Gas Pump Money Saving Tips – Save Money Buying Gas
Reduce your fuel expenses by buying fuel the smart way with these gas pump money saving tips. Because when, where and how you buy auto fuel matters!
Improving MPG is one way to reducing fuel cost. But aside from improving your auto MPG, you can also save money on fuel by controlling the way you buy petrol.
Here are some Gas Pump Money Saving Tips that will keep some of your gasoline money in your pocket:
Monitor Fuel PricesSome cities have at least one radio station and a few websites who are monitoring fuel prices, highlighting the cheapest deals. Keep an eye out for the cheapest fuel near you.
You can also use online services such as Gasprices.mapquest.com, Petrolprices.com or Gaspricewatch.com which monitors thousands of gas stations on a daily basis and will find the best priced fuel in your local area.
On the HighwayThe first gas station after a thirty mile stretch will almost never be the cheapest.
Similarly, the first gas station you encounter when exiting a national park will have a slightly higher gas prices.
Fill the TankDon’t try to save money on fuel by buying $10 worth of fuel one day, and then $20 the other.
The more trips to the gas station, the more stops and starts, the more times you pop the gas tank lid open and let the gasoline vapors out – the more money you loose!
When you buy fuel – buy a full tank!
Don’t OverfillDon’t top up the tank. Let the distribution nozzle shut off the fuel automatically, and don’t force it to top up your tank.
The fuel you fill up is usually kept underground, hence it is colder. As it heats up to the ambient temperature in your tank it expends, and all the toped up fuel will be spilled or vented out.
Worse than that, the expanded fuel may be forced into the evaporative emission systems, where it may overwhelm circuits that are designed to handle and route fuel tank vapors to the engine to be burnet when it is running.
Apps It!There are Apps monitoring fuel prices. Use them to find the cheapest deals.
Buy Fuel in the MorningThis is my favorite of all gas pump money saving tips. It goes like this:
It is best to buy fuel when the outside temperature is cold. During these times the fuel is colder and denser. Since gas pumps measure and charge volume (i.e. Gallons/Liters), you get more gasoline per Gallon/Liter when it is cold.
Amazing, isn’t it? Why didn’t someone tell me that before?
The only problem with this gas saving tip is that in most cases, the fuel is stored underground, and its temperature remains pretty much constant. So in the end, it doesn’t really matter when you buy it.
Then why did I bother telling you all this? Because in case that you’ve heard this “gas saving tip” in the past, you are wasting money by taking special trips to the gas station!
Conclusion – buy gas when you need it, regardless of the time.
When Should You Buy FuelIt is best to wait until you have quarter of a tank left before you start looking where and when to buy fuel.
This strategy maximizes the following:
- Hauling a full tank all the time reduces fuel economy because of the excess weight.
- Running a car with less then a quarter tank can shorten the life of its electric fuel pump. Running on an empty tank can destroy it completely.
- In cold weather there’s an increased risk of water condensation in the fuel tank. Heavier then gasoline – the condensed water droplets sink down and quickly find their way to the engine, havocking the valves, fuel injectors and much more.
- When you’re running low on fuel you end up buying fuel at a nearest station, which is never the cheapest one. Sometimes you are even forced to detour. These extra miles havoc your fuel economy. Having quarter of a tank leaves you enough time to look for bargains.
After you’ve dealt with maintaining the car, driving it and buying fuel for it, you probably ask yourself is there anything else to learn on How to Save Gas Money? Click here for some out-of-the-box ideas.