Priceless Writer - Travel & Recreation

While the rising gas prices at the pump can put a damper on travel – there are a handful of uncomplicated methods of saving money and fuel when planning to take to the open road. Some suggestions are a few no-brainers, yet the majority of drivers still cease to compromise. To take better control over how you use your gasoline – consider the following money-saving tips:

Avoid Speeding – The faster you travel, the higher your aerodynamic drag. For example, driving 62 mph (100 km/h) as opposed to 75 mph (120 km/h) can reduce your fuel consumption by around 15%.

Close Those Windows – Increased drag also comes when you keep the windows open while traveling, especially if you're hitting the highway. As a result, you stand to lose a decreased fuel economy of up to 10%.

Tire Inflation – Don’t forget to check the level of tire air pressure recommended for your vehicle. It may seem minor at the time, but just one tire under inflated by 2 PSI bumps up your fuel consumption by 1%.

Limit Your Air Conditioner Use – You're probably saying to yourself  'first, keep the windows up and now cut back on the AC…' but using this refreshing car feature during the summertime places an unnecessary demand on your engine that wastes around 20% extra fuel. Don’t forget that using the defrost in most cars will produce the same results as turning on the air conditioner.

Car Check-Up – Just like paying a visit to your physician for a health check-up, your car also benefits from proper maintenance. You can boost your fuel economy by getting rid of dirty air filters, switching worn spark plugs, and replenishing decreased fluid levels.

Cruise On By – Did you know that maintaining a constant speed over long stretches of road is a decent way to save gas? Isn’t it time you rediscovered cruise control?

Go Easy on the Brake – If you can curb your habit of constant acceleration or braking hard – you can increase your fuel economy by as much as 20%. Achieving this feat is just as easy as anticipating changes in traffic and learning how to effectively accelerate and brake at much slower speeds and motions.

Clean Out the Trunk – Perhaps you haven't gotten around to removing those bags of sand and salt out of the trunk or you have a habit of driving around with every tool you own – but remember that these items can cause you to use more fuel than needed in order to move an overloaded vehicle.

Turn Off the Car - If you find yourself stopping for more than one minute – keep in mind that restarting your car uses less gas than if you allow it to idle. Can you imagine all of the damage that occurs when stuck in deadlocked traffic?

Embrace Fuel Efficient Vehicles – If you're looking for a new car, don’t dismiss the power of a vehicle that has gained high praise for fuel efficiency. The best choices to look out for include those that are smaller in size with manual transmission.

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