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Save money on your car
1. Car Insurance (Don’t skip this)
Believe me, if you haven’t shopped around for car insurance in a couple years - it is worth your while. I really was sure that I had the lowest rates I could get, but then I checked out Geico and found that I could save $330 a year for the same coverage. I was so blown away that they could save me $330 that I didn’t shop anywhere else.
Six months later my old insurance broker called trying to get me back and she had found another insurance company (America First) who was $250 cheaper than Geico. And again it was for the same coverage. So just to repeat - I thought I was paying a good rate, but by shopping around I was able to knock almost $600 off my car insurance bill.
2. Save money on gas
While everyone wants gas prices to go down, you can cut your monthly gas bill by taking some pro-active steps. Checkout these 75 gas saving tips and grab a few of them and start working them into your driving. And for some more advanced techniques you can learn how to hypermile as well.
Save money on your phones
3. Cell Phones
Grab your most recent cell phone bills and look at them to see what you are actually paying for.
- Are you paying for internet service that you are not using?
- Are you paying for 1000 minutes a month, when you are only averaging about 350?
- Are you paying for text messages that you are not using?
Before you call your cell phone company check other Cellular companies to see how their rates compare. If it is still worth your while to stay with your current provider, then call them up and talk to them about the changes that you can make.
4. Home phone lines
Ask yourself a tough question, “Do I really need a land line? Would it be possible to use my cell phone for all calls?”
If the answer is no, you may want to look into Vonage. I haven’t used them, but I know they are saving some people lots of money each month. (They currently have a plan for $14.99 a month that gives you local and long distance.)
If you are have a land line solely for the purpose of having a DSL internet connection, I would recommend calling the phone company to adjust your phone plan. I was not using my land line at all and was paying $25 for it. I called them and got the plan lowered to a pay-per-call plan which only costs me $7 a month.
If you can get by without a land line, call and cancel it. This will probably save you $20 or more a month just by making a phone call.
5. Save on the Internet
I am not suggesting that you get dial-up. That is just cruel and unusual punishment 
. But, if you are paying for the premium package you should consider one of the slower packages. Many people won’t notice a difference in how fast the web pages load.
Again, it may be worthwhile looking at the options available for high-speed internet service. I saved about $20 a month switching from one company to another.
Save money on Food
This is one of the easiest fixes for most people. I know I am saving hundreds of dollars a month by not doing what I used to do with my food purchases.
6. Make going out to dinner something special
Not only will you save yourself a lot of money, but it will be more fun when you do go out. Have you noticed that when you do something all the time, it just isn’t as fun anymore? This is a great way to “add fun” and save money.
A couple going out to dinner just two times in a week could easily spend $300 a month. If they knock it down to just one time a week that is $150 savings.
7. Make it yourself
You really can cook. I don’t care if people told you that you were a bad cook, don’t listen to them. You aren’t bad and it is not that hard. There are tons of meals that you can make that require little more than an ability to set a timer and read directions. Start at Allrecipies.com, they have lots of cool features that I won’t get into here - just check it out.
8. Bring your lunch
This is one of those rubber-meets-the-road sacrifices. But it pays off handsomely. If you are paying $10 for lunch to go out each day, you are spending $200 a month. If you bring your lunch 3 days a week, you should easily be able to save $100 a month.
9. Eat what you have
Buy food that you are going to eat and eat what you have. I cut my grocery bill by 50% from my wasteful years by eating the food I had and not wasting any. I could not believe how much money I was wasting by letting food spoil. Just putting a little bit of thought into your grocery list each week will be an easy way to save money.
10. Clip coupons
Most of the food we buy doesn’t have coupons, so this has never been too much help for me. But, there are some people who take pride in buying a grocery cart full of food for $25 and 100 coupons. Even if you aren’t a pro, beginners can save $50 a month without much difficulty.
11. Drink water
I saved myself $30 a month just by quitting my Pepsi addiction. A Starbucks addict could probably save $100 a month by switching to water.
12. Save on your energy bills
A lot of energy saving tips require you to buy something in order to save money in the long run. While I am all for that, the purpose of these tips is to give you more cash in your hand now so that you can pay down your debt.
That being said you can check out these 10 ways to conserve energy and save money and these winter energy saving tips.
13. Pay your bills on time!
This is obvious, but some people (like myself) need the obvious restated sometimes Late bills often incur a fee that is nothing but a waste of your precious money.
If you find yourself forgetting to pay your bills on time, set up a free Google calendar and you can put reminders of when each bill needs to be paid. You can even set it up to email you to remind you to pay it on the correct date. While this is a shorter term fix, I prefer to set up a schedule of bill payments in order to make bill paying easier.
14. Save at the bank
Grab your recent bank statements and examine them for ambiguous fees. If you see any and don’t know what they are, call your bank and ask them to explain it. I worked at a bank for years and I know how good they can be at coming up with creative names for their fees.
Years ago, after figuring out some of the advantages to banking with a credit union I made the switch. I still bank at one of the best Credit Unions in town and use ING as my online bank.
