Tips for Saving Money At The Pump

Saving on gas

The cost of gas in the United States is increasing dramatically. The following tips can help you limit the financial impact on your bank account when you are sitting at the pump.

As of the writing of this article, gas prices in San Diego are as high as $3.75 a galloon. Filling up a car, even a small one, can make you groan. Since these prices seem to be here to stay for the foreseeable future, it makes sense to use the following fuel saver tips.

A quick and easy money saver is to clean your fuel injectors. When fuel injectors are clogged or gummed up, modern engines do not perform efficiently. Ironically, this may actually lead to them introducing too much gas to the combustion chamber. Check you owner's manual for any directions on the type of fuel injector cleaner to use and do it.

Another fuel waster is incorrect air pressure in your tires. Tires are the point where your car touches the road, obviously, which creates massive drag on the car because of friction. Filling your tires to the correct air pressure ensures your tires will move efficiently across the road. Importantly, use the air pressure recommended by the manufacturer, not the tire supplier. You can find this information in your owner's manual or on the inside of the driver's door.

As you might imagine from the two previous paragraphs, tuning up your car is a tremendous way to save fuel. Depending on the vehicle, a tune up can increase gas mileage by 30 to 50 miles per tank. Make sure to change out the spark plugs, air filter and gas filter.

On the practical front, organizing your life is a good way to save money on gas. We are all used to running errands. When we get unorganized, we can find ourselves taking multiple trips a day to get things done. Every time you fire up that car, you burn fuel. If you are going to being heading out, make a list of everything you need to accomplish and do it all on one trip.

If you have kids, getting them to and from school, sports and the houses of friends can lead to a lot of time on the road. To save money for you and others, team up with parents to move the kids around in one car. This saves each of you money on gas and frees up your time.

Taking small steps can add up to a big difference. Follow the above tips and you should spend less time and money at the pump.

Rick Chapo is with SolarCompanies.com, a directory of solar energy companies. Visit us to read more articles on solar power and renewable energy.