas cap on your car will prevent gas
from evaporating and escaping into the air. Loose, missing or
damaged gas caps cause 147 million gallons of gas to evaporate
each year, according to the Car Care Council. So be sure to
tighten up that gas cap each time you fuel up your car. If you
have a gas cap that doesn’t fit tightly, or you’ve lost your
gas cap, buy a new one to replace
it.
ebay
is a great
place to find low cost, discounted gas
caps.
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