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CAR Costs

SPEND LESS ON

Gas

Don’t be a hot rodder

Racing red lights, going from 0 mph

to 60 mph as fast as you can, and

stopping abruptly all waste gas by

making your car work harder (plus

it’s dangerous!). Instead, coast to

a stop, and accelerate gently when

the light turns green.

Use cruise control

Cars get better mileage at a steady

speed (say, 60 mph) rather than

fluctuating between 55 mph and 65

mph. What’s more, going too fast

increases wind resistance, which

adds to fuel costs (every 5 mph over

50 mph is like paying an additional

25¢ per gallon). Bottom line: Drive

the speed limit in cruise control.

Lighten up

An extra 100 pounds in or on your

vehicle could reduce your miles

per gallon by up to 2%. Drop some

cargo and save 4¢ to 8¢ per gallon.

If you need to travel with a lot

of stuff, pack the trunk instead

of using a roof rack, which can

decrease fuel economy by 5%.

Baby your ride

Follow your car’s maintenance

schedule, and use the correct and grade of motor oil, which improve gas mileage by 1% to according to the U.S. Department

of Energy. And check your air:

Properly inflated tires can improve

gas mileage by up to 3.3% (that’s

about $80 per year for a minivan

compared to driving with tires

that are very low on air). Find correct maximum load on a decal

on the driver’s-side doorjamb in the owner’s manual—don’t the number on the tire.

SPEND LESS ON

Parking

Stop driving in circles

A parking ticket or (worse) a towed

car can wipe out any savings you

were hoping for when you left your

car on the street. So try one of a

slew of apps, some of which tell

you where you can find legal street

parking, remind you when you need

to feed the meter, or point you to a

budget garage (see box below).