Surprising Ways To Save Money At The Pump

With prices skyrocketing at the pump, you’ve probably already taken some serious steps to improve your gas mileage and reduce the amount of money you spend on gas. Carpooling, avoiding aggressive driving, and giving your car regular tune-ups are great ways to save money on gas, but don’t forget these equally effective yet surprising ways to save money at the pump….

1. Go green, get clean. The latest research shows that washing and waxing your car on a regular basis can improve your fuel efficiency by up to 7%.

2. Get rid of that junk in your trunk. A junky car could cost you more than just your sanity. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that drivers can save anywhere between 3 and 6 cents a gallon just by getting that junk out of the trunk.

3. The early bird gets the worm. If possible, fill up your tank in the cooler hours of the morning or evening to keep gas from evaporating out of your tank. Evidence also shows that the pump will deliver slightly more gas to your tank when it’s cooler outside.

4. Go the right way! If you have a lot of errands to run, plan your route to avoid left turns and you’ll save a bundle in time an gas (because you won’t be idling and waiting to turn.)  UPS uses this strategy and last year it saved the company 28,541,472 million miles, and 3 million gallons of fuel!

Read more from Jenn at her blog The Green Parent and don’t forget to enter her contest to win a Waste-Free Lunch Kit!

Original post for 5 Minutes for Going Green