Families Can Save on Gas

            Gas prices keep rising, which takes precious money out of your pocket that your family needs.  Raising children is expensive and now even more of it is going out without the benefit of any additional money coming in.

Not all of us can run out and get a new hybrid, so here are some easy things you can do to save on gas and keep some of your disposable money to meet the needs of your kids.

·                     I know stepping on the gas feels like you're getting to work faster when you're late, but not always. If you're on a street with a lot of lights, remember to not speed to the next red light. Even if you get there faster, you will still just be sitting at the light anyway. So take it easy on the gas and coast whenever possible.

·                     Make sure your tires are properly inflated. Get a little tire gauge and find out on your tire how much pressure should be inflated and write it on a piece of tape.  Stick it on the gauge so you will always have it available.. Make it a habit to check your tires when you fill up gas.

·                     Get a GPS for your car or make sure you have accurate directions. We have all spent plenty of time driving around looking for a place we thought we knew how to get to. But with directions from MapQuest or a GPS, you can avoid wandering around and wasting gas.

·                     Keep your windows closed when you are driving above 35 mph. This improves the aerodynamics of the car and cuts down on gas more than you think.

·                     Washing your car frequently helps the aerodynamics, too.

·                     Remove all excess baggage in your car. For every 100 pounds taken out of your car, you improve gas mileage by about 2%.

·                     If you have a set schedule for your daily routine, try to plan out trips to the grocery store and other errands that fit in while you're already driving. Sometimes we just want to get home at the end of the day, but if you know you need to stop at the store soon, just swing in and get it done.

·                     Keep your car in good maintenance. Make sure you replace your air filter every time you change your oil. Also keeping clean spark plugs helps out quite a bit, too.

·                     If not a lot of people depend on rides from you, think about getting a scooter. They're relatively cheap and usually get between 80-100 mpg! Sure it might look kind of funny sometimes riding a scooter around, but think about how much you'll be saving on gas.

·                     When you get change back from the store, keep a change jar in your car and save it in there until it gets full, instead of spending it on a candy bar. After a few weeks of restraining yourself from nickel and diming that change, spend that jar on gas and it will feel like you just got a free tank of gas!

·                     And, of course, carpool with someone whenever possible. Or take advantage of the local bus system. Sometimes this may seem like a struggle, and you may have to wake up earlier for work, but in the end the money you saved will be worth it.

These things may not seem like much and may seem useless, but getting in the habit of mindlessly doing these little tasks will save you plenty of money in the end and will be overall worth the extra seconds it took to stick by these tips.

Of course we all need gas.  But, there is no sense in giving anymore of your hard-earned money away than necessary.  Keep it for the family.  You will enjoy it more!