If you have a perfectly good vehicle, then spending $25k on a new hybrid car just so you can save $10 when you fill up at the pump might not be such a good deal.

Also, if you’re not the type that wants to install any of those “gas saving” devices in your car, then this list is for you.

Whether or not you have any mechanical skills, you can use these no brainier methods to start saving money on gas right now – even if you don’t know how to change a tire.

1 – Get A Gas Card

Want a tip that will save you money every single time you fill up at the pump no matter what vehicle you drive? It’s a gas card. Just about every major gas station offers their own brand of gas credit card that will allow you to save 3-5% on all your gas purchases at their gas stations. Forget about the branded gas cards and get one that will save you 5% on gas no matter where you fill up, like the Discover Open Road Card. Just remember, pay it off every month or it won’t save you any money.

Saving 5% off every gallon of gas means that $3/gallon gas now costs only $2.85 and $4/gallon becomes $3.80. If you have a 25 gallon tank, you’d save $3.75 every time you filled up ($3/gallon gas).

A lot of people use a credit card when filling up at the pump anyway since it’s easy and convenient. You may as well get a gas card so it’s easy, convenient, and saving you money.

2 – Avoid Aggressive Driving

Hitting the gas hard when the light turns green and braking hard will make your car drink gas faster than a drunk at an open bar at a wedding. If you were to drive away from a stop at a more moderate pace, accelerate in traffic more slowly, and anticipate when you’re going to need to brake ahead of time so you can do so slowly, you’re going to save a lot of gas – up to 37% – about the same buying a hybrid car but this tip won’t cost you anything. (oh yeah, it’s safer too)

3 – Use Your Cruise Control

Personally, I won’t buy a car if it doesn’t have cruise control, since it means I don’t have to worry so much about keeping my speed constant. However, cruise control also had the added benefit of saving you gas too. On average, you’ll save about 7% more gas than if you don’t use cruise control.

4 – Slow Down

Sure, going fast can be fun. It can also get you a nice collection of speeding tickets, but more importantly, the faster you drive the more gas you use. I’m not saying that you need to drive like your grandmother, but slowing down from 75 to 65 can you 12% on you gas bill, and unless you’re driving across the country, the time difference in getting where you’re going will be minimal.

5 – Stop Idling

Having the car running when it’s not moving wastes gas.

I remember being taught when I was first learning to drive that you should let your car warm up for a few minutes before driving it anywhere when it’s cold outside. While that may be true for older cars, modern cars don’t need warm up time before being ready to drive. Don’t drive like a maniac (see #2) before you car is completely warmed up and you’ll be fine.

If you going to be sitting and waiting some place without moving for more than about a minute, turn off the engine. It probably goes without saying that if you can avoid rush hour traffic, you should.

Also, one great place to sit and waste gas is your local fast food drive-thru. Get off your lazy butt, get out of your car and go inside to get your food.

6 – Plan Ahead

Instead of driving to the gym, going home, driving to work, driving home, driving to the store, and then home again, start combining trips whenever possible. This is really easy to do if you just think ahead. Avoid just spontaneously hopping in the car and driving to the store to pick up some milk and eggs. Think about what else you can do if you’re going to be out running errands anyway so that you can avoid another trip later.

5 You got legs – use’em

Really want to save money on gas? Then use your legs. A lot of trips aren’t really that far, and while it takes a little longer to walk somewhere than to drive there, it’s a good chance to get outside, get some fresh air and get some exercise in the process. It’s really not necessary to drive absolutely everywhere unless you happen to live in the middle of nowhere. So get yourself a comfortable pair of tennis shoes and start walking instead of driving when you can.

Also, a bicycle is a nice compromise between the two, and can actually be faster to get some places than a car. I remember when I was in college and moved off campus – although we lived almost 2 miles from campus, it was a lot faster for me to take my bicycle to go to class than to take my car.

Technorati Tags: Money, Save, Seven, Simple, Ways

So just what can we do to get more MPG from our cars? Just a quick look on the internet will turn up hundreds of so called “gas mileage devices” that promise to get more MPG from your engine. Now I’m not saying that all these gas mileage devices are scams, but a lot of them sound pretty far fetched. With this in mind I have done some research and come up with ten ways to improve gas mileage using tips that most experts agree actually work.

