If you currently live in the United States, you know that fuel is going up in price (you may know that even if you don’t live here). I was speaking to a family member the other day and he mentioned that a lot of people don’t budget for fuel for their cars. He noted that he believed this jump in prices was really going to start affecting people. With the cost in fuel going up, the chances that prices for other items will also go up, increases. So what CAN we do about it? I’m so glad you asked, check out the list below.
Sign up/use fuel rewards
If you use the same few gas/fuel stations on a regular basis, check to see if they offer rewards. This could be x amount of cents/dollars a gallon (or overall purchase) or the ability to gain points and redeem for gift cards.
Maintain your car
Believe it or not, maintaining your car can help you save money on fuel. If you car is running at maximum efficiency, you won’t burn through as much fuel. This also goes for using your head when driving, i.e. avoiding “jackrabbit” starts, avoid idling the car for a long time, use air conditioning wisely, and/or staying a consistent speed.
Walk/bike short distances
A few years ago, I worked at two different locations (about 30 minutes apart from each other) and I lived only about a mile from one of those locations. I was often walking to that location. It allowed me to get fresh air and exercise, but also allowed me to save money on fuel. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case for me and I have to drive to work (I work and live about 45 minutes apart from each other), but I used to do it when in college/graduate school too. If you have the ability to walk to work or into town for appointments, groceries, library trips, etc., I highly encourage you to do so!
Carpool
This one is obvious. If you have the ability to carpool with others going to the same place, do it. You can take turns driving, or pay a bit towards fuel, but either way, it will save money.
Use apps and Google!
GasBuddy is a wonderful app that allows you to see gas/fuel prices in your area, so you’re no longer driving around looking for cheap fuel! Cashback apps can also be helpful to save money, just scan your receipt and stack those points!
Check social media too for hacks on how to save money. We recently were able to save 30 cents a gallon for three trips at speedway doing this. In fact, I just googled it can found two more codes. You usually have to text something like “FUEL” or “SAVE” to one of those five digit numbers. Just be careful that you’re not getting scammed doing anything like that. Seriously though, a five minute google search can save you quite a bit of money.
What other ideas do you have for saving money on fuel? Let me know in the comments!