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Summertime conjures memories of going to the beach, flying a kite in the park, sailing around the bay, family, company and church picnics, and so much more. Going on an idyllic road trip may also have fond memories of yesteryear. Unfortunately, with the inevitable increase of gasoline prices, one can really feel the pain that can sometimes result in serious ulcers. Fortunately, there are several ways to save money on gas and improve gas mileage in your car. Purchasing more fuel for an efficient vehicle can tremendously help to reduce gas expenses.  

Get More Miles Per Gallon

Here are ten sure-fire ways to save money on car gas:

1.  Use Brakes like you don’t have them – A car can consume the most fuel as the vehicle accelerates. In order to improve car mileage, it’s advisable to keep the car ride very smooth and use brakes the correct way—without slamming on the brake.

2.  Enjoy the fresh Air – It’s not a bad idea to turn off the air condition when necessary (this my not be advisable on hot summer days in Arizona or New Mexico). Parking the vehicle in a shaded area can reduce the use of the air conditioner.  When driving at highway speeds it makes more sense to roll up your windows and use your AC because of the wind drag.

3.  Go Manual – A car with a manual transmission can be very fuel-efficient. Shifting up early and shifting down late can save gas in the stick-shift car. You need to feel the car for the best shift instead of relying on a specific RPM.

Have fun while saving gas.

4.  Just Cruise – Use Cruise control in non-heavy traffic is advantageous to keep the speed constant.

5.  Keep it Low – Overdrive gears to save gas and keep a low RPM is a benefit.

6.  Shift to Neutral – When sitting still to reduce transmission temperature and strain, shift the vehicle into neutral.

7.  Clean out that Car – Emptying out the trunk of your vehicle and ridding unnecessary, heavy items diminishes the mass of the car. This reduces the force of acceleration.

8.  30+ Second Idle?  Shut it Down – The actuality of turning off the automobile while waiting in long traffic uses less gas than when the car is idling for more than 30 seconds.

9.  Discover a More Economical Route – The shortest travel is not always necessarily the most efficient in fuel if you stop quite a bit. Avoiding traffic lights and heavy traffic can really diminish gas costs.

10.  Go Small – A smaller car—due to smaller mass—has a better fuel economy, due to the mass/ acceleration equation.

The ten ways to save gas money is not only beneficial for the wallet or pocket book, but can have a better psychological impact on the motorist as well.

Here are a couple of links on improving your fuel economy.

HyperMiling – Really aggressive way to save on gas

CleanMPG – Forum and tips