Have you realized that you’re spending too much money on gas? I only came to realize it when I started using Visor to manage my taxes and began looking into ways to save money on gas immediately.
It took a while to find the solutions that worked for me, but what matters is that I succeeded. How did I do it (I’m still doing it, by the way)? I’ll share my methods with you in the following lines.
5 Proven Strategies to Save Money on Gas
1. Provide Your Car with Proper Maintenance
Cars in good condition consume less gas than those that have been neglected. Here are a few aspects that you should pay attention to if you want to save on gas:
- Tires – Check and adjust tire pressure regularly, especially in winter and during periods with high-temperature fluctuations. Under-inflated tires wear out faster and increase your car’s gas mileage.
- Filters – Clean air filters mean increased fuel efficiency, especially in dusty areas. Don’t hesitate to check and replace your car’s filters when they clog up.
- Motor oil – If you want your car to run more efficiently, use the right motor oil, and change it regularly. Your car’s owner manual should provide more details.
2. Improve Your Driving Habits
Some simple changes in the way you drive can help you save money on gas as well. Here are a few examples.
- Drive less – Walking and riding your bike are healthy and beneficial alternatives to driving. Also, when you need to get to several places in the same area, it may be wiser to park your car somewhere in-between and go from one place to the other on foot.
- Keep your speed constant and at a reasonable level – Avoid sudden brakes and acceleration, and drive at a speed no higher than 60mph. If your car has an automatic transmission, the cruise control option is your best friend.
- Give up the A/C – When the air conditioning system is on, your car consumes more fuel. To save money on gas, try to leave the A/C off whenever possible. Parking in the shade to keep the car cool and rolling down a window can help.
- Reduce warming up time – When the weather is cold, you probably warm up the car for several minutes before actually getting behind the wheel. Reducing the warm-up period can help you save on gas. Your car probably doesn’t need more than 30 seconds.
- Don’t abuse the brakes – Excessive, sudden braking wastes gas and wears outs your brake pads. To avoid it, keep a safe distance from the other cars in traffic and drive at a reasonable speed.
- Wait with your engine off – Whether you’re picking up the kids from school or waiting for your loved one to come along, do it with the engine off. Otherwise, it will eat up gas in vain.
- Eliminate wind resistance – Open windows, car racks, and carriers reduce your car’s aerodynamics and increase its fuel consumption. Keep your windows up and take down racks and carriers when they’re not necessary.
3. Fuel-up Strategically
Do you usually run to the nearest gas station to fuel up, whenever the tank empties? That may not be the best idea. Here are a few easy strategies that can help you same money on gas.
- Never wait until your tank is empty. Doing it would force you to fuel up immediately, anytime, and from the nearest gas station, and this would not help your goal to save money on gas.
- Fuel up in the morning or in the evening, and at low pressure. If you do this, you will get more gas for the same money.
- Avoid fueling up on weekends. Gas prices usually rise towards the end of the week, so fueling up on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Wednesdays could help you save a few bucks.
- Avoid gas stations near highways. If you’ve paid attention, you’ve probably noticed by now that the first gas stations you encounter after long highway stretches have the highest prices. If you follow the above advice of not letting your tank get empty, you should be able to reach the nearest town and find better prices.
4. Start Using GetUpside or Another Gas CashBack App
There are numerous gas cashback apps out there, but my personal favorite is GetUpside. It is very easy to use and gets you the benefits of several other apps combined.
With it, you can not only find the best deals on gas and other convenience deals but also earn huge rewards. The best part is that it is free, so installing it on your smartphone and using it won’t cost you anything.
Here are the steps to save money on gas with GetUpside:
- Browse gas discounts and nearby gas station offers
- Claim the offer that you find more convenient
- Fill up your tank
- Take a photo of the receipt through the app
- Get your reward
Rewards can easily reach 25 cents per gallon, and you can withdraw them to your PayPal account anytime. Moreover, using GetUpside won’t restrict your access to credit card rewards.
5. Pay with the Credit Card Providing the Highest Rewards
Whether in the form of cashback or reward points, most credit cards will reward you for specific payment categories. Some focus on groceries, others on restaurants, and quite a few on gas station payments. Depending on how much money you spend on gas, the savings may even justify getting a new credit card.
According to my research, the best general credit cards that allow you to save money on gas at the moment are:
By paying with one of these credit cards, you can easily save 3%, maybe even more on gas.
Final Advice on How to Save Money on Gas
Each of the above tips will help you save on gas. To maximize your savings, it helps to apply them all at the same time.
In the long run, another idea on how to save on gas bill is to invest in a fuel-efficient car. You will need to change your car eventually, and the right one should easily allow you to reduce gas mileage by 25%.
Combine it with the above solutions to save money on gas and locate the highest gas discounts, and the toll on your budget will be significantly lower!
