Gas For Less Money

Gas prices have been falling the last few weeks. Where I live in New York, I can now get regular for about $3.89/gallon.

The drop in gas prices has been due to the price for crude oil falling on the world market. This is wonderful for consumers - though I should add, no reason not to continue trying to improve gas mileage!

So why the “But…” in the title? Well, low gas prices are what we’re hoping for, and they have in fact lowered.

But… [Read more →]

New Report Shows Impact of Fluctuating Gas Prices on Consumer Shopping and Buying Behavior

The Neilsen Company: Dramatic fluctuations in gas prices are disrupting U.S. consumer spending and expected to continue, leaving consumers with less money to spend at retail, entertainment and dining out, according to a new study by The Nielsen Company. Nielsen’s research shows that in 2007, the gas share of consumers’ weekly spending ranged from 12 to 16 percent. As gas prices continue to rise, Nielsen expects consumers’ gas share of their weekly spend to rise to 19 percent. (For all tables referenced in this release, please view Full PDF Download version of release). [Read more →]

The oil companies have done a great job marketing high-octane gasoline. Surveys show most people believe a higher octane gas will improve their car’s performance, provide more power, improve gas mileage, and significantly lengthen the life of their automobile.

In fact, the recommended gasoline for most cars is regular octane, and in most cases, using a higher octane gasoline than your owner’s manual recommends will give you absolutely no benefit whatsoever. It certainly won’t make your car perform better, go faster, get better mileage or run cleaner. [Read more →]

It’s a good idea to bring your vehicle in for a full checkup before taking any long trips. You should have a mechanic check the battery, lights, brakes, fluid levels, tires and anything else that requires regular maintenance. Not only will your tuned-up car more improve gas mileage, but you’ll be safer and minimize the risk of having to make expensive repairs on the road.

Smaller is Better

If you’re renting a car, smaller is better. As an example, a midsize car such as the Chevrolet Aveo with a four-cylinder engine gets 28 mpg and costs about $46.20 to drive 500 miles. A larger, heavier eight-cylinder Jeep Grand Cherokee gets 17 mpg and costs $76.25 to travel the same distance. Drive the smaller car and you’ll save more than $30 per trip. [Read more →]

Are gas prices going to rise? Almost certainly. Why are gas prices so high, and what can we do about it? Is the proposed “Gas Tax Holiday” an answer to high gas prices? Depends who you ask.

Both Senator John McCain and Senator Hillary Clinton had proposed a “Gas Tax Holiday”, suspending the federal excise tax on gasoline between Memorial Day and Labor Day 2008.

But what exactly does that mean? [Read more →]

With gas prices going up so often there’s sometimes a 50 cent difference between stations across town, I’ll get a call from a friend saying “Hey I just found a station selling regular for $x.xx per gallon” or whatever it is.

Have you ever wondered if it’s actually worth driving across town for a lower price per gallon on gasoline? Whether it’s worth driving a few extra miles to save a few cents per gallon?

“Gas Calc” is a software program that will tell you exactly that! [Read more →]

What can we do about gas prices? It seems as though they go up every week. In fact, many weeks they do!

Why are gas prices so high? The answer to that question gives the answer to the first question: supply & demand. Supply - the amount of oil we pull from the ground, and the amount we refine into gasoline - remains fairly constant. But demand is growing at an alarming rate.

Here is the short and long answer of why gas prices are so high: [Read more →]

The Ultimate Hypermiling Guide is now priced at just $7. This ebook explains “hypermiling”, and how to use these techniques to make radical gas mileage improvements.

Though hypermiling was popularized by news stories of dangerous highway exploits, such as “drafting” - tailgating behind large trucks at highway speeds - the new Hypermiling Guide is about safe driving.

By utilizing some of these driving techniques, the average driver can improve gas mileage by 25% without having to resort to questionable or potentially dangerous driving methods. [Read more →]

The 2008 Ultimate Gas Saver Guide is now available!

This Guide includes the main Gas Saver Guide, filled with tips for improving gas mileage and saving money on gas.

It also includes 6 additional resources: a Hypermiling guide, “Water2Gas” hydrogen hybrid conversion plans, a Hybrid Buyers guide, government fuel saving tips reports, both the 2008 and 2009 model year fuel economy reports, software to calculate gas mileage, and more! [Read more →]

Why are gas prices so high now, nearly double what they were 18 months ago with no slow-down in sight?

There are many people who believe the rise in gas prices are the results of oil speculators, or greedy oil company executives. That is not the case.

In order to understand the rising prices, it’s necessary to look at what goes into the price per gallon we pay at the pump. (NOTE: See “Why Are Gas Prices So High?”) [Read more →]