8 Things I Did Not Know About Gas aka Ways to Save at the Pump

In addition to talks of picnics, BBQs, and rising temperatures, the summer inevitably brings back conversations of rising gas prices. I have seen many pieces of “advice” on saving on gas that I’m sure 97% of the driving population knows. Things like… when possible take a bike instead of driving short distances. Thanks for that, right? I was sent this week a list of tips on cutting back at the pump, several of them I wasn’t aware of… so I thought I’d share.

  1. Fill up your tank on Wednesday or Thursday before 10 am. Gas prices rise on Thursdays in anticipation of weekend travel. 10 am is when most station owners make their price change for the day. Unless it is an emergency, do not buy gas Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
  2. Don’t let your car idle, either when you warm it up or when you are at a standstill. If you’re going to be standing for more than a minute, running your engine wastes more gas than restarting the engine.
  3. Buy gas when it’s cooler during the day (like the early morning or at night) to reduce gas evaporation.
  4. Remove unnecessary items in your car. Every 250 extra pounds eats up an extra mile per gallon of gas.
  5. Keep your windows closed when driving on the highway. Open windows can reduce your gas mileage by as much as 10%. In stop-and-go traffic, open the windows and turn off the air conditioning to save more money.
  6. Rent fuel-efficient cars when you travel and research reasonably priced places to buy gas before you leave.
  7. Download a Gas App for your phone. If you have a Smartphone, there are plenty of free apps that help you find the cheapest gas near your destination. GasBuddy makes it easy with its free app, and Mapquest has an online finder for gas prices.
  8. Buy Discount Gas Gift Cards – Did you know you don’t have to pay full price for a gift card? Sites like GiftCardGranny.com offer a diverse selection of discount gas gift cards from various card vendors.

These tips all came from Chris Faulkner, President and Chief Executive Officer Breitling Oil and Gas, a Dallas-based independent oil and gas exploration and production company.

Have any gas saving advice to share? Speaking of cars… I have 2 car payments left (June & July) and my car will be PAID OFF! Win.