If you find out that you are paying fees for your basic banking needs, I recommend switching. There is no reason you should be paying fees for falling below a minimum balance or anything else. It is your money. Take it somewhere where you have control over the money, not the bank.
Most credit unions will not have many (or all) of the fees that bigger banks may have. ING also has a great checking account that I use and love.
15. Save on purchases
If you are working on getting out of debt, you should be thinking long and hard about any sizeable purchases. But, if you must, then make sure you are getting the best price in the world on the item. The internet has taken comparison shopping to a whole new level.
Yea, there are a million places you can buy things online, but I have found that I almost always find the best price at one of these three places:
Microsoft’s Live Cashback search is another good tool to find the best price, but it hasn’t beat out the other three on any occasions yet. Craigslist and FreeCycle.org are also good tools for finding some bargains on used items.
Other tips to cut your expenses
- Buy greeting cards in bulk at the Dollar store or the party store. This will help you to save a lot of money and you won’t have to make an extra trip every time you need one.
- If you are an avid reader and spend a lot on books trying using the library again. Remember the library? Another option is to buy them from Amazon used. I have a couple books on my Amazon wish list that cost less than a nickel for a used copy. And here are 5 ways to save money on books.
- If you have an emergency fund built up, you may want to look at increasing your deductibles to save money.
- If clothing purchases are needed, at least look at these 6 tips to save money on your clothing expenses.
Please share some of the ways you have cut your expenses in the comments below!
Next step to getting out of debt will be to make sacrifices
Click to go to the beginning of the Getting out of debt series.
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I was recently tossing around some ideas to make money quick. I decided to tap the wisdom of the crowds so I asked some of the PF bloggers around to share what they would do if they had to find a way to come up with $200 in two weeks or less.
I noticed some trends…
- Selling stuff on Craigslist.org
- Selling stuff on Ebay
- Get a freelance job
There are many others listed, but the above 3 seem to be the most popular ways of coming up with extra cash.
How I would make $200 quick…
I would probably sell some more stuff on Ebay just like everyone else But I would also fill out a few surveys on CashCrate. Together it probably wouldn’t be too difficult to come up with $200.
Below is how everyone else would come up with the $200. Feel free to share how you would come up with the money in the comments!!
How to make money quick ($200 in 2 weeks)
If I had to make an extra $200, and it had to be quick I would probably end up selling some things on ebay and/or craigslist. When I’ve had to make money fast in the past I’ve sold old electronics, video games, or other things I don’t need on Ebay.
Peter @ Bible Money Matters
If we needed $200 and only had 2 weeks to do it, we would definitely have a garage sale. Not only can we quickly make some money by selling our things, we can quickly reduce some of the clutter in our home!
Tricia @ Blogging Away Debt
- Pray. We are often given unexpected, small sums of money by friends and family.
- Sell something on Craig’s List or Ebay. We only have a couple of items that are worth that much and that we would be willing to part with, but we could get most of the money in a pinch this way.
- Roll it over to the next month. Use part of our emergency fund to care for the immediate expense and then make sure that we cover it in a future month. Get it today and then figure out how to pay for it later.
- Find a freelance job. I have experience in painting, roofing and wood finishing. I am confident that if I needed to make extra money in the evenings or weekends, that I could pull it off.
- Qualify for a bank bonuses or credit card bonuses. I am trying to avoid this particular revenue stream right now, but this is how we solved our money problem last year.
Josh @ Rocket Finance
I would try to get a few extra hours at my part time job. If that didn’t work (or pay day wasn’t right), I would look for freelance work (cash pay) on craigslist or other sites like that.
Diva @ Saving Diva
I would immediately pick up my local yellow pages and make a list of temporary agencies. I would then find out which of them have weekend and weeknight work, and sign-up with those companies. Those jobs are not guaranteed, so while waiting for a call, I would look around my home to see if I have anything that could be sold on EBay or craigslist to raise some cash. Next I would see if I have any skills that others might pay me for – this could be yard work, sewing, painting, dog walking, cooking, running errands – just about anything. I would then craft an ad outlining my services and hourly rate and post that on craigslist.
Boston Gal @ Boston Gals Open Wallet
I would sell ad space on my sites or permanent links to raise money quickly. I would go to the garage and sell anything worth selling on ebay.
@ Cash The Checks
That’s easy. I’d sell my stuff. Have a garage sale. DVDs, CDs and books can sometimes go for a good price. Some used books, especially up to date statistics or economics textbooks can go for as much as $50 to $75 dollars when they are in good shape.
Another idea would be to sell your body to science. Many local universities and some companies are often hiring subjects to be in research studies. The best way to find these is to look on-line or to check the newspaper. Typically the ads are in the local weekly or neighborhood publications. While you won’t get rich participating in studies, you can definitely bring in a few hundred bucks if you find the right studies.
James @ Dinks Finance
- Sell a bunch of stuff (clothes, furniture, etc..) on CraigsList and at Half Priced Books (books, CDs).
- Return any recently purchased items I had a reciept for.
- Place an ad on CraigsList for Web Development Services ($50 for a small biz website setup, etc..)
- Ask all my neighbors if they needed any hired help for odd jobs (lawn care, handyman, car wash, etc..)
