Save Gas!

Diane MacEachern, author of Beat High Gas Prices, shares these tips for cutting down on gas consumption:
1. Buy the least-expensive gas you can find. Smart consumers can find the cheapest gas available every day by comparison-shopping in their neighborhoods or by searching on the Internet at GasBuddy.com. Drivers can also take advantage of wholesale shopper’s clubs and money-back rebate cards.
2. Choose the right octane gas. High-octane fuel can cost as much as 20 cents a gallon more than regular unleaded. Use the octane suggested by the manufacturer, nothing higher.
3. Pay cash. Occasionally gas will be cheaper if you pay for it with cash. Get to know the gas vendors in your neighborhood and who offers the best bargains.
4. Gas up in the morning or in late evening. You get more gas for your money when temperatures are cooler outside.
5. Buy gas before getting on the highway. Gas will be cheaper in your neighborhood than it will be on the road.
6. Pump up your tires. Keep your tires properly inflated. If everyone kept their tires inflated, the US would gain more in oil than what's projected to be found in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
7. Get a quick tune-up before you leave. Have your car’s oil, transmission, and spark plugs checked to improve gas mileage throughout your road trip.
8. Don’t start the engine until you’re ready to go. You can waste a lot of gas idling.
9. Put away the roof rack. Reduce aerodynamic drag and improve fuel efficiency by placing items inside the trunk whenever possible. Don’t leave the roof carrier on permanently.
10. Don’t speed. Every 5 miles per hour you drive above 60 miles per hour is like paying an additional 10 cents a gallon for gas.
11. Use cruise control. Using cruise control on the highway helps maintain a constant speed that usually will help improve fuel economy by 4 to 14 percent.
12. Know when to close the windows. At highway speeds, it’s more fuel-efficient to use internal venting or air conditioning than to drive with the windows down. At slower speeds, such as in the city, keep the windows down and avoid air conditioning, which uses more gas.
13. Use shades. Reflecting sun shades made especially for cars, vans, and trucks can be spread inside the front windshield and above the dashboard to deflect heat from the car and help keep it cool when it’s parked, especially if you haven’t been able to park in the shade.
14. Cool off before you turn the air conditioning on. You’ll use less gas if you roll the windows down and let a hot car cool off a little before cranking up the A/C.
15. Turn off the car. Idling gets 0 miles per gallon and generates air pollution that turns into smog.