I don’t know about you, but these $100.00 trips to the gas station are getting to me. It would be more than $100.00, but Wells Fargo, in its infinite wisdom, cuts me off at $100.00 and stops the pump. I have a 2008 Lexus LS460, which on a good day gets about 20 miles to the gallon. This means that for every mile I drive I am spending 25 cents just for gasoline. I’ll spend more per mile as the price of gas continues to go up. I notice that my pay check is not going up commensurately, and I am sure that yours is not either.

I like having no car payments so going electric or hybrid isn’t an option. Recognizing this, I need to get this under control and soon! I did some research and have come up with some ideas to improve the fuel economy of my car. They may help you too. Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Go slower! Remember the 70s? When we had a national speed limit of 55? There was a reason for it then and there is a reason for it now. Opinions vary on how much a drop in speed will save, but it is worth doing. Ignore the one finger waves and the angry horns from your fellow drivers. 

2. Easy does it. Don’t mash the pedal to the floor when you start out. A slow acceleration will save gas. On short trips around town the extra time that it costs you to start up slowly and brake gently won’t amount to more than 5 minutes or so. More than enough time to make another hands free call to a client

3. Don’t idle your engine. If you are sitting with the engine running, turn it off.

4. You don’t need to warm that car up here in California. Start the engine, fasten your seat belt, and adjust the mirrors and go.

5. Cut down on the drag. Put the windows up, close the sun roof and take off the luggage rack! If you have a pick up truck, open the tailgate or remove it all together.

6. Take everything out of your trunk except for the spare and the jack. Do you really need all of the stuff that you haul around? I don’t think so. Remember, all of your forms are on line (so you can ditch that box of forms that are probably outdated anyhow) and because of Koved I know that you know how to use zipForms and Docusign.

7. Check that you have your tires inflated properly. Don’t over inflate as that will affect handling, safety and tire wear. Under inflation also increases drag and therefore lowers fuel economy. 

8. Maintain your car! Change the oil according to the manufacturers specifications and at the same time change your air and fuel filters. Have your wheels aligned and replace any worn tires. Keep the engine tuned up and get to know your local mechanic. With all the extra money that they are going to make keeping all of our cars in great shape they can probably afford to buy a house from you.

9. This is a long shot, but keep the exterior of the car clean and have it waxed from time to time, as this will also cut down on air drag.

10. A car gets its best economy when it is in the garage. Try to combine trips. Plan “round-robin” trips where you get everything done in one or two trips. Here is a link that give you the approximate gasoline cost of longer trips: https://gasprices.aaa.com/aaa-gas-cost-calculator/

11. Keep track of what you are doing so that you can see how effective you are at saving at the pump. By doing this, you can do more of what works and back off on what isn’t working.

Skeptical as to whether these tips work? Then spend a few minutes at https://www.edmunds.com/fuel-economy/we-test-the-tips.html to see how these tips stack up in the real world.

You might wonder if there are any apps that can help you find the best prices, if so, visit https://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/saving-and-budgeting/articles/gas-apps-that-will-save-you-money-at-the-pump to see what is happening at the pump in your area!

All though I have been somewhat whimsical in this post, the ideas are sound, and if you implement these ideas, you will save money at the pump because you will be visiting it less often!