Gas For Less Money

It’s a good idea to bring your vehicle in for a full checkup before taking any long trips. You should have a mechanic check the battery, lights, brakes, fluid levels, tires and anything else that requires regular maintenance. Not only will your tuned-up car more improve gas mileage, but you’ll be safer and minimize the risk of having to make expensive repairs on the road.

Smaller is Better

If you’re renting a car, smaller is better. As an example, a midsize car such as the Chevrolet Aveo with a four-cylinder engine gets 28 mpg and costs about $46.20 to drive 500 miles. A larger, heavier eight-cylinder Jeep Grand Cherokee gets 17 mpg and costs $76.25 to travel the same distance. Drive the smaller car and you’ll save more than $30 per trip.

Price-shop Your Gas

Gasbuddy.com and gaswatch.com can help you find the cheapest gas prices wherever you happen to be. You should consider buying off-brand gasoline, which is most often the same as what’s sold at brand-name gas stations. And whenever possible, opt for the lower octane regular over premium gasoline. Experts say most car engines run just fine with regular, and switching can save you approximately 20 to 30 cents a gallon.

If you purchased the “2008 ULTIMATE Gas Saver Guide“, you can use the included “Gas Calc” software to see whether driving a bit to a lower cost-per-gallon station will save you even more money – or cost more.

You should also be using one of the cash-back credit cards for your fuel purchases to get another 5 percent off the cost.

Lighten Your Load

Speeding, rapid acceleration, and hard braking are big gas guzzlers. Drive at or below the speed limit, and if you can, avoid two-lane roads with lots of traffic lights. Try to ease up on filling the trunk and overhead roof rack. A loaded roof rack can decrease a car’s fuel efficiency by 5 percent.

Map Out Your Route

Whether you’re the driver or the navigator, arm yourself with a GPS navigation system or the proper maps so that you’re not relying on vague directions from locals or gas-station attendants, which can get you lost or driving in circles.

You can usually get free maps by contacting the Department of Transportation in the state you’re traveling in. Members of AAA can obtain maps through the mail; for nonmembers, the club offers free directions and maps through its TripTiks feature (aaa.com). Mapquest.com and expedia.com also provide routing information at no cost.

Keep a log of your gas mileage and spending. It’s hard to know if you’re improving your gas mileage if you don’t keep track of it. Click here to print out a free gas mileage log.