- Place an ad on CraigsList for hired help services.
- Rent my truck out (for movers) on CraigsList and other local community boards.
PT @ Prime Time Money
Ebay immediately comes to mind — selling some unused stuff. Also, I would look at changing my tax withholding for a pay period or two. I might offer to pet sit or baby sit. I would possibly get a second job that paid some tips such as waiting tables. I might consider selling blood plasma to the local blood bank. I might reduce my food expense by eating at the local Sam’s club (samples!)
Ron @ The Wisdom Journal
1. Have a garage sale
2. Take a consulting gig
3. Teach a college course or be a guest lecturer (only applicable if you have the proper credentials)
4. Teach private swimming lessons
5. Tutor
Heidi @ Banker Girl
If I only had 2 weeks to make $200, the first thing I would do would be to gather any and all DVD’s and CD’s and video games that I had in my house and sell them to a local store or on Craiglist. If that didn’t bring in enough money, I honestly would get a part-time job at night to cover the difference, and then quit as soon as I made the money!
David @ My Two Dollars
If I had two weeks to make $200, here’s what I would do:
First, I would clean out my basement and list anything worth more than $5 on Craigslist, eBay or Amazon. Then, I would have a garage sale that weekend for anything that doesn’t sell or isn’t worth more than $5. Of course, for the garage sale, I’d want to put a free ad on Craigslist and post signs around the neighborhood. If I didn’t have a lot of items to sell, or the selling wasn’t going so well, I would head down to the plasma donation center in my neighborhood, where I can make $20 for my first donation and $40 for my second donation in the same week. So, in two weeks, I could make $120 just from donating plasma! However, I’m pretty squeemish, so this would be my second choice.
Also, another idea is to call your local marketing research facility (a place that does focus groups, taste tests, etc.), and see if they have any opportunities for people of your age/gender/etc. to participate in. These studies typically pay between $20-$60 for 1-2 hours.
Finance Girl @ Finance Gets Personal
- Earning $200 extra income in two weeks is not hard, the most obvious way is selling stuff that you no longer use at places like eBay, Craigslist, or at thrift shops.
- Another method is to search for sign-up bonuses
- However, the more challenging task is figuring out how to earn $200 extra income regularly — i.e., monthly. This is not hard either, but it does require more time and commitment. Instead of trying to explain it all here you can read about the 7 Factors to Build Successful Alternative Income Streams
Pinyo @ Moolanomy
My number one way to make $200 in two weeks? My first choice would be to sell anything that I’m not using. My preferred method is to use eBay but a good old fashioned garage sale will work, too. Most of us have some things lying around that still have some value that could be sold. This stuff can easily add up to $200 for a weekend. Just go through your house, attic, garage, miscellaneous storage areas for anything that could be sold. Clean up a little and take a weekend to gather the items. Then the next weekend (Saturday probably works best) get up early and start putting out the stuff. The key to a successful garage sale is marketing. Roads signs always work great even if it’s written with a sharpie on a piece of cardboard. Consider putting in a small classified ad in the paper if it’s a large sale. You could also list it for free on craigslist. Enjoy your new found money and consider giving the unsold items to a local Salvation Army or Goodwill.
Henry @ Christian Finance Blog
Making $200 in 2 weeks can be incredibly easy or difficult, depending on your outlook and situation. If I absolutely needed $200, I would first try to sell some items via Craigslist. I prefer to sell them locally via Craigslist because you can get cash in hand more quickly than an on-line auction like Ebay because you don’t need to wait for the auction to close or to transfer the money. Pawn shops could be another option for selling items.
The other thing I would try is to get a job that would pay me that amount of money. Unfortunately, a lot of jobs only pay out every couple weeks, so you may miss the deadline. So you would need to look for a job that pays either weekly or in cash. Examples could be babysitting, landscaping, washing cars, etc.
Patrick @ Cash Money Life
Sell some books, dvds, baby clothes, etc. on eBay… Have a yard / garage sale…
If it was an emergency I’d drop my cable / cell phone / netflix / other subscriptions…
In a pinch, I’d get a second job or sell my golf clubs…
NCN @ No Credit Needed
If I needed $200 in two weeks, I’d sell some of my stuff. During my years of living on credit, I accumulated a lot of things I do not need or use. I’ve been purging these things gradually, but there’s still a lot of stuff around the house, and some of it is worth some money. If I needed quick cash, I’d get on Craigslist or eBay and sell CDs and comic books and board games. I might also consider a garage sale. Selling stuff serves two purposes: it clears the house of clutter, and it converts unused things into cash.
JD Roth @ Get Rich Slowly
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I just found out about Scour today and I am excited about the possibility of it. Everyone who knows me knows that I am an avid Google nut and love a lot of the product they have put out. But, I think they need a little bit of competition in the search market. Yahoo and MSN are just not very good competitors anymore.
Scour looks like they may have a product that could compete with them. The challenge, of course, is that it is a huge uphill battle for them. Google has most of the internet’s users using it as their search engine, so in order to have a chance Scour is going to have to be a lot better.
