Even with gasoline prices heading south from $4.00 a gallon, consumers are still feeling the pinch as gas prices are still considerably higher from years ago. There are many things drivers could do to save money on their gasoline expenses.

Here are 10 ways to save money on gasoline and improve your mileage.

1.) Drive slower than they use to – the sacrifice is that you may spend slightly longer time on the road. But you will use less gas. Accelerating more slowly and braking over longer distance and you will improve your mileage.

2.) Do not carry heavy loads in your trunk – The heavier your load, the more gas you will use. Do not leave any heavy luggage in your trunk. Remove your exccess “gatorade” after your kids football game! While you are at it, remove your ski racks, bike racks that add wind resistence and adds weight to your car.

3.) Don’t automatically assume that a hybrid will save you money on gas – Recently, I was at my Lexus dealer for a routine maintenance. I asked the service rep about the hybrid. She was honest enough to say that you will probably save on gas if you only drive in the city, but it is not really that effective if you are always driving on the highway. So do not automatically assume that getting a hybrid is going to save you on fuel. In fact, before you consider the following a hybrid, consider the next tip.

4.) Trade down for a more fuel efficient car – If you do not need a big gas guzzling SUV, a sedan will save you hundreds of dollars a year on gasoline expense alone.

5.) Maintain your car regularly – go for your regular car check-up. If your spark plugs are in bad condition, your gas mileage will be reduced. Having excessively dirty filters can also have the same effect.

6.) Keep Your tires properly inflated at the right levels – If your tires are under-inflated, you will lose fuel efficiency. In fact, they can be dangerous as well. Over-inflating your tires have the same effect.

7.) Use cruise control when driving on the highway – When you are driving on the highway, going on cruise control will help you steady your speed. Our speed tends to fluctuate on the highway because we are constantly overtaking other vehicles in front of us that are traveling much slower.

8.) Buy gas from wholesale clubs – Sam’s Club or Costco or any wholesale club will give club members discounts on gasoline purchases. Other stations like Wawa tend to have lower prices than regular gas stations.

9.) Get a gas credit card or a cash back credit card – Whether you use just one gas station or fill up at any station, it pays to get a gasoline credit card. These cards will give you rebates when you make gasoline purchases with the card. Alternatively, there are cash back credit cards that not only give you rebates on gas but also on supermarket purchases. Definitely a good thing given the rise in food prices recently.

10.) Plan your travels better – Try to avoid peak hours. That may mean simply getting up a little earlier or even leaving work a little earlier or later. Shortening your travel time in any way helps.

That’s it for now. In the next installment, I will be giving some tips on choosing a gas credit card.

This guest post is written by Mr Credit Card from www.askmrcreditcard.com. Mr Credit Card has written lots of Online Credit Card Reviews on his site. It’s a great resource if you are looking for a credit card.

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