Frugal fuel tips
Unless you've been residing in a cave of late, or you've just crawled out from beneath a rock, chances are you will have noticed that fuel prices have been increasing. While you have no control over the price at the bowser you do have some control over how you use it. This energy source is only going to increase so without taking the drastic step of converting to a hybrid vehicle and putting yourself under some more financial pressure there are ways to be frugal with fuel.
- Use your cruise control If you often drive long distances make sure you snap on the cruise control as soon as possible. Your CC will give you moderate accelaration which is far better for fuel consumption that trying to moderate it manually.
- Drive long distances at night Night driving is usually much cooler than during the day. Therefore, fuel burns at a lower temperature and becomes more efficient.
- Drive smoothly Take your time getting up to speed and don't accelerate quickly. The more aggresively you drive the more fuel you use.
- Buy fuel during the week Basic economics tells us that when supply is high prices will increase. Most people drive more on weekends and are therefore more likely to fuel up during these times. Fuel suppliers know this and alter their prices accordingly.
This is a basic tip of frugal living - buy when nobody else is. That's why movie tickets and video rentals are cheaper midweek and inner-city parking is free (or reduced) on Sundays.
- Use you air conditioner sparingly Using your air conditioner requires a considerable use of your fuel and has been recorded at increasing fuel consumption by as much as 11%.
- Cycle or catch public transport This may require a paradigm shift in thinking for your own lifestyle but is much cheaper than driving everywhere.
- Car pool with a friend Even if you only did this with one other person this simple action would save you 50% of your normal fuel bill for the same trip. Add another one or two friends and you could reduce it by 75%.
- Test your car on higher octane Higher octane means more efficient burning so buying premium fuel over the normal variety may end up being cheaper. Try a tank full of each and record the difference. Higher octane also means cleaner burning which will save you service fees in the future.
- Coordinate your trips When you head out of your driveway try and pool multiple tasks into the one excursion. Drop off the video, post the letters, pay the bills and then pick up the kids from school.
If you want to be even more frugal, coordinate where these services are offered. Don't frequent a video shop that's more than a few kilometres away but become a member of one where it's in close proximity to other daily services such as shops and post offices. That way you can park the car and walk to complete each task.
- Convert your car to gas or make your own bio-fuel LPG costs are almost half those of normal fuel and you can get between 60 - 75% the same mileage so it makes sense to convert to gas. The conversion cost will be paid for within a couple of years.
If you're running diesel why not try and make your own bio-fuel. The process is a little messy and involved but when you're only paying $0.20 per litre compared to $1.40 it is certainly worth your while.
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Comments
In Sydney, Australia, the best time to buy fuel is on Monday and sometimes Tuesday mornings.
And don't forget your fuel vouchers!
Posted by: Marco - Stock Trading | June 11, 2006 4:06 PM