How to Use Your Common Sense to Save Money on Gas

A little common sense can save you a lot of fuel expense.

The current economic situation is enough to frighten anyone. We're all starting to realize that "penny-pinching" is no longer a derogatory expression, but a necessity. More and more we are becoming aware of the critical environmental issues that confront our technology-heavy society. Conserving natural and non-renewable resources is a major concern of citizens and governments world-wide.

Cutting down on our "spendthrift" spending has also become a priority for most of us.

One issue that looms large in our free-wheeling society is the exorbitant cost, in terms of money as well as the depletion of fossil fuels, of our personal use of automobiles. At the very beginning of the auto industry, the auto was a status symbol and a luxury. Very quickly it became a perceived necessity for every man, woman and teenager. For the large majority of our population, the "quality of life" depends heavily on the use of an automobile.

Since this is the way matters stand at present, and for the easily foreseeable future, we all need to take a good look at our driving habits and try taking some simple but very effective steps towards reducing the cost, both to our pockets and to the environment. Here are a few such steps for you to consider:

-Forget about "bigger is better" - it was never really true anyway. Think about some of the new technology that is being put to use in the manufacture of cars that are less expensive and more efficient. This is certainly the wave of the future, or at least tomorrow.

-When it is feasible (which is a lot more often than you thought) walk, don't drive. Ride a bicycle, propelled by your very own man- or-woman power. The benefits here are tremendous, for so many very obvious reasons.

-Get to know your public transportation system. If you are a town or city dweller almost anywhere in this country, there are various options for getting to wherever you need to go and back again. While you're at it, get to know your neighbors, too. Odds are pretty good that at least one person in your area is going in the same direction you are. Carpooling can be a great way of getting to know some new folks while saving your gas money.

Let's face it: most of us are still going to drive our own vehicle most of the time, so try practicing these practical and proven ways to save your money and your environment.

-Don't wait until you're almost out of gas and pull into the nearest station. Plan your route and your schedule so you'll be near the station that is close to your home base and has consistently lower prices. In many areas the price per gallon can vary by as much as fifty cents from one side of town to the other.

-Read your Driver's Manual, and check with a trusted mechanic. Most of the cars on the road today are designed to run on lower octane fuel. Filling your tank with more expensive high-octane gas will NOT make the car "run better". It is just a waste of money and gasoline.

-Over or under-inflated tires are dangerous to drive on, and they also reduce the engine's efficiency. Again, ask your mechanic and/or check with the tire manufacturer.

-Keep the engine tuned properly. This is really crucial to the efficiency and endurance of your car's engine, and one more good reason to develop a relationship with a mechanic you trust.

-Long ago, when gasoline was 35 cents a gallon and I was just learning to drive, my Dad admonished me: "No jackrabbit starts! Never!" That's still very good advice. Revving the engine and then engaging the gears may get you out in front of the other guy, but you've just wasted some money and done more than your share to pollute the air. Besides, that sort of thing went out back in the late '50's, didn't it?

There is a great deal more to be said on this subject, but really when all is said and done, a little common sense goes a lot further for a lot less, Think about it.

*Mark Ontkush, 66 Ways To Save Money On Gasoline, TreeHugger.com