11 Tips To Save Money On Gas This Summer

Nothing beats the joy of summer drive, but a successful summer driving season requires some planning and budgeting of your finances. With gasoline prices showing no signs of slowing down, your summer driving season is set to get expensive. 

The national average price of gasoline is at a new high of $4.955 per gallon, as of June 8, with more than 50 states reporting gas prices of more than $4 per gallon, according to AAA. 

According to a new survey conducted by American Hotel & Lodging Association, high gas prices and inflation is likely to impact the summer travel plans of 90% of Americans for the next three months. 

Related to save money on gas: How To Save Money On Your Family Vacation

Although higher fuel prices may prompt you to cancel summer travel plans, there are many ways to shield yourself from those hefty gasoline prices. You can implement these easy-to-follow fuel saving techniques so that you can avoid wrecking your budget and have a fun vacation.

Top 11 Ways To Save Money On Gas In The Summer 

1. Pay Cash: A lot of people tend to pay via credit cards. However, paying the gas bill via e-transactions such as debit card or credit card is expensive as you will end up paying 15 cents more per gallon for credit card transactions. Even if you use your credit cards, make  sure you use a gas rewards credit to earn cash back for your amount. For example, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express offers some of the best-paying cashback credit cards. You can check out the best credit cards for gas, based on your  spending habits. 
2. Travel light: Remove the inessential or bulky items from your vehicle as it takes more  fuel to accelerate a heavier car. Heavier car requires more fuel to move around. If you are taking out your car for an adventure trip this summer, you can pack light and smart and  take items or clothes that serve more than one purpose. Items that weigh less or take up less space will help your car to guzzle less fuel. Additionally, fuel is heavy too. So make sure you are not always traveling on a full tank. However, check that you are also not  traveling on low fuel and try to maintain a balance. 
3. Avoid bad driving habits: Follow efficient driving practices to help save money on gas.  An efficient driver would spend less on gas and cover more distance. Meanwhile, a  careless driver would spend loads of amount on gas and end up covering less distance.  Reckless driving is also one of the most common causes of road accidents. You can also  avoid switching off the engine while in gear, clutch ridding, and delayed gear changing. These are the bad practices that consume more fuel. 
4. Invest in regular maintenance of your vehicle: Few small things like clearing clogged  air filters, keeping tires properly inflated, and maintaining tire pressure can go in a long  way in minimizing the fuel costs and ultimately your expenditure on gas. This will also  maintain the longevity and performance of your vehicle. Check your tires every month  and remember to maintain proper tire pressure depending upon your vehicle. Make sure to take your car to a repair shop if the “Check Engine” light comes on. Most vehicles  don’t require massive tune-ups, however, regular service can ensure an optimum level of  fuel consumption.

5. Avoid weekends to get your fuel tank full: Filling up your vehicle’s tank during weekdays can help you save money. If you choose to visit a gas station midweek, you can  easily beat the crowds and save up on money by filling up sooner than later. At the same  time. Fuel prices rise through the week and spike on Friday, thus making weekends to be  an expensive affair. 
6. Park in the shade: During the summer travel, make sure you park your vehicle under a  shade, away from the sun. This will lessen the heat buildup inside the car and you won’t  be forced to use air conditioning. You can use windshield sunscreen to avoid your car  from the direct rays of the sun. 
7. Minimize use of Air-Conditioning: An AC can keep you cool and comfortable but it  will shoot up your fuel expenditure. Pull down the windows to let the breeze come in if  you are feeling hot. You can also use the vent setting. Minimal use of Air conditioning  can reduce gas consumption by 5 to 20 percent. 
8. Avoid buying premium Fuel: Many financial experts have found that premium fuel doesn’t help your vehicle unless recommended by your car’s manufacturer. So resist the urge to buy the best premium fuel. Fuel costs could be cut down by 15 cents per gallon by using  regular fuel instead of premium. 
9. Sign for the loyalty scheme: Most gas stations offer special discounts to encourage  customer loyalty. There are many loyalty schemes associated with major gas station  chains that can help save money on gas. Most common loyalty schemes offer one point  for every liter bought. Meanwhile, you can also collect points on items you can buy at the  gas station shop. 
10. Avoid idling: Switch off the engine if you have stopped your vehicle to take a phone call. Leaving the engine running at regular intervals can exhaust your fuel consumption. 
11. Follow speed limit signs: You can conserve fuel by focusing on your speed limits. Slow speed decreases fuel economy while speeding increases fuel consumption. Following the  speeding limit signs on the highway improve fuel economy. Proper accelerating and  braking gently can also help in maintaining good fuel economy. 

The cost of gasoline is climbing every day and there are predictions that it will continue to get worse in the coming months. These tips may help you reduce your gas expenditure. If not all, 

you can follow a few tips and inculcate good driving habits. You may be surprised to see how much you are saving on fuel every month by following these tips. 

If you want to know more tips on how to save money, head to Penny Calling Penny where you can learn about your financial rights and options so you can build a better financial future.

This is article is by Chaitanya Bagwaiya from Penny Calling Penny.