Five Ways to Save Money on Gas

We’ve all felt the squeeze over the past year as gas prices have soared all over the country. As gas prices climbed higher and higher, I began researching ideas for saving gas money. Hopefully some will be of interest to you:

1. Cheaper Car

   Sounds obvious right? Get a car that gets better gas mileage. But, you have to be careful. You must weigh the cost of a new (even new to you) car purchase against the amount of time it will take to make your money back given the car’s better gas mileage. Many cars today of medium size and some even larger have MPG’s in the mid to high 20’s already. Even if you get a Hybrid, the upfront cost makes the payback period quite long when you do the math. However, it can be one way to save money if well thought out.

2. Scooter:

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   Okay, I was getting desperate. But, seriously…if you often put around a small town or your trek into town (if you live just outside) is only a mile or two, why not consider a scooter? They are not cost prohibitive up front (typically $1000 – $2000) and typically range from 70mpg to 100mpg (believe it or not).

   Again, caution is warranted as some of the smaller engines can barely achieve 45mph so you will be limited on where you can ride them. But, the larger engines (250cc) can get still get up to 70mpg and reach speeds of 70+ mph. Certainly, a scooter isn’t for everyone, but it is one way to save a buck or two – especially in good weather and is much cheaper than a full-size motorcycle.

3. Hypermiling:

   This is a phenomenon that is growing in popularity across the US and even has websites dedicated to it! The idea is to squeeeeze as much mileage as you possibly can out of the vehicle you currently have by changing your driving habits. I employed some of these ideas and was surprised at the effect on my MPG! For example, by simply decreasing the rate at which I accelerate I saw a dramatic increase in mileage. I drive a Ford Focus that was getting approximately 26mpg without me paying any attention to the way I was driving.

   As an experiment, I tried keeping the RPM’s on my car at 2000 or below for a couple of tanks of gas – even during accelerating. The results were much better. My MPG jumped to 30mpg by just employing this one technique! Of course, this doesn’t earn you the “Favorite Driver of the Year” award from those who are behind you… but, in most cases, those who are impatient just go around you. Surprisingly, I never encountered one instance of road rage during my trial. Other hypermiling ideas include: Timing your driving to avoid stops at red lights, keeping strict mileage records and creativity using cruise control.

   Some die-hards even go so far as making sure they fill up at the same gas station every time – and even try to use the same pump! (to minimize any differences in pump readouts or fuel delivery).

   Whatever your level of interest in this, you can explore other ideas for yourself using the ideas at Hypermiling.com. They even have T-shirts…

4. Acetone:

   My desperation knows no ends… yes, I actually put Acetone in my gas tank. There comes a time in desperation when you will give the ridiculous a try…Believe it or not, it worked. Not as well as its proponents would lead you to believe, but I did see an increase in gas mileage. The idea? Add no more than 3 ounces of acetone (available from Wal-Mart or any hardware store) per 10 gallons of gas.

   The idea is that the Acetone decreases the surface tension of the gas molecules and allows them to vaporize better, thus leading to more efficient burning. Translation? More “bang” for the buck. The results from my experience (for two tanks of gas) were moderate but I did see a jump in gas mileage from 30 mpg to about 34 mpg. Not bad, but worth the risk of damage to your engine? I’m not sure.

   There are those who swear that Acetone actually improves the life of your engine. I’m not sure about that, but most advocates who have been doing it awhile have suffered no ill effects. But, I would caution you, this is an untested method and you will have to weigh for yourself the potential harm to your engine. Do some research and make a wise decision for yourself considering the value of your vehicle and your willingness to experiment. But it is one method that seems to help gas mileage. I gave it up, however, in favor of a better one…

5. Carpooling:

   Yes, carpooling. I know, this idea is as old as the hills…but, hey, don’t knock it. At literally zero upfront cost, you can get a group of guys to take turns driving and easily cut your gas bill down to a fourth in almost no time. This depends, of course, on how many carpooling buddies you get, but, in my opinion, for all the brain-racking I did trying to increase my MPG, this was the cheapest and easiest way to save money I found and the method I chose that worked best for me.

   I literally pay ¼ of what I previously spent on gas and all I did was enlist some guys to carpool. You lose the flexibility of going where you want (and when you want) after work, and I miss driving by myself sometimes, but, hey, the extra cash is worth it. And who can’t use an extra dollar or two, huh? In my book, a dollar a gallon beats four dollars a gallon any day!

Whatever your lifestyle or budget, there are creative ways to save money on gas. Do some research, experiment, and soon you’ll be well on your way to saving some money, and we can all use a little of that!

Happy driving!