Comments on: 10 Ways to Save Money on Gas

By: Loo2

Loo2 — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 02:45:50 +0000

Re: Costco gas. I don’t buy it because the line-ups are so long. I figure I would be spending my savings in idling. Also it wastes a lot of my time and makes me irritable, plus sniffing in all that gas while waiting.
Instead, I get my gas at Loblaws affiliates whenever possible, as there is a rebate which can be used at NoFrills etc. I also listen to the news of gas prices being about to rise or fall, and buy my gas when the prices are a bit better. If I am not close to a Loblaws gas bar etc, I go to Shell where I can get AirMiles. If doing AirMiles, try to arrange it so that you get the most AirMiles for your purchase, usually a minimum of $30; next best level is usually $50; you will not get any value back for amounts over the threshholds, so don’t spend it. I don’t like Esso/Aeroplan because it is unlikely I will ever be able to use the aeroplan points – they expire now, and if you are not travelling a lot or using the expensive credit card that goes with it, you are not likely to ever get enough points to redeem before they expire. I redeem the AirMiles for ViaRail GCs, where I don’t have to buy any gas, or drive! At the moment, ViaRail and Rexall/Phamaplus have the best rates of redemption for things I would actually use.

By: dave

dave — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 17:39:36 +0000

yes the whole neutral thing is true…not a myth, at least while driving.

as you accelerate, the engine continually needs more fuel to keep the car propelling forward. while in neutral, fuel is not be pumped into the engine, hence saving fuel.

however, if, for example, you roll down a hill in neutral to the point that you are going to have to accelerate at a very rapid rate to get back up to speed will defeat the purpose. i tend to do this while on a hills on the highway, when you are approaching the crest of the hill…gently accelerate.

By: salamanderspirit

salamanderspirit — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 22:45:30 +0000

Many of these suggestions simply say “Don’t drive” in a variety of clever ways…That doesn’t work for people in rural areas who MUST drive to work because there is no city bus.

Can anyone tell me, does shifting into “Neutral” (while idling in a drive-thru or coasting down a hill) actually save gas? I’ve heard this but didn’t know if it was a myth.

By: Saver

Saver — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 14:00:41 +0000

Good point about getting rid of stuff in the trunk. That can really add a lot of weight. I’m excited for the Tesla to come out. That will have great mileage.

By: Shawna

Shawna — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:19:01 +0000

Nothing new here that hasn’t been hashed out in every article about the subject.

By: GuessWhat

GuessWhat — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 22:41:31 +0000

Guess what? Costco is opening gas stations and charging about 7 cents less at the pumps. How’s that for fuel savings?

By: Jules

Jules — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:54:47 +0000

I think DC has “slugging”, where people wait for drivers going their way on a designated corner. The drivers get to use the carpool lanes, the people get to save money on fuel.

Also: CAR SHARES! I really wanted to join one when I lived in Philadelphia. They’re awesome-stupendous-wicked-cool if you live in a big city, and I know there’s at least one company (FlexCar) expanding into suburban locales.

And I think it’d amuse you to know: the Mythbusters busted/confirmed/both the myth that rolling your windows down helps save fuel from AC. Turns out that only works if you’re going less than 50 mph, because at that point turbulence starts becoming a drag (literally) with the windows dwon.

By: Marci

Marci — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:25:22 +0000

Nice thorough list!

Some things I can’t change – like I’m a one person workplace with no bus going there – rural – but luckily only 5 miles round trip and I work 4 8′s…

And I can walk to grocery, library, bank, and PO etc.

However, I do see room for major improvement on #9…Clean out the Car! Since I’ve been remodeling the house, everything there’s no spot for yet seems to have ended up in the car (no garage yet) So, while it’s still cool this morning, and it’s my day off – Monday – I’ll just get out there and clean out the car… thanks for the reminder!

By: SunkistMom

SunkistMom — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:36:35 +0000

I’m now telecommuting 100% of the time (well, except tuesdays when I go in with another guy working from home). But it helps that I’m a contract computer software geek person.

By: K

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:31:56 +0000

I am a sucker for cute lil online trackers so I recently started using (free) Fuel Frog. I just enter in the info off my receipt (+ the odometer reading) and it does the math for me and gives me a cute little graph. It is also interesting to look back on the gas price increases since a year ago.

http://www.fuelfrog.com/