1) Lay Off the Gas Pedal

If you are one of those people who has a heavy foot you are definitely making things harder for yourself at the pump. Higher rates of acceleration lead to faster fuel burning and in turn means you will have to fill up more. If you drive aggressively you are likely burning your fuel at a rate of 33% faster than a non aggressive driver.

2) Lose Extra Weight

If you are carrying a bunch of access things in your trunk get them out of there. Storing tools, or sports gear, or an extra tire? Get rid of it all. The less weight in your car the better, and the less weight in your car the slower you will burn fuel.

3) Check Your Tire Pressure

Tires inflated below the suggested amount make the car work harder thus burning fuel faster.

4) Good Driving Techniques

Things like pumping the accelerator to get to speed then gliding, driving like you don’t have brakes, drafting (following closer to bigger vehicles for less wind resistance), and shifting into neutral and not using the gas for hills are all habits that can increase your fuel efficiency.

5) Use The App “Waze” To Avoid Traffic

Getting stuck in traffic is a huge drain on your fuel. The app “Waze” is a community based navigation app that will route you to avoid real time updated construction/crash zones. Avoiding gridlock will save you huge at the pump.

6) Get a Tune Up

Old oil, coolant or other fluids, bad air filters, faulty old parts can lead to your car running well below its potential. Spend a few dollars in the short term to have your car tuned up regularly so that it can function at its best. This may seem counter intuitive to saving money, but in the long term the money you will save at the pump will make it worth it.

7) Drop Into Neutral Gear When Possible

When you car is shifted into neutral it idles lower in terms of RPMs. Lower RPMs means less fuel burning making for less money spent at the pump because of less filling up.