1) This one is so obvious that it often gets overlooked. Make sure that your gas cap is in good condition and that the seal is not worn or broken. A loose or poor fitting gas cap will allow gas vapour to leak out, wasting precious fuel. As much as 17 gallons of gas a year can be lost due to a faulty gas cap. Also if and when you do replace it make sure you get a locking one as the rise in gas prices increases the rise in gas theft.
2) Stick with the right type of gas for your particular vehicle by using the correct octane rating that is recommended for it. A higher octane rated fuel such as premium will have little benefit for an engine designed to run on regular gas.
3) Don’t let your engine idle for long periods. An engine that idles for 15 minutes can waste up to a gallon of gas.
4) Drive at a reasonable speed. The faster you drive the less fuel efficient your engine is, keeping your speed down is one of the best ways to improve gas mileage.
5) Make sure that your air filter is cleaned regularly. A clogged air filter will drastically reduce your fuel efficiency, so check it on a regular basis, especially if you drive on dirt roads where it will clog up quicker.
6) Don’t forget your other filters. Routinely check your fuel filter and the PCU valve and breather filter. Replacing these can improve gas mileage by up to 15%
7) Get a mechanic to check your oxygen sensors. A faulty oxygen sensor can send more gas to the engine than it really needs to run efficiently.
8) Don’t be a jack-rabbit driver. Always accelerate and break slowly (except in an emergency obviously). Fast accelerating and aggressive breaking will also reduce your fuel economy.
9) Keep your tires in good condition and check pressures regularly. A flat tire is a drag and will cost you gas.
10) Try to keep your weight down. All that junk you carry around in your trunk (the stuff you never use) is just adding to your gas bill.

These are just 10 simple ways to improve gas mileage and get more MPG for your car. There are many more and most of them are just common sense, so even if you don’t invest in one of the new gas mileage devices on sale you can still make some savings and get more MPG for your car.

Technorati Tags: Improve, Mileage, More, Simple, Tips, Ways

So just what can we do to get more MPG from our cars? Just a quick look on the internet will turn up hundreds of so called “gas mileage devices” that promise to get more MPG from your engine. Now I’m not saying that all these gas mileage devices are scams, but a lot of them sound pretty far fetched. With this in mind I have done some research and come up with ten ways to improve gas mileage using tips that most experts agree actually work.

1) This one is so obvious that it often gets overlooked. Make sure that your gas cap is in good condition and that the seal is not worn or broken. A loose or poor fitting gas cap will allow gas vapour to leak out, wasting precious fuel. As much as 17 gallons of gas a year can be lost due to a faulty gas cap. Also if and when you do replace it make sure you get a locking one as the rise in gas prices increases the rise in gas theft.

2) Stick with the right type of gas for your particular vehicle by using the correct octane rating that is recommended for it. A higher octane rated fuel such as premium will have little benefit for an engine designed to run on regular gas.

3) Don’t let your engine idle for long periods. An engine that idles for 15 minutes can waste up to a gallon of gas.

4) Drive at a reasonable speed. The faster you drive the less fuel efficient your engine is, keeping your speed down is one of the best ways to improve gas mileage.

5) Make sure that your air filter is cleaned regularly. A clogged air filter will drastically reduce your fuel efficiency, so check it on a regular basis, especially if you drive on dirt roads where it will clog up quicker.

6) Don’t forget your other filters. Routinely check your fuel filter and the PCU valve and breather filter. Replacing these can improve gas mileage by up to 15%

7) Get a mechanic to check your oxygen sensors. A faulty oxygen sensor can send more gas to the engine than it really needs to run efficiently.

Don’t be a jack-rabbit driver. Always accelerate and break slowly (except in an emergency obviously). Fast accelerating and aggressive breaking will also reduce your fuel economy.

9) Keep your tires in good condition and check pressures regularly. A flat tire is a drag and will cost you gas.

10) Try to keep your weight down. All that junk you carry around in your trunk (the stuff you never use) is just adding to your gas bill.

These are just 10 simple ways to improve gas mileage and get more MPG for your car. There are many more and most of them are just common sense, so even if you don’t invest in one of the new gas mileage devices on sale you can still make some savings and get more MPG for your car.

Technorati Tags: Improve, Mileage, More, Simple, Tips, Ways