My experience with Scour (so far)
Scour is a search engine that has two distinct advantages over Google…
- The results are voted on by other users. So, in theory, only the best stuff should come up to the top of the list. Just like Digg.
- They offer incentives for using it. You earn points for searching with it, commenting, voting, referring, etc. Those points can then be redeemed for gift cards. Looking at the points system, it will take quite a while before you ever get enough points for a gift card. That’s okay I am more interested in it’s search capabilities.
The Scour results page…
What I like about Scour
- I love that Google is finally getting some competition. While realistically, I would be surprised to see Scour become the next Google, I am glad that they are in the game. Increased competition just means that everyone will produce better. Google has done a great job with it’s search engine, but there is a lot of room for growth. There are still a lot of spammy results coming up, I think that user generated feedback is going to be part of the solution.
- It allows you to get search results from Google, Yahoo, or Live all on the same page. So, if you don’t like the Scour results that you are seeing, you can still see what Google lists as the top sites…
- I like the points system. Even though you would have to use it for a while to actually get rewarded, you still do get rewarded. I have never gotten a gift card from Google
What I don’t like about Scour
- It is brand new. It is going to be a while before Scour provides some actual benefit as a search engine. Initially, spammers are going to vote up their spam sites, so initially users will probably have to wade through some of that stuff. Only after there are a whole bunch of users who come and vote will the results become valuable.
- The referral program. I know it seems to be what every new thing does now. They offer incentives for referring people. But, bottom line I agree with Seth Godin on this one. If it isn’t remarkable, there is no point in having the referral program. On the other hand if it is remarkable, it probably doesn’t need it because people will talk about it either way.
So, I think I will give it a try for a few weeks and see how I like it. If it is something you think is worth trying out, you can get there with my remarkable referral link .
Any Scour users out there? I would love to hear your opinions on it!!
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The truth about Cash Crate
I recently heard about Cash Crate and thought I would check it out. Basically you get paid for filling out short surveys and giving your email address to spammers.
The sign up is simple enough. It only takes about 30 seconds and once you complete that, they take you to the below screen. Here you select which offers you would like to complete. You click the offer on the left and once you complete the offer, then you click the submit button. Cash Crate then verifies that you completed it and then adds the funds to your account.
All of the offers I have done so far are actually very short and easy to fill out. Only taking about 30 -60 seconds to fill out for each one.
The problem is that it is difficult to tell how much of the offer you need to fill out.
So for example, the “Running Shoes” offer above gives you the below screen…
I think this is all you have to actually fill out to get paid, BUT as soon as you press submit it takes you to this screen…
So, now they are taking you down a trail to get a $150 gift card, which you are going to have to jump through about 1000 hoops and sign up for credit cards and a bunch of other stuff to actually get it.
I wish they would have a screen that says, “you have completed this offer,” but they seem to just try to confuse people into filling out additional offers that were not part of the CashCrate offer.
But like I said above, I think all you need to fill out is that first screen with your email address in order to get your $1.00 for that offer. Others ask you survey-type questions, some want your physical address, etc.
Well, that just sounds too easy
A lot of companies run their businesses completely off of email lists. So, you are getting paid $1.00 to get added to their email list. It may or may not be worth it to you. But I can almost promise you that you are going to start getting a lot of spam in your inbox
How handle this
I have a few different email addresses that I use. One is only given to businesses. So, any time I sign up for anything that I think could possibly add my address to a list I use that address. That email gets hundreds of emails a day, so I only check it when I am specifically looking for an activation email or something similar.
My review of Cash Crate
It seems like a decent way to make a few extra bucks. I filled out about 7 offers (they have hundreds available) in 15-20 minutes. It would have been shorter, but I was following some of their deceptive rabbit trails.
After filling out the offers my my account shows that I have earned $2.90 and have $4.40 pending. As CashCrate verifies that I filled out the offers, the money moves from the pending earnings to July’s earnings. They say it can take from 5 minutes to a couple of hours for them to get approved.
They also have a generous referral program, so you get a cut of everyone who signs up from your referral link. I guess I will see how successful that is after I post this article.
I am going to continue using them, but only because I am not going to give them my personal email address.
I would love to hear from people who have used it so far. Is there anything I am missing?
(Added 08-27-08)
I have now been using Cash Crate for a little over a month and just discovered something that I need to let everyone know about. I just got off the phone with the phone company to try to get a charge removed from my bill for a service that I “signed up” for via CashCrate. Apparently I checked a box that said I agree to allow them to bill me. They then sent an email to confirm and I didn’t respond, so they charged me. I argued and they did reverse the fee, but make sure if you use CashCrate or some of the similar programs that you watch what you are filling out. It was MY fault, but there are obviously some companies trying to catch you not paying attention. For what it’s worth…
(Added 09-22-08)
ok, I am upgrading my warning on CashCrate - I now have 2 more stinkin things on my phone bill!! Unbelievable, I don’t think I missed these, I think they are just scammy companies… I can’t pass the blame on to CashCrate itself - but it is the companies that put surveys on their site… But either way, fighting to get these charges off my bill is not worth what I have made from them… I would not recommend CashCrate any more and if you are considering using them I would be VERY CAREFUL…
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Taking a survey to help your buddy Google
If you are looking to make some money as a guinea pig for Google, you might want to sign up for their usability study. They typically pay $75 per hour that you spend with the Google researcher (in person or on the phone). They have some online surveys which are completed from your home computer and the payment varies based on the length of the survey.
