Saving Money At The Fuel Pump

We needed to stop at our Giant grocery store to get some gas recently. It was $3.41/gallon. Ouch! My wife, Christine, heard that the prices where going to be over $4.00/gallon soon. When we bought our 2001 Dodge Durango R/T with the 5.9L V-8 gas was around $1.50/gallon. That dog doesn't hunt anymore. We own the Durango and don't want the expense of buying another vehicle right now. I drive approximately 30k miles a year in my Dodge Dakota pickup truck so saving money at the fuel pump has become a priority for me. (Yes, we are a Dodge family.)

Here are a few things that one can do to save money at the fuel pump:

Drive more efficiently.

• Don't be a lead foot and accelerate rapidly. 
• Don't speed. Gas mileage usually decreases at speeds over 60 mph. Each 5 mph over 60 mph can cost an additional $0.28/gallon in gas.
• Minimize the need to brake by anticipating traffic conditions.
• Don't carry unnecessary items in your vehicle. An extra 100 lbs. can lower your MPG by up to 2%.
• Avoid excessive idling. (I'm guilty of this in the winter. I like a warm vehicle when I leave my house in the morning. I should use an ice scraper instead of waiting for the defroster to melt away the ice. This reminds me of how people don't use their garage for their vehicle.) Idling and can cost as much as $.03/min. 
• Use cruise control. Traveling at a constant speed usually saves gas.
• Use the air conditioner only when you need it. Using the "recirculation" setting keeps hot outside air from entering the vehicle therefore reducing the air conditioning load. 

Make sure your vehicle is in good working order.

• Keeping your engine properly tuned can improve your gas mileage an average of 4%. Replacing a faulty Oxygen sensor can save you up to 40%.
• Keep your tires properly inflated. Under inflated tires can lower gas mileage 0.3% for every 1 psi in all 4 tires.
• Use the recommend grade of motor oil. Using a differnt grade of motor oil can lower your gas mileage by up to 2%.
• Replace dirty air filters. Clogged filters can increase fuel consumption by up to 10%.

Find the lowest gas prices.

• I use the GasBuddy app on my Droid phone to find the cheapest gas near me. www.GasBuddy.com.
• I have a Sheetz card that saves me $.03/gallon. There are other benefits to getting a Sheetz card, too. www.sheetz.com. 
• Giant grocery stores give you $.10 off the cost of a gallon of gas for every $100 you spend at their gas pumps and Shell gas stations. There is a $2.20/gallon maximum savings. www.giantfood.com.
• COSTCO Executive Members get  2% cash back at their gas pumps.You can earn 3% or 4% cash back depending on what American Express card you use at COSTCO. Now that can be a significant savings. www.costco.com. 

Plan and combine trips.

• GPS's can save you money by taking you the most direct route.
• Get traffic reports before and during your trip. (I listen to WTOP 103.5 FM. They have "traffic and weather on the 8's." They are on Twitter @WTOPtraffic. Sign up for traffic alerts to be texted to you from your local alert systems. ie www.staffordalert.com.)
• Save as many errands for 1 round trip.

Interesting facts about gas saving products:

• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has evaluated or tested more than 100 alleged gas-saving devices and has not found any product that significantly improves gas mileage. 
• No government agency endorses gas-saving products for cars.

For further information go to www.fueleconomy.gov and http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt064.shtm.