5 Ways to Stop Getting Hosed at the Pump

 by: Heather Wallace

Each year gas prices reach record highs and it's become an incredible financial burden for consumers. In order to combat this, here are five tips that will help you save both gas and cash.

1. Washing and waxing your car not only makes the vehicle look better; it also improves aerodynamics, which in turn benefits your fuel economy. Gas stations that also have a car wash will sometimes offer coupons good towards money-off at the car wash. This is done as an incentive to get you to refuel at their station. Little do they know that in doing so they are saving you money at the pump. Keep your eyes open for bargains such as these and you can easily reduce the drag on your vehicle and increase your fuel efficiency.

2. When parking your car try to position it so that you can pull out of the space in forward gear rather than reverse. As incredible as it may seem going in reverse actually uses more gas than going forward.

3. In situations where it is practical, you would do better to travel to your destination via a highway, rather than taking city streets. By being able to travel at a constant speed your car will operate much more effectively than it would when traveling through the constant stop-and-go of city driving.

4. While driving, don't rest your left foot on either the brake or the clutch. Applying even the slightest bit of pressure will cause your vehicle to use more fuel. This practice also causes your car's equipment to wear down sooner.

5. As soon as your vehicle reaches a high enough speed you should make use of the overdrive gears. Using overdrive will conserve gas and minimize engine wear by allowing your vehicle's engine speed to decrease. Consult your owner's manual for more information on this feature and how best to use it.