From the Google FAQ page about it:
What am I signing up for?
You’d be helping us to improve Google products, both existing ones and those that are still in development. For example, we might ask you to try out a prototype and give us feedback on it, or we might interview you to help us plan a new product.
They are looking for all types of people: those experienced with Google products, new users and everything in between. There are a few pages of questions they ask you when applying for the study, which will help them decide which studies you would be a good fit for. Many fields are optional, but as they say, “However, the more information you give us, the easier it is for us to match you to a suitable study and the more likely it is that you’ll be invited to participate.”
Click here to sign up for their surveys…
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Get paid to shop with Live Search Cashback
I just found a cool new tool to make some extra cash for shopping online (thanks Phil!). Amazon prime has turned out to be a good investment for me, but I also love having options. Enter Live Search Cashback.
No, this isn’t one of those ridiculous email forwards that say something like, “Bill Gates wants to pay you $450 for every person you forward this to in order to do market research. I didn’t think it would work until I got my check for $45,000 signed by Bill Gates himself.” It’s not quite that ridiculous.
Per the Cashback site, here is how it works:
Step 1 - Search
Search for Cashback deals at Live Search Cashback. Each time you click a Live Search Cashback listing, you’ll find great deals on the product you chose. Your results will clearly list the Cashback savings you’ll receive off the store price, and your final bottom-line price that includes tax and shipping costs. Also look for this icon
when you search for a product on Live Search to find great Cashback deals.
Step 2 - Shop
Compare and sort products by the bottom-line price. Click the best deal to go to the store. Everything you buy during that store visit will be eligible for Live Search Cashback. On your first time using Live Search Cashback, we will ask you for an email address so we can tell you how to quickly set up your free Cashback account.
Step 3 - Save
Keep saving money each time you use Live Search Cashback. Every time you make a qualifying purchase, we’ll send you an email to confirm your Live Search Cashback savings. When your Cashback account reaches a balance of at least $5, you can claim your cold, hard cash. Terms and conditions.
Searching on Live Search Cashback
I recently signed up and the process is surprisingly simple. You just go to Cashback search screen and type in whatever product you are interesting in buying (Mac Mini). It then displays all of the items that fit your search terms…
Then you just select which product matches what you were going for. It displays the prices and Cashback % for each seller.
By default it picks the best deal for you and tells you how much cash you will get back on the deal. In this case we would get $30 cash back for buying this Mac…
Apparently, Microsoft is desperately trying to get shoppers to use Live Search rather than Google. Well, as far as an everyday search engine goes, it doesn’t even compare to Google, but for price comparison shopping it looks like a decent competitor to Google. I mean hey, they are paying you to use it - what’s not to love?
I have seen percentages ranging from 2%-12%. The funds are paid:
- after 60 days once you accrue at least $5.00 in Cashback rewards
- via paypal, direct deposit to your bank account, or a snail-mailed paper check
It seems simple enough, I am going to try it out for a while - not much to lose I guess. I haven’t got a check yet, but come to think of it Bill Gates never sent me a check for that email I forwarded to 100 people either.
(Added later: Also, check out Ebates - they offer a similar service that allows you to get paid to shop online at just about any merchant and get a percentage cash back.)
Technorati Tags: online shopping
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I just found out about a couple cool tools to make some cash when shopping online. The first of which is Ebates. I will write about the other one soon.
Basically, merchants pay Ebates to refer customers to them. Ebates then pays a chunk of that back to the shoppers themselves. Win, win, win.
Here is how Ebates describes the process:
A few things worth mentioning about Ebates
- The payout percentages vary from 1% to about 25%
- They have a ton of merchants - many well known stores: Best Buy, Walmart, Staples, and really about anything you can imagine
- Some merchants offer cash bonuses for signing up
- Ebates also offers referral bonuses for friends that sign up
- Payment options include Paypal or a paper check
- They also have a toolbar that will tell you if you are on a site that offers a cashback bonus
I recently signed up for Ebates and am planning to add them to my online shopping arsenal. But, since I am so new to Ebates I don’t have too much experience with them. Has anyone had good or bad experiences with them?
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It goes without saying that gas prices are making everyone’s financial lives a bit more “interesting.” I am hearing rumors that it could be as high as $5 a gallon this summer. So I scoured the Internet looking for the best tips I could find to save gas and here is what I found….
THE MOST EFFECTIVE GAS SAVING TIPS
Edmunds.com did a real-world test of a few of the common gas saving tips to see how they stacked up and these were the tips they found to be most important.
1. Stop Aggressive Driving
In their road tests this was the most important factor in saving gas. They found up to a 37% savings with an average of 31% savings. That is like getting $4.00 gas for $2.69 - it sounds like a no-brainer, but I am still amazed at how many people still drive like they just robbed a bank. Edmunds says, “If you slowed your 0-to-60-mph acceleration time down from your current 10 seconds to a more normal city pace of 15 seconds, you’ll feel the savings immediately.”
