17 Summer Driving Tips: How to make fuel go farther and why "staycation" is the new buzzword.
Gasoline prices are making us rethink every commute to work, every trip to the store, and most definitely, any vacation plans. To counteract the rise in gasoline prices, here’s a roundup of the best fuel-saving tips we could find.
Find the Cheapest Gas
1. I’m always amazed at the disparate prices of gasoline within a city and even more so between stations sitting right across the street from each other. Thanks to the Internet, comparison shopping for gas has never been easier. Check these Web sites for the best prices in your area before your next fill-up. http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/gasprices/states/index.shtml or www.gasbuddy.com.
Check Points to Improve Gas Mileage
2. Change air filters -- Replace air filters every three oil changes for city driving and every month if you drive on dirt roads.
3. Change oil every 3000 to 5000 miles or every three months.
4. Keep tires properly inflated and aligned. The Car Care Council (www.carcare.org) says, “When tires aren't inflated properly it's like driving with the parking brake on and can cost a mile or two per gallon.”
Fast Fact: Pat yourself on the back if you’re driving a standard. According to www.buyingadvice.com, manual transmissions use 10% less fuel on average than automatics.
Ways to Drive Smarter
5. Drive the Speed Limit -- Better yet stay under the limit. Www.FuelEconomy.gov states, “As a rule of thumb, you can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.20 per gallon for gas.”
6. Combine trips -- Never just go one place at a time.
7. Reconsider trips -- Can you get by tonight without going to the grocery store or out to a restaurant? What would happen if you actually ate what was in the fridge or pantry?
8. Take a closer look -- We all have our favorite shopping haunts, but what if we cast a narrower net? Does a store nearer your home or office sell similar merchandise? Maybe it’s time to think outside the big box.
9. Be the tortoise not the hare. Jack rabbit starts and slammed breaks waste fuel.
10. Cruise -- Maintaining a steady speed saves fuel.
11. Remove excess weight from the vehicle. Leave the golf clubs in the garage until the weekend.
12. Carpool -- It’s easy and social.
13. Don’t be on American Idle. Okay, need one more reason to avoid fast food joints? How about sluggish lines at the drive-thru. I’m not about to stand in the way of a French fry fix, but park the car and go in. Enjoy the over-the-top air conditioning, and get your food faster too. Savor those salty fries (while they’re hot) and save your poor engine the agonizing wait. It’s safer than trying to open a ketchup packet in rush hour traffic. Austin (TX) Energy says, “Turning off your car and starting it again uses less gas and produces less pollution than idling for 30 seconds or more.”
Ditch the Car
By looking for alternatives to taking the car, you’ll become more active and have fun too.
14. Walk -- Great exercise. Need we say more?
15. Bicycle -- Pump up those saggy tires and start pedaling.
16. Use public transportation -- Take your child on a bus trip for the experience as much as saving gasoline and wear and tear on the car.
We live on a bus route, but until this month I had never bothered to check the schedule or see where the bus could take us. Talk about cheap entertainment! For fifty cents (kids under 6 are free), my husband and son rode the bus to Aunt Marie’s house. Nate loved the adventure and getting to play with his cousin. He wasn’t ready to leave, but knowing he was getting to ride the bus home made it a little easier.
Go on Staycation
17. Rethink your vacation plans. Now is the perfect time to explore close-to-home options -- a staycation. Are there local and regional museums, parks, pools, campgrounds, and zoos that you’ve never visited? By cutting travel miles, you’ll save a bundle and have more time to relax and unwind. Keeping your vacation dollars local also helps your area’s economy. Visit http://www.mississippi.gov/ms_sub_template.jsp?Category_ID=6 to find out what’s going on in Mississippi. This site covers events and festivals, tourism destinations, gaming, state parks and much more.
Fast Fact: Find your car’s energy impact score: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/sbs.htm. To get a personal estimate of your car’s gas mileage and carbon footprint, click on Use Your Gas Prices and Annual Miles and enter the gas price you’re paying and what you estimate your annual miles to be. Our 2001 Saturn station wagon’s carbon footprint went from 7.1 to 5.6 which makes me feel like we are making a difference. My husband rides his bike to work and we live within walking distance of the grocery, post office, library, gym, playground, and municipal swimming pool.
The Silver Lining
If there is a bright side to high fuel costs, it may be that it’s forcing us to be mindful of our resources - and that can only be a good thing for us and for the environment.
