High Gas Prices Are Back In The USA-Hard Times May Get Harder-Ways to Save Money on Gas and Driving

I drive two cars. One burns more fuel than the Queen Mary and the other one burns less than most any car you'll see on the roadway. With gas prices soaring again, I try to drive the small one as much as possible because it gives me around 30 miles to the gallon. However, I live in a high snowfall area where we get two feet of snow on a regular basis and my little car simply can't make it through most of our winters. A few days ago near my home, gas prices shot up from  $3.01 to $3.17 a gallon. These kinds of prices hurt the average man and woman. Times are tough enough, and now this!

This article is about how you and I, just regular folks, can save some gas money by utilizing tried and true gas saving tips. The entire fuel issue in America is another article for another day but for now I've done some research for us and hopefully some of these tips will save us some cash!

1.      Avoid prolonged warming up of your engine. Even on cold mornings 45 seconds to one minute is plenty for your car's health.

2.      Important one! Eliminate jack-rabbit starts. Accelerate slowly when starting from a dead stop.

3.      Don't drive fast. Traveling at 55 mph can give you up to 21% better mileage when compared to speeds of 65 mph and 70 mph.

4.      Use Cruise Control on the highway.

5.      Be mindful that exceeding 40 mph forces your auto to overcome tremendous wind resistance.

6.      Keep windows closed when traveling at highway speeds. Open windows cause air drag, reducing your mileage by 10%.

7.      Drive steadily. Slowing down or speeding up wastes fuel.

8.      Inflate all tires to their maximum limit.

9.      Remove excess weight from the trunk or inside of your vehicle such as extra tires, unused back seats, or any unnecessary heavy items. Extra weight reduces mileage.

10.  Air conditioners can reduce fuel economy by 10% to 20%. Heater fan, power windows and seats increase engine load; the more load on your engine, the less miles per gallon.

11.  Consolidate your driving. Plan what you need to buy and make it a one day shopping trip instead of the usual two or three times a week.

12.  Avoid rush hour or busy streets if possible. Idling in traffic will suck you dry!

13.  If possible, avoid buying gas in affluent areas--in many areas prices are higher because people living there are less price sensitive. Go to poorer areas and you may be pleasantly surprised.

14.  Double-income working couples who commute to work in two separate vehicles can have the one who’s job is the farthest away drive both--whichever car gets better gas mileage.

 In addition, if anyone reading this article has some added tips please leave them in the comment section so everyone can benifit!  I have seen gas prices go up and down in my lifetime and I personally feel that when we hit the four dollar a gallon amount two years ago it had a drastic negative affect on the US economy. The high cost of trucking merchandise and people simply spending money on gas other than at the local Bob Evans Restaurant etc hurt our economy more than most people talked about. Let us hope our leaders can help us handle this problem now, not tomorrow.