Apparently, gas prices have hit yet another record so I thought it appropriate to share some fuel-saving tips from my own experience.
Practically, it is wise to find the cheapest gas station that carries reputable gas. I tend to steer clear of the "discount" chains because their gas can have some unseemly additives that affect engine performance. Here in the South, there is seriously a gas station chain called "El Cheapo" However you do not want to drive around wildly when looking for gas prices. I have found Gas Buddy to be a very helpful resource when trying to find good gas prices. Additionally, keeping your tires properly inflated improves your gas mileage. You can get a cheap tire pressure gage or stop at a place like Jiffy Lube and they'll check your tires for free.
Acceleration habits are the next place to analyze. It is the whole F = ma phenomenon. The faster you accelerate, the more gas you'll use. Similarly it is advantageous to maintain a constant highway speed as opposed to fluctuating. Speaking of highways, studies in the 1970s showed that a speed of 55 mph is a speed that allows for highest fuel:energy ratios. Fuel efficiency decreases steadily after that point, so if you are doing a lot of highway driving, you may want to reconsider your "travel over the speed limit" thinking.
The next thing I encourage people to know their car. My car's fuel economy appears to decrease if I let it go much below a quarter of a tank. Another oddity is my old car would not start in Northern winters if I let the gas get below a quarter of a tank, so it could be that this habit has remained with me today. I have also observed that my gas mileage seems to be at its prime during the first quarter of the tank, but I have yet to calculate this hypothesis.
Servicing your car regularly also improves your gas mileage. I know that this can be costly for a lot of us, but many chains like Jiffy Lube and Meinke offer discounts to make this more affordable. I tend to view service as preventive so I personally feel like I save more money by not having to undergo costly repairs later.
Another thing to think about is that some major chains have 1- to 5-cent per gallon discounts if you use a store credit card. If you find yourself constantly at this type of station, it may be worth considering this option.
Other thoughts?
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Only a few other thoughts:
-Ebay occasionally has discounted gas cards (eg. $100 gas card selling for $90). This can help if you have to drive for long distances.
-I second Gas Buddy/tire pressure.
-If you can't afford regular maintenance look into a vocational school or your local high school. There's usually an auto shop program and sometimes they'll take care of routine stuff for super cheap.
Gas is usually 30-50 cents cheaper near my work than my home, so I always fill up near work.
I didn't know you could get gas cards on Ebay! I'll have to check that out.
Depending on where you live, seriously consider public transportation and walking/biking. Your university may have a rideshare program where they pick up gas & parking costs if you carpool (and my univ will actually cover the cost of up to 1 taxi ride home per month if you use rideshare). My univ also subsidizes public transportation use.
I've visited down South a few times and got such a kick out of "El Cheapo" But the last time I was down there they were ten cents more than the competition!
Just to let you know, it's likely not the fuel usage of your car that's changing when you get below a quarter tank. It's more likely that your gas gauge stops measuring gas as reliably after you get below a certain amount.
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