Thursday, June 12, 2008

Tips for saving money on gas

Other than the obvious methods of being extremely selective about where I go and combining trips, I've recently employed a few other tactics in an attempt to save at the pump:

1. Gas up as often as possible. Seems counter-intuitive, but with prices steadily increasing, rather than ebbing and flowing as they used to, it only makes sense that tomorrow your gallons will cost more than they do today. I used to gas up when I was down to half a tank, but now I literally gas up almost every time I pass my favorite station (which has lower prices than the others). Sometimes that means only putting in $10, but waiting two more days would've cost me at least another dollar or two for that same amount.

2. I'm now a big fan of hypermiling, after watching this video. It's a driving technique that takes just a wee bit of practice, but within minutes of experimenting, I realized how many times I was unnecessarily pushing my gas pedal. Now I realize just how much I can coast if I'm conscious of my tactics, therefore greatly increasing my mileage per gallon.

3. And for those of you who, like me, keep saying, "I just wish there was something I could DO about these ridiculous price hikes!", there is. Here's a quick petition to sign, sponsored by the American Family Association. They are reputable and effective. Take 60 seconds to enter your address, sign it, and then pass it along to everyone you know!

I remember when gas here was .99/gallon---just 6 1/2 years ago! We've all topped $4/gallon now, with no signs of relief. It's time for us to reevaluate our driving even more, stop providing such high demand for gasoline, and put our foot down! Just not on the gas pedal...

4 comments:

Chef Mama Lori said...

Or do what we did---have your mom sell a truck, give you the money & buy a motorcycle! However, this would require the additional purchase of a sidecar large enough for 2 Biker Dudettes & the Biker Dude in your case.

I think we'll need to start car-pooling to go to HEB. Or walk. Hmmm, that might be interesting! If you see on the news, "Middle Aged overweight woman seen sleeping on sidewalk while 2 children stand observing. The looks on their faces indicates this is not an unusual occurrence," just come get me & I'll pay you for the gas!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the petition link, Steph. Look for it to show up on my blog in a few minutes.

Tiffany said...

hypermiling is great and all, Steph, but what do you do about the train of people behind you honking and yelling?! ;)

Anonymous said...

Hubby is a HUGE fan of hypermiling!!