Uncommon ways to save money on gas
Mon Mar 12, 2007 7:32 am
With gasoline near all time highs, more and more people are looking for ways they can save a bit on gas. If you thought you have heard all the ways to save on gas and are looking for ideas a little less common, here are some gas saving tricks that you probably haven't considered before.
Fill Up Your Car When It Is Cool Outside: This is one of those tricks that you would never think about except if you were a chemistry teacher. Luckily, some of those teachers decided to share the information with the rest of us. It's best to purchase your gasoline in the early morning or at night when it's cold outside. This is because gas becomes denser in cooler temperatures. Since gas pumps only measure the volume of fuel - not its density - you'll get better overall gas mileage for your money by purchasing fuel when it's cool outside rather than in the heat of the day.
Don't "Top Off" When Filling Up: We all like nice round numbers and have a tendency to round our gas purchase up to the next full dollar amount. This is not a good idea for a couple reasons. First, gas pumps don't contain enough pressure to deliver gas well in short bursts meaning that you get short changed when you top off your tank. Secondly, topping off the tank makes it much more likely the gas will end up overflowing when it expands in the sun or if you park on a hill.
Tighten Your Gas Cap: Not tightening your gas cap wouldn't seem to be that big of a deal, but loose, missing or damaged gas caps are estimated to cause some 147 million gallons of gas to evaporate each year. If your gas cap doesn't fit properly or you forget to fully tighten it, gas will evaporate from your gas tank. On newer cars, not fully tightening the gas cap can cause errors and warning buttons to light up unexpectedly. Replace your current cap if needed and make sure you tighten it up each time you fill your car.
Go For The Shade: Although you probably haven't thought about it, parking your car in the shade does more than keep your car a little cooler. It also saves you gas. Letting your car heat up under the sun causes more gas to evaporate from the tank than if it's parked in the shade. Shade will also mean that your car won't be as hot when you get in and thus there will be less need for the gas guzzling air conditioner to be used. Find a nice parking spot where a tree or building provides a bit of cover whenever possible and save.
Use Your Garage: If you have a garage, use it. While parking your can in the garage provides shade for the car and the resulting gas savings as mentioned above, it also saves gas in other ways. In the winter, it will protect the car from having ice and snow form on the windows and thus the gas wasted when you need to let the car idle with the defroster blasting until the ice has melted.
Turn Nozzle To Get Last Drops Of Gas: This is a little trick that is simple but hardly anyone does. After you have finished filling up your car with gas, turn the gas pump nozzle around 180 degrees (upside down) with the nozzle still in the tank. This will drain about a half cup of gasoline into your tank which you paid for, but didn't get high enough in the hose to empty into your tank. If you don't, it'll either spill, evaporate or go into the tank of the next customer.
Using these easy-to-do tricks can save you more than $100 a year on gas and give you some uncommon knowledge to pass along the next time the conversation turns to different ways to save money on gas.
Fill Up Your Car When It Is Cool Outside: This is one of those tricks that you would never think about except if you were a chemistry teacher. Luckily, some of those teachers decided to share the information with the rest of us. It's best to purchase your gasoline in the early morning or at night when it's cold outside. This is because gas becomes denser in cooler temperatures. Since gas pumps only measure the volume of fuel - not its density - you'll get better overall gas mileage for your money by purchasing fuel when it's cool outside rather than in the heat of the day.
Don't "Top Off" When Filling Up: We all like nice round numbers and have a tendency to round our gas purchase up to the next full dollar amount. This is not a good idea for a couple reasons. First, gas pumps don't contain enough pressure to deliver gas well in short bursts meaning that you get short changed when you top off your tank. Secondly, topping off the tank makes it much more likely the gas will end up overflowing when it expands in the sun or if you park on a hill.
Tighten Your Gas Cap: Not tightening your gas cap wouldn't seem to be that big of a deal, but loose, missing or damaged gas caps are estimated to cause some 147 million gallons of gas to evaporate each year. If your gas cap doesn't fit properly or you forget to fully tighten it, gas will evaporate from your gas tank. On newer cars, not fully tightening the gas cap can cause errors and warning buttons to light up unexpectedly. Replace your current cap if needed and make sure you tighten it up each time you fill your car.
