4 tips for the gas-crunched family
Once upon a time, packing up the family car and heading out for a road trip was a real travel adventure. I still remember hearing my exasperated mother as she filled up the tank, “…stupid…paying a dollar for a gallon of gas!”
Well, folks, those days are gone and we (along with my mother) are living in very different times. With airfares soaring and gas prices going up day by day, travel patterns are changing dramatically. The rise of tank-of-gas-away vacations or “staycations” is on the rise. However, now saving on gasoline for that family trip takes on new importance.
What is the average American family to do when we’re paying these prices, taking a vacation, and trying to save a buck? We all want to drive smart and save some money, right? Here are four tips to help make it work:
1) Fill up the tank when its cool outside
There actually are specifics and science behind this fact. In short, gas is stored underground where it’s cool. In the heat of the day it expands. So, because gasoline expands and contracts, the volume of each gallon is slightly different depending on the time of the day you fill ‘er up.
2) Use cruise control
Most road trips, especially on the Interstates, have long stretches of relatively straight highway. For most drivers, those long stretches come with plenty of slowing down and speeding up, sometimes without even thinking about it. Let’s face it, our foot isn’t calibrated to remain perfectly motionless for hours at a time — your car’s cruise control is designed just for that purpose. Tests show that drivers can save up to 14 percent by turning on cruise control. If you’ve got it, use it. Automobiles perform better when operated at a constant rate.
3) Check the tire pressure or lose precious miles per gallon
Before beginning a road trip, check the air pressure in the tires. Think about doing this the night before when filling up the gas tank (when its cool, remember?). Low tire pressure means that cars will have to compensate, hence, the engine drinks more fuel. Low tire pressure can also affect braking, accelerating and cuts down on the overall mileage life of the tires. Driving with the correct tire pressure (found on the inside of the door jam of almost every automobile) saves money on gas and on tire replacements.
4) Cut down on unnecessary stops
Every stop made while traveling costs money. It costs to reaccelerate, it costs money to buy snacks or drinks that seem necessary at gasoline shops and it costs money in terms of time. Families have the biggest problems. Make the kids ‘go’ at every gas stop, travel at night when children are snoozing in the back seat, bring drinks and snacks, bring activities like games and portable DVD players to keep them entertained.
In these days of the gas crunch, there are ways to make even a road trip financially possible. Be smart, plan ahead, and take care of that car.
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Great article! I have something to add on to number 4 on your list. We’ve been working to provide other useful tips and kid-friendly activities to families planning road trips. Free printouts of classic games and coloring sheets are available at http://www.GetRoadReady.com. For a video of tips for saving on gas and enjoying every minute of your road trip, check out our how-to videos at http://youtube.com/user/GetRoadReady. Thanks!
Here’s another tip for US road trip people: instead of packing lots of liquid caffeine (like I used to). bring a large, insulated cup that can be refilled at gas stations (I use a 24 ounce one I bought at a gas staion years ago). I am not a coffee drinker, but I do drink soda pop–I noticed that when I refill my cup at some gas station, I have paid anywhere from zero dollars (yes, I have gotten some free cups of pop) to about $1.25. As a comparison, the 20 ounce bottle of my pop is about $1.35 at most stations. I imagine you could save money if you are a coffee drinker as well.
The advantage of this is that you do not need room for a cooler in your vehicle, yet you save some money when you travel. Just one tip–always rinse your cup out at night–stale pop residue is icky to drink. Also, the pop usually comes out of the dispenser cold enough that you probably do not need ice–this allows you to maximize the amount of pop you buy.