Automotive

Tips for Dealing with Rising Fuel Prices in 2013

fuel-prices-risingUnless you've been hiding under a rock over the past few years, and especially over the past few months, you know how insanely high our fuel prices have become. In fact, according to CNBC, "Consumers have been spending more on gasoline than they have in nearly three decades."

It's true; our gas prices are at one of the highest points we've ever seen. We are being forced to spend more and more on fuel. I say forced because for many of us, driving our cars is a necessary part of our day to day lives. We need our cars to get to work, school, the grocery store, etc. And of course, we need fuel to run our vehicles.

So what is to be done? We hate having to pay these high fuel prices. But at the same time, we feel the necessity of having fuel for our vehicles. We don't want to (or some of us even can't) stop driving our vehicles. But we also don't want to spend half our paychecks on gas.

You may not be able to completely boycott gas, and you can't refuse to pay the prices that are set. But you can find ways to deal with these rising fuel prices.

Here are 4 ways to save money on gas:

1. Drive Less

The first way to deal with these rising fuel prices is to drive less. Obviously, the less you drive, the less gas you will have to use up, thus saving the most on gas. Driving with coworkers or taking the bus to work, walking or riding your bike to school or to the grocery store, setting up a carpool with your friends or neighbors to take your children to school, etc can all help you to drive your car less, thus saving as much as you can on gas.

2. Learn to Drive

Another way to save money on the rising fuel costs? Learn to drive! No, of course I don't mean take a driver's education course and get your license. If you're worrying about fuel costs then odds are you're already past that point. What I mean is to learn to drive SMART in order to not waste fuel. For example, things like not letting your car idle (an idling car is a huge gas waster!), avoiding breaking (so don't follow people too closely), driving at consistent speeds (acceleration uses up more gas than driving at a consistent speed), etc… can all save you surprising amounts of gas.

3. Maintain Your Vehicle

Did you know that tires that are kept properly inflated will give you better fuel efficiency? Just like using the right grade of motor oil will help your car to run with less friction, thus running at a lower temperature, thus using up less gas. A properly maintained vehicle will run better. A car that runs better will be more fuel efficient. So make sure to always maintain your vehicle to help you save money on gas.

4. Get a Fuel Card

Lastly, make sure that you are taking advantage of a fuel card. You can do this one of three ways: first off, you can get a credit card from a general credit card company (like Visa, Mastercard, etc) that offers gas savings. Second, you can get a fuel card with a specific gas station that offers lower prices when you have a fuel card with them. Or third, you can get a fuel card that will offer discounts at a variety of gas stations. Either way, these discounts that you will receive will add up for some great savings. If you need help finding a good fuel card, here is the best fuel card I've seen around.

This article was written by Nicole. She writes about money saving strategies.

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