Group Trip Advisor

10 Gas and Money-Saving Road Trip Tips

Every American should bookmark Gas Buddy. As gas prices skyrocket with no end in sight, finding cheap gas can make a wallet full of difference on road trips.

Gas Buddy makes it easy to locate the least (and most) expensive neighborhoods for gas and individual gas stations. Simply enter your zip code at the top of the home page, hit enter, and you’re on your way to a wealth of up-to-date (within the last 48 hours) pricing on gas stations near you. Stations are conveniently ranked by lowest price to highest.

Also, consider Gas Buddy's 10 essential tips for saving money on gas.

  1. Avoid High Speeds: As your speed increases, your aerodynamic drag increases in an exponential fashion. Driving 62 mph (100 km/h) vs 75 mph (120 km/h) will reduce fuel consumption by about 15%.
  2. Do Not Accelerate or Brake Hard: By anticipating the traffic and applying slow steady acceleration and braking, fuel economy may increase by as much as 20%.
  3. Keep Tires Properly Inflated: Keep tire air pressure at the level recommended by your vehicle manufacturer. A single tire under inflated by 2 PSI, increases fuel consumption by 1%.
  4. Use A/C Sparingly: When the air conditioner is on it puts extra load on the engine forcing more fuel to be used (by about 20%). The defrost position on most vehicles also uses the air conditioner.
  5. Keep Windows Closed: Windows open, especially at highway speeds, increase drag and result in decreased fuel economy of up to 10%.
  6. Service Vehicle Regularly: Proper maintenance avoids poor fuel economy related to dirty air filters, old spark plugs or low fluid levels.
  7. Use Cruise Control: Maintaining a constant speed over long distances often saves gas.
  8. Avoid Heavy Loads: Remove the sand bags from your trunk in the spring and pack lightly for long trips.
  9. Avoid Long Idles: If you anticipate being stopped for more than 1 minute, shut off the car. Restarting the car uses less fuel than letting it idle for this time.
  10. Purchase a Fuel Efficient Vehicle: When buying a new vehicle examine the vehicle's rated fuel efficiency. Usually choosing a small vehicle with a manual transmission will provide you with great fuel economy.

Gadling also has money and gas-saving tips, including road tripping with friends to split the cost of gas as a wise money-saving plan.

Any other helpful hints for saving money at the gas pumps?