Skip to main content

Natural Awakenings National

Travel Minder: Cheap Gas Tips

With gas hovering close to $4 a gallon ($9 in Europe!), following these five driving tips will save us $20 to $50 a month at the pump, according to BigGreenPurse.com.

First, drive smart, using cruise control on the highway and avoiding quick starts and stops and idling. Using the cruise control alone can improve fuel efficiency as much as 14 percent. Second, drive the speed limit; every five miles per hour above 60 is like paying an extra 10 cents a gallon. It obviously helps to combine trips and drive less. Buy the cheapest gas around. And keep vehicle tires properly inflated to improve gas mileage by more than 3 percent. Bonus tip: replace worn tires with the same make and model as the originals.

With the Alliance to Save Energy estimating that Americans will spend $3,400 to fuel their cars and other types of vehicles this year, we can use every efficiency tip we can get. Keeping a vehicle tuned up and with a clean air filter helps, as does banishing unnecessary cargo. The good news is that we are responding to record prices at the pump by driving less, the best way of all to save energy.

Join Our Community Newsletter