Local Gas Prices For Your Zip Code

With gas prices seemingly out of control it's more important than ever to learn how to improve gas mileage in your vehicles. There are many simple steps you can take that are free or low cost that at first glance seem silly or even obvious but you would be surprised how many people fail to do them or ignore the warning signs their car is giving them. Here are some quick tips that you may have missed or forgotten about. Not any single tip will make that big of a difference in increasing your gas mileage but I am a firm believer that every little thing you can do really does add up to getting better gas mileage and helping the environment in the process.

Simple Mileage Improvement Tips:

Use a sunshade to keep your car cool and avoid the use of your air conditioner as much as possible. Park your car in the shade when it's sunny and warm to keep your car's interior cooler. Make sure that your parking brake is fully released before you start driving.

Avoid drive-thru lines at restaurants. Park your car and go inside and order your food as many times it's a lot quicker anyway. I always laugh to myself as I'm eating while I watch people sitting in their cars still waiting for their food. Just think of how much gas is wasted in those lines! Use a block heater in winter to pre-warm your car engine. Don't ride the brake. Not only will this save gas but will greatly extend the life of your brake pads. Drive with a smooth, constant speed and avoid "flooring it" when the stoplight turns green. Maintain the transmission fluid in your car at the proper level for efficient gear shifting. If there is smoke is coming from your tailpipe make sure that you make an appointment with your mechanic.

Make sure that your cooling system thermostat in your car is working properly. Avoid air conditioning leaks by constant checkups with your mechanic. FYI - Pre-1994 vehicles use CFCs for cooling. Immediately fix a slipping transmission. When you rev up your vehicle's engine it wastes gas. Avoid revving your engine before your turn it off as it really serves no purpose. If you can't find a place to buy cheap gas on one day wait if you can until a few days later since the price of gas is constantly changing. Where I live you can almost predict which days prices will rise or fall. Start watching prices in your area to see if you can pick up on any patterns. Buy your gas at the wholesale clubs, like Costco. You can often save over 10 cents a gallon or more.

When gasoline prices are cheap, you never hear about people complaining but once they reach that three dollar mark, it seems like everyone wants to riot but do they ever do it? No. Instead, you just see people fill up at the pumps and drive their SUVs. Gas prices will remain to rise until the demand lowers so much, they will have no choice but to lower it or we stick to alternative fuel source which doesn't seem like it'll ever happen. We could complain about gas prices all day but in the meantime, let's discuss how we can save on gas.

Before you set journey to the road, check the internet for places that offer gas prices. If you know you have to fill up on your next trip, hop online to a website like gasbuddy.com that shows you the gas prices in your area. It's a very simple website to use. You simply pop in where you live and users will input gas prices in that area. Find the lowest price and go from there.
Stay away from the freeways

If you're on a road trip or you're in desperate need to fill up, make sure that you avoid the gas stations on the freeways. These stations are generally a little higher than a station off the road. If you simply travel down the road for a mile or so, you'll probably find a station that's a few cents cheaper. If may not sound like a lot but it does add up!

Find cash only stations<
Believe it or not, there are gas stations out there that only accept cash. While this may scare away a lot of customers, these gas stations are able to offer lower gas prices because they don't have to pay the credit card merchant fees. If you know of one in your area, bring some cash and fill up. You can usually save a few cents only if use cash. It's a win-win deal!


Check out the clubs

If you live near a Sam's Club or CostCo, you may want to check out this type of place if you don't already have a membership. Most of these warehouse clubs have gas stations where you can save even more on gas. A membership at this type of place is about forty dollars. So not only can you save on gas, you can save on food as well.

Besides these 4 points, there are many other ways you can save on gas such as changing your driving habits, buying a fuel efficient car that get s over 25 miles to gallon, keeping your car well maintained and more. If you take care of your car and you look for deals using the points mentioned above, you shouldn't have a problem saving a few cents a gallon. Remember that every cent adds up and if you're using a SUV, get rid of it! You're only hurting yourself with the high gas bill.