Ways to save money on gas this summer (and all year!)

Lizzie Tyner | RSS | Sun, Jun 28 2009 | 0 Comments

There are many ways to cut your costs during the summer, especially if you plan on doing a lot (or any) driving. With gas prices going back up, traveling this summer may be looking more expensive than when you planned your trip. Well, there are ways to save a little bit of money on that road trip this year.

As always, what I will start calling the golden rule of frugality, SHOP AROUND!!! Comparison shopping means that you are going to get the best deal. At the same time, don’t drive 30 miles out of your way to save $.02 a gallon, that’s crazy and really not worth it. You can do price comparison on websites like GasBuddy.com and some GPS systems even have gas stations filtered by price. These websites do depend on users to enter in gas prices, so the prices you see may not be what they are for that day (or that week if you’re going to a small town).

Secondly, if you’re a cash carrying member of the population use it. Some gas stations have started trying to pass merchant fees off to gas buyers and have started charging more for gas if someone is paying with a debit or credit card. This is a legal way for the gas stations to help with how much they’re paying for credit card fees. The good news for you is that usually these gas stations that charge more for credit card transactions are usually cheaper than everyone else.

You should also perform regular maintenance on your car. Giving your car a tune up and getting the oil changed according to when the manufacturer says can lead to higher MPGs and more miles on your car. Keeping your tires inflated can also help improve your MPG’s by 3% over the course of a year, which could total to 20 gallons of gas! Air filters are another one of those little things that sometimes we forget about that can increase your fuel efficiency.

A little tip I picked up is that if you like stopping frequently for gas, don’t fill up your tank because the less full your tank is the less heavy your car is and the more miles per gallon you will average. I usually fill my car up to ½ a tank, and then refill at ¾ a tank. It is time consuming, but overall I’m getting better mileage out of it.

Lastly, if you really want to cut back on fuel consumption for your road trips, take it easy and try not drive too aggressively. The faster you accelerate the more gas you are burning.

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Tags: better mileage, miles per gallon, gas prices

Oil settles at 14 month low

Jennifer McClelland | RSS | Thu, Oct 16 2008 | 0 Comments

Today oil settled under $70 a barrel for the first time in 14 months. Even as the Dow rose 400 points, oil still dropped. The sharp drop in oil from its record high can be seen at gas stations now.

Tuesday I paid $3.16 a gallon for regular unleaded, Wednesday it was down to $3.03 and today $2.78. I feel kind of scammed by the gas station, but I needed gas and couldn’t wait…my fault.

Even with the news that OPEC may cut oil production, oil is still way down. People still have to get from place to place, and most of the time they do so in their car. I believe that in the last year consumers have cut back from their huge gas guzzlers to trade down to "sippers" or just more fuel efficient SUVs and trucks. Whatever the reason for the decrease in oil prices, my wallet is grateful.

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Tags: oil, dow, consumers

Why is milk so expensive?

Jennifer McClelland | RSS | Mon, Jul 28 2008 | 0 Comments

Here’s a question I’ve been asking myself recently…why IS milk so expensive? Last year it seems like it was 2.50, two years ago it was around 2.00 for a gallon. If I remember right, gas stations would often offer milk for 2 (gallons) for $4. Then it was 2/$5. Now it’s 2/$7 in some places, some are more. I bought a gallon of milk from Wal-Mart on Thursday, it was $3.44 and it’s skim milk.

So, what’s going on with milk?

Well, it looks like oil prices have a serious effect on everything. However, oil prices should effect every aspect of grocery store prices and not just milk alone. Milk’s price has inflated higher than many other grocery store items. The only items I can compare are eggs and other diary products.

Another culprit is the growing demand from China. China is becoming more modernized and they are beginning to take advantage of the same luxuries Americans have. Also, they, and other countries, are buying our commodities. Our dollar is also at a low and other countries can get our products cheaper than in the past.

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Tags: grocery store, china, gas station