2. Drive Slower
This one is a difficult one to get used to. Personally, I find that I am just more comfortable driving at certain speeds. 55mph on the highway isn’t in my comfort
zone, but I have tried to make a point to drive 5 mph slower than I used to and believe it or not I am getting used to it.
Their test consisted of driving 50 miles on cruise control at 75mph and 65mph. They found that by driving slower you can save up to 14% with an average of 12%. Not to mention the savings from not having to pay speeding tickets.
3. Cruise Control does save gas
In my research to find all these gas tips, I found that there is some debate on this issue, but I think I am leaning toward using cruise control - I think it depends on the type of driver you are and the size of engine you have. But for most people, in my humble opinion, I think you would save more by using it.
Edmunds was surprised by the effectiveness of using it. They got up to 14% savings on gas with an average savings of 7%. That would equate to about a 25 cent discount on each gallon. The exception to this is for mountainous driving. It will try to keep you up to the speed you’ve set and will use a lot of extra gas downshifting to lower gears to accomplish this.
4. Avoid Excessive Idling
Another one they found to be important is not to idle very long. They said that by avoiding excessive idling you can save up to 19% on fuel consumption. They suggest that if you are stopped for longer than a minute to shut down the engine.
NOT AS IMPORTANT AS SOME THINK
5. Should you use A/C or windows to save gas?
This is another hot topic among the gas-saving tips. A/C’s have become more efficient over the years, but they do put a strain on the engine. And of course having the windows open will create more wind-resistance than not having them open. But, their tests found no measurable difference in fuel consumption.
Personally, I love having the windows open. But another thing to consider is the health factor. If you are driving in a lot of traffic, you may be breathing a lot more of the exhaust by having the windows open. Many cars have cabin air-filters that (at least try to) filter the air that comes in to the car. I don’t know how well they work, but I would think it is better than not having a filter at all.
6. Checking Your Tire Pressure
Keeping your tires properly inflated is another common gas saving tip. They say they saw no measurable difference on this test. They still recommend keeping them properly inflated, but they say not to expect much savings.
I have been doing this one over the last few years. I thought I had an improvement each time I filled them to the proper level when they were very low. Since I didn’t measure it I am wondering if it was just all in my mind.
Other Gas Saving Tips
DRIVING ECONOMICALLY
The art of driving to save gas
7. Drive steadily. Slowing down or speeding up wastes fuel. Also avoid tailgating - the driver in front of you is unpredictable. Not only is it unsafe, but it affects your fuel economy if he slows down unexpectedly.
8. When you see a hill ahead, build up speed before you reach it, then maintain your speed on the slope. Then coast down the other side.
9. Avoid accelerating when driving uphill. It uses a lot of gas. If your car has a display that shows your instantaneous gas mileage, try it out. You’ll see your mileage plummet — from 25 or 30 MPG… down to 6 MPG — or sometimes even as low as 2 or 3 MPG.
10. When driving, keep your eyes moving and your feet still! Keep your steering wheel still too. The more you weave back and forth, the farther your car has to travel and the more gas is consumed.
11. If you must stop for more than 30 seconds, don’t idle your car. The engine is more fuel efficient if your turn it off and restart it.
12. Avoid “revving” the engine, especially just before you switch the engine off; this wastes fuel needlessly and wears out the cylinders.
13. Eliminate jack-rabbit starts. Accelerate slowly when starting from dead stop. Don’t push the pedal down more than 1/4 of the total foot travel.
14. Avoid panic stops. When possible, coast to stops such as traffic lights.
15. Don’t forget to release the emergency brake before pulling away.
16. Exceeding 40 mph forces your car to overcome tremendous wind resistance. Never exceed legal speed limit. Primarily they are set for your traveling safety, however better gas efficiency also occurs.
17. Traveling at 55 mph give you up to 21% better mileage when compared to former legal speed limits of 65 mph and 70 mph.
18. Use only your right foot for accelerating and braking. That way you can’t accidentally ride the brake and use excessive gas. The slightest pressure puts “mechanical drag” on components, wearing them down prematurely. This “dragging” also demands additional fuel usage.
19. Manual shift driven cars allow you to change to the highest gear as soon as possible, thereby letting you save gas if you “nurse it along”. However, if you cause the engine to “bog down”, premature wearing of engine parts occurs.
20. Shift into high gear as soon as possible. If you have automatic transmission, lift your foot from the accelerator about one second early.
21. Automatic transmissions should be allowed to cool down when your car is idling at a standstill, e.g. railroad crossings, long traffic lights, etc. Place gear into neutral position. This reduces strain on the transmission and allows it to cool.
22. If you have a manual transmission and want to save some gas, you need to shift up early and shift down late. Traveling at fast rates in low gears can consume up to 45% more fuel than is needed.
23. Pass other cars as soon as you see you are overtaking them. Don’t wait.
24. Stoplights are usually timed for your motoring advantage. By traveling steadily at the legal speed limit you boost your chances of having the “green light” all the way.