Go For The Shade: Although you probably haven't thought about it, parking your car in the shade does more than keep your car a little cooler. It also saves you gas. Letting your car heat up under the sun causes more gas to evaporate from the tank than if it's parked in the shade. Shade will also mean that your car won't be as hot when you get in and thus there will be less need for the gas guzzling air conditioner to be used. Find a nice parking spot where a tree or building provides a bit of cover whenever possible and save.
Use Your Garage: If you have a garage, use it. While parking your can in the garage provides shade for the car and the resulting gas savings as mentioned above, it also saves gas in other ways. In the winter, it will protect the car from having ice and snow form on the windows and thus the gas wasted when you need to let the car idle with the defroster blasting until the ice has melted.
Turn Nozzle To Get Last Drops Of Gas: This is a little trick that is simple but hardly anyone does. After you have finished filling up your car with gas, turn the gas pump nozzle around 180 degrees (upside down) with the nozzle still in the tank. This will drain about a half cup of gasoline into your tank which you paid for, but didn't get high enough in the hose to empty into your tank. If you don't, it'll either spill, evaporate or go into the tank of the next customer.
Using these easy-to-do tricks can save you more than $100 a year on gas and give you some uncommon knowledge to pass along the next time the conversation turns to different ways to save money on gas.
Tue Mar 13, 2007 12:22 am
"Don't get a car and walk you monkey" would have been top of my list.
Tue Mar 13, 2007 12:57 am
Setekh wrote:"Don't get a car and walk you monkey" would have been top of my list.
Except that most people who read these sorts of things don't like being compared to a monkey.
Interesting common sense.
Tue Mar 13, 2007 12:59 am
Uncle Xyzzy wrote:Setekh wrote:"Don't get a car and walk you monkey" would have been top of my list.
Except that most people who read these sorts of things don't like being compared to a monkey.
Interesting common sense.
Good for them, I'd like to be known as the G-D emperor of mankind but it's not going to happen any time soon is it.
Tue Mar 13, 2007 2:46 am
No, no, i prefer bikes to walking. But that doesn't make me any less of a monkey.
*is actually eating a banana*
*is actually eating a banana*
Tue Mar 13, 2007 2:48 am
Monkey cousin actually.
Species wise, anywhosit.
Species wise, anywhosit.
Tue Mar 13, 2007 3:25 am
Setekh wrote:Monkey cousin actually.
Does that mean we can marry them in the south?
Tue Mar 13, 2007 3:33 am
If you so desire.
No.
No.
Tue Mar 13, 2007 4:06 am
I guess it's worth a try, but I still think biking would save you more money and give you some good exercise. Besides, biking is a great way to explore your neighbourhood while you get to where you need to go. =D
Tue Mar 13, 2007 6:22 am
yup, i love my bike 
Tue Mar 13, 2007 7:46 am
Or, for us normal people who don't care about the environment and like to drive, these are cool tips. Thanks 
Tue Mar 13, 2007 10:10 am
theonlysaneone wrote:Or, for us normal people who don't care about the environment and like to drive, these are cool tips. Thanks
I'm all for the complete exploitation of this world we live upon and all that inhabits it to the point of utter exhaustion, but as you may have noticed fossil fuels will be gone in very short order, quite probably within my life time (And I think we all know I'm going to crash and burn in short order)
Tue Mar 13, 2007 12:34 pm
theonlysaneone wrote:Or, for us normal people who don't care about the environment and like to drive, these are cool tips. Thanks
Who says you're normal if you don't care about the evironment?
Tue Mar 13, 2007 12:40 pm
Twinkle wrote:theonlysaneone wrote:Or, for us normal people who don't care about the environment and like to drive, these are cool tips. Thanks
Who says you're normal if you don't care about the evironment?
*Stops*
*Looks around*
*Laughs*
Yeah, I think those that care are in the vocal minority.
Tue Mar 13, 2007 12:44 pm
Setekh wrote:Twinkle wrote:theonlysaneone wrote:Or, for us normal people who don't care about the environment and like to drive, these are cool tips. Thanks
Who says you're normal if you don't care about the evironment?
*Stops*
*Looks around*
*Laughs*
Yeah, I think those that care are in the vocal minority.
Doesn't mean they're in the actual minority though.
