saving gas $ (Man: fit in, insurance, mattresses)

[harborlady]

If you don't know about these things yet, hopefully they will help. Anyone who add to these tips, please do!

-Krogers and foodland allow you to use your grocery bill as a way to reduce the price at their pump. I saved $1.47 per gallon today (max 15 gal) through the store card. I also did that by saving all my shopping for once a month & remembered to bring my gas can for lawnmower so I wouldn't have to make another trip.

-Some credit cards are offering cash back rewards on regular purchases. If you charge your gas & groceries regularly, and pay them monthly without fail, you'll save additionally just by using the card.

-Some gas station brands have their own deal for saving at the pump

-Try to do all your errands once a week car trip by planning them out in a big circle that takes you back home.

-Buy in bulk when possible. Prices are anticipated to increase for cleaning supplies next. Foodland clerk told me by as much as 20%. Concentrates store more compactly if you're short space. Dehydrated/powdered versions will be more economical for shipping. One gallon of simple green concentrate will clean a whole house for about 3+ months when properly diluted. Home depot sale-$6 last month.

-Use more emails, stamps, and phone calls instead of driving. call ahead at the store to check for stock items

-carpool or try to use public transportation whenever possible
- use
-motorcycles get better gas mileage than cars

-get the wd-40 out for your bicycle for short trips to main st

-lower the thermostat on your homes hot water heater for summer months

-drive closer to 55mph on highways.

-tune your car up & make sure tire pressures are where they should be because that lowers your gas mileage

-consider using octane boosters to mid grade if your car only takes premium. You can alternate tank fillings with midgrade w/booster and premium yet not see significant loss of mileage, and little to no effect on engine performance

-window shop online

-Boss might even be flexible enough to change peoples hours to minimize the ammount of days traveling to and from work for increased hourly day. Four day work week for 10 hr workdays saves you one day commute. Three day work week for 12 hr workdays saves you two day commute (minus 4 hrs). It makes everyones paycheck go further.

[snorpus]

- Watch the road ahead as far as you can. If the next light is red, there's no hurry to get there. Accelerate moderately, then coast up to it.

- If you have a manual transmission,

• you can just put it in neutral when you coast (remembering to put it back in gear when you want to go, of course ).
• Coast downhill, especially if there's a stop sign or light at the bottom.
• Almost every car today has enough power to skip gears in normal use. Try 1-3-5 or 1-2-5.
• Downshifting to come to a stop (engine braking) sounds cool, wastes gas.

- A constant speed uses less gas than continual speeding up and slowing down.

- Every use of the brake (unless you're driving a hybrid) is turning speed that you used gas to achieve, into heat that's wasted.

- Do as much of your shopping while going to/from work as you can, instead of making a special trip.

- Empty out any unneeded "junk" from the car. That extra weight uses gas to haul around.

- At highway speeds, windows closed and A/C on is probably just as efficient as windows open and A/C off, because of aerodynamics.

[David Kennedy]

Years ago, I was able to tour the Exxon Testing Lab in New Jersey...I learned something there I've never forgot.

As gasoline (Crude Oil) is boiled and displaced in a centrifuge it is collected from the top to the bottom...the very top being paint thinners (Toluene) and the bottom being the heaviest greases...
There are over 100 lubricant and fuel products taken from a barrel of crude.
That paint thinner (Toluene) was used as the octane booster...about 1/4 to 1/2 a cup is all that is needed for a tank of gas...depending on the size of course...

A person can buy it in bulk at almost every store...quart can is about $4.00.
Of course, safety precautions are advised...

Making a list of the errands is my most important advice and phoning ahead to see if the part is in stock...air at 35 lbs minimum in the tires...forget the label on the door.

[snorpus]

The number on the door is a compromise between ride and handling, with ride being the primary consideration.

I usually go a minimum of 5lbs over the door number... 40 all around in the Cobalt, 45 or even 50 for the Trailblazer.

[David Kennedy]

At 35 lbs, my tires wearout evenly...not just the outside edges...Use 40 on every trip...wish I had learned that one about 50 sets of tires ago...

[Retired Navy]

Just wondering why the Fed. hasn't mandated a 55/60 MPH speed limit as was done during the oil embargo. Oil will keep going up until the demand goes down. Temporarily removing the 16 cent Federal tax will serve no purpose as that would benefit the speculators more than the consumer because it does nothing to decrease demand and would quickly be absorbed in the continuing escalation of oil prices. Until the speculators take a HARD hit on margin calls due to a significant drop in demand we, who can't afford it, will keep paying more for for all necessities so those that can afford it get richer. I really don't see the consumer balking at a lowered speed limit nor do I see the OTR truckers raising a big stink, especially the Owner Operators. Many Owner Operators I know have parked or sold their rigs because fuel prices have outstripped the profit in mileage pay. We might even get a break in the auto insurance cost as there would certainly be a commensurate decrease in highway accidents/deaths. A lower speed limit coupled with smart driving habits, as proposed by Harbor Lady, would go a LONG way in knocking the wind out of the speculators that are driving the prices of EVERYTHING out of reach of the blue collar working folk. I think the reason the Fed. hasn't mandated a lower speed limit is because of promises made to big business oil lobbyists (I call that graft and corruption). They barely feel the repercussions of this mess and will vote themselves a big pay raise, which also falls on our backs, to compensate for any disparity between their income and cost of living. I could rant and rave for hours on this so I'll apologize and just stop....I'm making myself angry!!!

[x1x]

Get a horse and buggy, the horse can eat your grass and fertilize your garden, and you won't need gas to mow lawn or go shopping or errand's. your garden will save you money on veggies. lol

[David Kennedy]

Cities now have code regulations that discriminate against livestock...disease controls.

For the past several years truckers have held to a 65 MPH limit...fuel consumption and the fact of GPS delivery times...
In our travels last week, even on I-95...and the trucking population seemed to be rather small, only one rig seemed to be doing 75 to 85. He/She stood out from the others...late for dinner?

[x1x]

Originally Posted by David Kennedy

Cities now have code regulations that discriminate against livestock...disease controls.

For the past several years truckers have held to a 65 MPH limit...fuel consumption and the fact of GPS delivery times...
In our travels last week, even on I-95...and the trucking population seemed to be rather small, only one rig seemed to be doing 75 to 85. He/She stood out from the others...late for dinner?

DH You have to remember that if obama becomes the next leader, he's going to make changes in government, If we ask him he will lift the code regs, so we can have livestock in cities!!!!

[David Kennedy]

I've heard the hippies have chickens in San Francisco now...giving them eggs, feathers for their pillows and mattresses, chicken for Sunday dinner and the droppings are used to smoke with that free medical marajuana...
If Obama is a hippy, he will promise a 'chicken in every pot just like Herbert Hoover did in 1928. couldn't resist that one...its a joke...its a joke....

All three of those crazies remind me of the Edgar Bergan clan...Charlie McCarthy is McCain...Mortimer Sneer is Obama and Hillary has Bill for a dummy as we speak...I love it!

Who said 'Politics only has a credibility, if you give it one'....sounds like Buckley...