25. When you use overdrive gearing, your car’s engine speed goes down. This saves gas and reduces engine wear.
26. Turn off the A/C five minutes before you reach your destination and don’t keep it working until the last second.
27. Park your car in the shade if you can and crack your windows to allow air to circulate in the car, so you won’t have to keep the AC working as hard when you go somewhere.
28. Park car so that you can later begin to travel in forward gear; avoid reverse gear maneuvers to save gas.
PLANNING THE TRIP
Thinking to save gas
29. Before getting into your car, ask yourself “Is this trip really necessary?”
30. For short trips, try walking or bicycling. It’s good exercise.
31. Consider car-pooling and share the gas bill. Car pools reduce travel monotony and gas expense, assuming all riders chip in to help you buy. Conversation helps to keep the driver alert. Pooling also reduces traffic congestion and gives the driver easier maneuverability. For best results, distribute passenger weight evenly throughout car.
32. Organize activities and perform as many errands as possible in one trip. Make a list and do all the grocery shopping once or twice a week.
33. If possible, avoid driving during rush-hour & other peak traffic periods.
34. Do they deliver? Let them pay for the gas! Try mail order firms, too.
35. Let the kids run some of the errands. Let them walk to school, too.
36. Better planning reduces the need for speeding to get there in time.
37. Shop around for service stations with the lowest gasoline prices. - also use GASBUDDY!!
38. Keep tuned to radio traffic reports & avoid traffic jams and other delays.
39. Public transportation may be cheaper, especially when you are traveling alone.
40. Pack as little in your car as necessary so it has less weight to carry.
41. Avoid rough roads whenever possible, because dirt or gravel can rob you of up to 30% of your gas mileage.
42. Avoid heavy traffic and lots of traffic lights. The shortest route is not always the most fuel efficient if you have to stop a lot.
43. Use alternate roads when safer, shorter, straighter. Compare traveling distance differences - remember that corners, curves and lane jumping requires extra gas. The shortest distance between two points is always straight.
WHEN BUYING A CAR
Look for high MPGs
44. If you are in the market for a new car, you definitely should consider fuel efficiencies. Consider a hybrid just for the better fuel economy if I weren’t in the market for a new car. You can easily calculate how much money you would save a year and weigh that against the cost of the car (plus the potentially higher maintenance cost).
45. In hot climates, drive a car with light colored exterior and interior, to reflect light, heat. Tinted glass also prevents heat buildup. Stay away from Black! I have owned black and beige cars and I can tell you that black cars get a lot hotter than lighter colors. Therefore with a black car you will need to use the A/C more often.
46. Operate as small a car as possible for your driving needs. (Small cars weighing half as much as large cars use about half as much gasoline!)
47. Avoid cars with gas-consuming options such as air conditioning; power equipment such as window, door locks, etc.; automatic transmission, etc.
48. When buying a new car, keep in mind that a sunroof helps disturb smooth air flow (and gas mileage).
49. It’s not commonly known, but Diesel engines can give you a much better gas mileage than Hybrids on long distance drives. That’s one of the reasons, hybrids aren’t popular in Europe but Diesels are. The downside is that diesel fuel costs a good chunk more than unleaded right now.
BUYING GASOLINE
50. Buy gasoline during coolest time of day - early morning or late evening is best. During these times gasoline is densest. Keep in mind -gas pumps measure volumes of gasoline, not densities of fuel concentration. You are charged according to “volume of measurement”. (I know the effectiveness of this one is debated, but it won’t hurt.)
51. 
Choose the type and brand of gasoline carefully. Certain brands provide you with greater economy because of better quality. Use the brands which “seem” most beneficial.
52. Avoid filling the gas tank to the top. Overfilling results in sloshing over and out of tank. Never fill gas tank past the first “click” of fuel nozzle, if nozzle is automatic. It could also leak or spill in heat or on a hill.
53. Set the Pump Trigger on lowest position.
54. If a gasoline truck is pumping into the storage tanks, don’t buy.
55. Don’t fill up unless you are on empty, since all this gas weighs a lot and more weight reduces efficiency.
THE CAR ITSELF
Seasonal fuel-saving tips
56. Auto air conditioners can reduce fuel economy by 10% to 20%. Heater fan, power windows and power seats increase engine load; the more load on your engine, the fewer miles per gallon.
57. Use snow tires and/or chains as little as necessary because they make your car work harder and use more gasoline.
58. Remove snow tires during good weather seasons; traveling on deep tire treads really robs fuel!
59. During cold weather watch for icicles frozen to car frame. Up to 100 lbs. can be quickly accumulated! Unremoved snow and ice cause tremendous wind resistance. Warm water thrown on (or hosed on) will eliminate it fast.
60. Avoid prolonged warming up of engine, even on cold mornings - 30 to 45 seconds is plenty of time.
Maintenance tips
61. Keep wheels aligned for better gas mileage - longer tire life, too.
62. Make certain your gas cap fits properly.
63. Keep brakes properly adjusted. Dragging brakes increases resistance.
64. It’s not a bad idea to make sure there are no gas leaks. Gas spilling out on the road doesn’t help your mileage either.
