Wednesday, May 4, 2011

HOLD ME WHILE I CATCH MY BREATH

This is what I looked like after hubby showed me the gas receipt yesterday afternoon.  I thought I was going to pass out.  For 14.640 gallons of gas at $4.099/gal, the cost was $60.01.  SIXTY DOLLARS (and a penny) for FOURTEEN GALLONS OF GAS!  

That is utterly and absolutely ridiculous!  Somewhere, someone is getting very, very rich off of ordinary Americans like you and me.  I mean, it's not like we can just hop on the ol' horse and "giddy up and go."  There are places that we have to drive to, like out-of-town doctor appointments, etc.  That is why I try to "shop local" whenever I can.  That way, I can walk or ride my bike.  Not only do I save gas money, I also get some much-needed exercise!

What are the gas prices in your area?  Is it over $4.00 a gallon?  My sister in FL reported that gas is still a tad bit under that amount.....lucky gal.....but they also get hit hard with tolls, so not alot of savings there!

So, in the spirit of saving $$ where I can, I have scoured the Internet Highway to find some useful tips for ways to save money on the Actual Highway!  ;)

 (1)  Check your tire pressure. If the wheels are losing air, the car is lower to the ground. That makes it less aerodynamic, which drives up gas use.

 (2)  For the same reason, washing your car can also save fuel.  It actually makes your car more aerodynamic.  *I never knew this!

 (3)  Once the light turns green, go easy on the gas. That jackrabbit start wastes alot of gas. 

 (4)  Using a portable or built-in GPS Navigator in your automobile can help you save gas by navigating you to or from your destination by a shorter and/or less traffic route.  *My favorite tip so far!

 (5)  Empty the trunk of your car for daily use. A lighter car uses less gasoline.  *I need to do this one!  I have tons of stuff in my trunk!!

 (6)  Remove any unused luggage or bicycle racks on your car. They increase drag. Pack items inside of your car, rather than on an outside rack, whenever possible to reduce drag.

 (7)  Keep windows up while driving on the highway.  This reduces air drag by which in turn increases mileage.

 (8)  When you are in stop-and-go traffic, turn off the A/C and roll down the windows.

 (9)  In older cars, replace the air filter when dirty. A dirty filter will cause the engine to work harder and utilize more gasoline.

(10) Totally ditch the gas-guzzler and invest in a pack-mule.  Imagine riding that beast into the parking lot at your job or through the drive through at McDonalds!  Sorry...I couldn't resist throwing in a funny one!  ;)



What are your favorite tips for saving gas??  Come on, I know that all of you have some!






A.Marie

9 comments:

  1. I bought gas last week, and it was $3.73/gallon. Yesterday I saw it for $3.69/gallon. Our area general runs a little cheaper than the national average.

    My best tip is to consolidate trips. I try never to leave home unless I can take care of at least two (preferably more) errands at the same time.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes it takes that much to fill up my van also. Thanks for the tips

    ReplyDelete
  3. My gas bill has upped in the last few months by 60% (if I did my math right...) but that was also because my son borrowed one of them a lot this past month. I hope it comes back down a lot...
    Gas around here is roughly $3.89 per gallon.
    yuck.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great tips! I remember when I was little I told my parents I was never going to drive, that I was going to ride a pony everywhere! LOL Doesn't sound like such a bad idea now!

    Have a great day!

    Blessings,
    Jill

    ReplyDelete
  5. Annie Jones...great tip about consolidating trips...I try and do that!

    Kim, isn't it ridiculous!!!

    McVal, 60 percent? Double Yuck!

    Jill, a Pony!! I wanna Pony!! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  6. When we filled up on the way home from vacation this past Monday, we paid $4.349 for diesel. >8^( I get angry because diesel is less refined and costs less to produce and USED TO cost less than gasoline. Now, possibly because so many people use diesel (supply and demand), it costs way more. What a scam.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Dawnmarie, $4.349 for diesel? Geesh...that is ridiculous!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Gas is right at 4.00 in Vermont but diesel is much higher and diesel is what runs all the farm equipment. Look for higher food prices as farmers as all these gas prices kick in.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Mountain Woman...I never thought about farm equipment running on diesel...YIKES! That's going to eat up profits real quick!!!

    ReplyDelete

I LOVE COMMENTS!! ONLY LEAVE NICE ONES, THOUGH...I CRY EASILY! :)