Save Money on Gas

In this day and age gasoline can very easily become one of the most expensive recurring bills that people can be faced with. With the national average of gasoline hovering around the $4.00 per gallon mark, who wouldn't want to save money on gas? There are several methods that you can use to help do this. While they may not individually save you a bunch, when you implement them all at once you will be amazed at how quickly the savings can add up.

• Actually shop for gas. No one really has a problem with shopping around for high dollar value items, groceries, or most things. Unfortunately, most people don't carry over this desire for shopping around to gasoline. Spending a little time looking around online, or just simply keeping your eyes open while driving around, can help you find decent deals.
• Fill it up. Wait until you actually need to get some gas before you fill up the gas tank. A good time to fill up would be when you have about 1/4 tank of gas remaining. At that time fill up the gas tank completely. It may seem a bit more expensive to do this, but that is really only the sticker shock. If you stop and think about it, by filling up completely you will put off having to get any more gas for a good while unless you do some seriously heavy driving.
• Maintain your engine. By regularly tuning up your engine you can ensure that it will be running as efficiently as possible. An example of this is that you will be able to ensure that your air filter is clean and this alone will help dramatically increase your engine's efficiency. When your engine is running efficiently you will end up using less gas.
• Are your spark plugs sparking? Misfiring sparkplugs can end up causing you to use more gas (or waste it depending on your point of view) than you really need to so make sure that they are firing correctly. The top of the line sparkplugs are supposed to last up to 100,000 miles, but can easily start going wonky at as low a mileage as 75,000. Chances are you don't have the top of the line sparkplugs, so make sure that they are clean and working like they are supposed to.
• Check your tires. Check the tire pressure on your vehicle on a weekly basis. This will allow you to ensure that it is at the manufacturer's recommended pressure. A properly filled tire will help you travel smoother, which will help you use less gas, which means that you don't need to refill as often. This will also give you the chance to ensure that your tires are not wearing out incorrectly.