How to save money at the gas station

Some ways to save money on gas.

While you might consider driving around town looking for the best deal on gas prices, often the distance you travel to save a few cents in gas is overshadowed by the fuel used to get to the cheaper gas. With that said, bargain hunting in the case of gas isn't a good way to save money on gas.

Another way is to of course purchase a more fuel efficient car, but for many people this just isn't a viable option because the cost of a new car is out of reach for most people in the short term. Plus depreciating car values means that car you currently have won't get you as much cash come trade in time anyways.

Saving money on gas can be done with the vehicle you have, no matter whether you drive a hybrid car or a Hummer. The first thing to consider is how often and how far you drive on a daily basis and to see if you can reduce those numbers. Driving less equals less gas used which is less gas you'll need to buy.

Try to plan your day out in advance and make all your daily trips in one or two trips. If you commute to work and have errands to run after, consider going to the stores and such you need to go to on the way home from work rather then stopping home first. If you have to go food shopping and also need to go to the mall, map out the shortest route and do both stops in one trip. Seems obvious, but many people drive on small trips that add up in fuel costs and it is due to lack of planning or impulsive trips that could've been rolled into another trip.

Making the most out of each car trip and less driving aside, there are some things you can do to your vehicle and also while in your vehicle to slightly reduce the amount of fuel used.

Maintaining a good running vehicle will save you not only repair costs but also allow the vehicle to run better and help you get the most out of every drop of gas. Some things to consider would be using fuel injection cleaner every few hundred miles or so to help clean out your fuel system and fuel injectors because build up makes your engine work harder and burn more fuel.

Ensuring your tires are at the proper pressure is not only good for ensuring safe driving but also helping you get the most miles per gallon. Tires that are low in pressure create drag and create more resistance with the road surface, making the engine work harder and burning more fuel.

The next tip has a bit of a trade off problem, but some people claim it helps gas mileage. The concept is that if you drive with your windows up then you'll cut down wind resistance and thus move faster and smoother down the road using less fuel. While this is true, you may end up running the A/C which harms fuel economy. Technically the windows up rule only helps gas use if the A/C and heat remains off.
What you carry can also affect how much fuel you use. If you carry a lot in your vehicle consider reducing the load. On the flip side if you carry more but the addition is carpooling friends and co-workers the load issue becomes a non-issue. This is because carpooling can allow people to split the cost of gas thus saving everyone some money.

In reality, the tweaks and fixes such as fuel injection cleaning, tire pressure checks, and the windows up concept will only shave a little bit off the cost of fuel. The real money saver comes from minimizing the amount of time and distance you spend driving. Planning ahead and making less trips will save you the most fuel in the long run.