Some last tips to get us saving those gas costs where we can.
*Keep your car in good working condition, this includes tire pressure, oil and air filters, and even the engine. Getting a tune up might also help, check your owner's manual for recommended service dates.
* When driving on the highway use your cruise control if you have it. This will also help you avoid those nasty traffic tickets that would eat up all of your hard earned gas savings!
* If you’re still using premium gas instead of regular unleaded check your owner’s manual to make sure this is necessary. Most vehicles are made to operate just fine on regular!
* Shop online whenever you can to avoid extra trips all together! Don't buy anything unless you really need it though, every dollar you save can help pay for the rising costs of gas, food and housing.
* I've always recommend local sight seeing (traveling by car) as a frugal family fun outing--it's one of our favorite things to do--but with the price of gas now being double what it used to be, you may just need to choose areas that are closer to home. Considering the even higher costs of hotels and airfares, it's still a frugal way to have fun! You might also consider just spending time together as a family, having a gamenight instead!
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Still checking....
I also came across the following sites to check on your gas prices!
GasBuddy.com
GasPriceWatch.com
and autos.msn.com, though my computer always warns me of a blocked intrusion whenever I visit the site.
Today's tips: (collected from various sources, and some probably repeated, but they are worth repeating!)
* Combine daily errands into one weekly trip, including getting gas if necessary. If you usually have to make quick trips to the store for bread or milk, buy enough to get you through the week.
* If you run out of milk often consider switching to powdered milk, or at least keep some on hand so you don't have to make an extra trip to the store. (And you'll also save money on milk! (I also recommend using powdered milk for cooking as much as you can - saves money and works pretty much the same way!))
* Stretch weekly trips to the grocery store to every 10 days or more, you'll not only save money on gas, but you'll also save on groceries!
* Keep a running list of items you need on the fridge (groceries and non-groceries) so you don't forget anything when you do finally make your trip to the store!
* If you're on a fixed income spend less on groceries than you normally do so you can better afford to pay for the gas you do need.
* Carpool with a friend or neighbor whenever possible.
* Walk or ride a bike instead of driving your car to school, work, or nearby destinations, if you're able to.
* If you do have to drive your car to school or work, pick up groceries or other items you need on the way home--instead of making a special trip later at night or on the weekends.
* Try to get the best price on gasoline, but don't drive all the way across town to do it!
* If your tank is more than half full but you see gas for a really good price go ahead and top your tank off, but, ONLY if you can't save more money by doing something else with the extra time it's going to take... like clipping a few grocery coupons. Better yet, do both!
* Try to buy your gas during the week if you can, our local stations have always tended to raise their prices on the weekends, and especially on holiday weekends. So wait to fill up until they come back down a bit, maybe on Tuesday or Wednesdays.
GasBuddy.com
GasPriceWatch.com
and autos.msn.com, though my computer always warns me of a blocked intrusion whenever I visit the site.
Today's tips: (collected from various sources, and some probably repeated, but they are worth repeating!)
* Combine daily errands into one weekly trip, including getting gas if necessary. If you usually have to make quick trips to the store for bread or milk, buy enough to get you through the week.
* If you run out of milk often consider switching to powdered milk, or at least keep some on hand so you don't have to make an extra trip to the store. (And you'll also save money on milk! (I also recommend using powdered milk for cooking as much as you can - saves money and works pretty much the same way!))
* Stretch weekly trips to the grocery store to every 10 days or more, you'll not only save money on gas, but you'll also save on groceries!
* Keep a running list of items you need on the fridge (groceries and non-groceries) so you don't forget anything when you do finally make your trip to the store!
* If you're on a fixed income spend less on groceries than you normally do so you can better afford to pay for the gas you do need.
* Carpool with a friend or neighbor whenever possible.
* Walk or ride a bike instead of driving your car to school, work, or nearby destinations, if you're able to.
* If you do have to drive your car to school or work, pick up groceries or other items you need on the way home--instead of making a special trip later at night or on the weekends.
* Try to get the best price on gasoline, but don't drive all the way across town to do it!
* If your tank is more than half full but you see gas for a really good price go ahead and top your tank off, but, ONLY if you can't save more money by doing something else with the extra time it's going to take... like clipping a few grocery coupons. Better yet, do both!
* Try to buy your gas during the week if you can, our local stations have always tended to raise their prices on the weekends, and especially on holiday weekends. So wait to fill up until they come back down a bit, maybe on Tuesday or Wednesdays.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Shop Around!
Shop Around Online
Shop your area gas prices easily at www.gaspricewatch.com or www.gasbuddy.com. Gas prices vary by area based on competition, but it doesn't make sense to drive around to find the lowest price. Prices can vary by up to 10 percent to 20 percent by competitive area. I did this and found a gas station fairly close to me (that I drive nearby often) and it was .04 cheaper than right around my house. Filling up saved me only .84 but if I did that everyday week for a month, I save $3.36 which is pretty darn close to getting a gallon and a half of gas! Plus, think of other ways you can spend that $3.36 - we drop all of our savings from coupons, to gas station savings into one of those HUGE water bottles. We use the money for various things - last year we took a camping trip with some of it! If we keep saving we might actually be able to take a whole vacation. Now, think about this - I was talking about saving all sorts of change from various places, but just to save $3.36 a month for a year, comes out to $43.68 - a FULL tank of gas! Or many other things can be bought with that $40!
So start saving now!
Shop your area gas prices easily at www.gaspricewatch.com or www.gasbuddy.com. Gas prices vary by area based on competition, but it doesn't make sense to drive around to find the lowest price. Prices can vary by up to 10 percent to 20 percent by competitive area. I did this and found a gas station fairly close to me (that I drive nearby often) and it was .04 cheaper than right around my house. Filling up saved me only .84 but if I did that everyday week for a month, I save $3.36 which is pretty darn close to getting a gallon and a half of gas! Plus, think of other ways you can spend that $3.36 - we drop all of our savings from coupons, to gas station savings into one of those HUGE water bottles. We use the money for various things - last year we took a camping trip with some of it! If we keep saving we might actually be able to take a whole vacation. Now, think about this - I was talking about saving all sorts of change from various places, but just to save $3.36 a month for a year, comes out to $43.68 - a FULL tank of gas! Or many other things can be bought with that $40!
So start saving now!
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