65. Regular tune-ups ensure best economy; check owner’s manual for recommended maintenance intervals. Special attention should be given to maintaining clean air filters… diminished air flow increases gas waste.
66. Inspect suspension and chassis parts for occasional misalignment. Bent wheels, axles, bad shocks, broken springs, etc., create engine drag and are unsafe at high traveling speeds.
67. Inflate all tires to maximum limit. Each tire should be periodically spun, balanced and checked for out-of-round. When shopping for new tires, get large diameter tires for rear wheels. Check manufacturer’s specifications for maximum tire pressures.
Good idea adjustments to your car
68. Get a locking gas cap - stolen gas really hurts your MPGs
69. You can also try to reduce the mass of your car by emptying out the trunk and removing heavy items that you don’t need (keep your spare tire and car lift, but get rid of the gardening equipment). Extra weight reduces mileage, especially when driving up inclines.
70. If you drive a car with a car top carrier, bike rack, or really any thing attached to it, you may want to take it off to reduce air drag.
71. Remove vinyl tops - they cause air drag. Rough surfaces disturb otherwise smooth air flow around a car’s body. Remove items that cause wind resistance, such as luggage racks.
72. Use radial tires for less friction between tire and road. Radial designs are the recognized fuel-savers.
73. By using the recommended grade of motor oil you can improve your gas mileage by 1-2 percent. For example, using 10W-30 motor oil in an engine designed to use 5W-30 can lower your gas mileage by 1-2 percent. Using 5W-30 in an engine designed for 5W-20 can lower your gas mileage by 1-1.5 percent.
74. Look for motor oil that says “Energy Conserving” on the API performance symbol to be sure it contains friction-reducing additives
Advanced ways to save gas
75. Eco-tuning. Many tuners offer replacement chips for your engine computer that increase the power while at the same time saving gas. How? They improve both ends of the curve. At the upper end they give you more power (with reduced efficiency) and at the lower end a better efficiency. You choose with the gas pedal which mode to use. Make sure you use manufacturer approved tuners if you don’t want to lose your warranty.
76. Convert Your Car To Burn Water + Gasoline. This method consists of converting the water to HHO gas and then burning that in your engine as well as the gasoline. They say it can double your gas mileage. I am going to be testing this out on my car and once I do I will let you know what my results are.
77. Hypermiling. This is a series of techiniques that can be a bit excessive, but can really save a whole lot of gas.
For more tips check out the inspiration for this article:
Cartalk.com, Money.cnn.com, opentravelinfo.com, fueleconomy.gov, edmunds.com, howtoadvice.com
Technorati Tags: Gas saving, fuel saving, Tips
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Well, I told the world that I saved $330 by switching to Geico from AAA a few months back. I mentioned in that post that I really liked dealing with the insurance gal that I was dealing with. She has always been very helpful and since we have developed a bit of a relationship it makes it much more enjoyable dealing with her.
Saving another $200 a year on car insurance
She emailed me about a week ago asking me if I would be open to her getting me a new quote with a few other insurance companies. Of course, why not? So, she ran it and she seemed to be very excited to tell me that she could get me the exact same coverage for $200 cheaper per year than Geico.
The new company is America First/Liberty Mutual who coincidentally just recently purchased Safeco. I don’t know much about this company. I think the truth about whether or not it is actually a good deal remains a secret until you have a claim. Dealing with AAA on a claim turned out to be quite difficult, so that made the decision to switch even easier. Hopefully I never have to find out how good America First is…
My car insurance lesson
The lesson learned here is that I have saved $530 on my car insurance (keeping the same coverage and limits) over the last 6 months. I didn’t really think I was paying very much, but I am glad I shopped around. It is something to think about.
A while back I wrote a post about how to leverage your emergency fund to save you money on car insurance. This is another thing to consider if you are trying to save money on your car insurance.
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ePinions.com $10 for 10 reviews
ePinions.com is running a promotion to pay users for their reviews. If you write 10 reviews you will receive $10. If you write 20 then you will get $20, all the way up to 100. They also have a $10 bonus for every 10 reviews that are rated “very helpful.”
I have never really been a fan of ePinions because they never seem to have many reviews on products that I am shopping for. Hence the reason for this promotion?
A few notes about the 10 for $10 promotion:
- The Promotion is valid until the first 30,000 reviews are received or until April 30, 2008 (11:59 PM Pacific time), which ever comes first.
- Your reviews must be submitted on a product or service in Epinions.com’s database, excluding editorials, buying guides, comments about Epinions.com, member advice, and the writer’s corner.
- At the time Epinions.com validates entries (some time shortly following the end of the submission period), each review must have an overall rating of at least “somewhat helpful”. Express reviews are not eligible. (Express reviews contain less than 200 words.)
- Maximum payout is $200 per Participant during the Promotion period.
All in all, I think ePinions has a good idea with this promotion. It seems like a nice win-win. They get a bunch of reviews to hopefully help them better compete with Amazon and the user can potentially make $200. Not a bad deal.
If anyone has taken advantage of this offer I would love to hear some feedback about it…
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