Ideas for Saving Money on Gas

The current economic climate calls for stretching the budget and pinching pennies whenever and wherever possible.  With gasoline prices skyrocketing, it makes sense to put cutting fuel costs high on the priority list.  Here are a few tips to give you a good start in getting the most out of the money you spend on gasoline:

·         Plan errands around other necessary trips like taking the kids to school or going to work.  You will save a bundle if you stop by the grocery store, dry cleaners, bank or drug store on your way to or from other necessary driving trips.

·         Carpool.  Chances are there are people in your circle who live and work in the same area as you. Taking turns driving or sharing fuel costs means savings for everyone involved.

·         Keep your car maintained.  Oil changes, filter changes and other recommended maintenance will make your car run better, last longer and allow for better gas mileage.

·         Use a credit card that offers gas rebates.  Many cards give you as much as 5% back on gas purchases.  While it doesn’t seem like much, it adds up over the course of a year.

·         Keep your tires properly inflated.  Maintaining correct tire pressure will give you better gas mileage, as well as extending the life of your tires.

·         Roll the windows down when you are going slow, but keep them up when you are on the freeway.  Rolled down windows create excessive drag on your vehicle when you are going fast, so only roll your windows down when you are doing start and stop driving in the city.

·         Use low octane fuel.  This alone could potentially save hundreds of dollars every year.  Unless you own a car that specifically calls for higher octane fuel, you are wasting your money by buying it.  Stick with the lesser expensive gasoline and save your money.

·         Keep extra weight out of the trunk.  The heavier your vehicle is, the more fuel it takes to operate.  Store your stuff in your garage, not in your trunk.

·         Utilize your GPS system.  It will keep you from making wrong turns and getting lost.

·         Keep a steady speed.  Braking and accelerating takes more fuel than simple driving at a steady speed. 

Tough times call for creative ways to save money.  By implementing some extra planning and using common sense, you can combat soaring fuel prices.

What Families Can Learn from the Recession

While undoubtedly hard to weather, the current economic climate offers a host of opportunity for parents and kids, alike, to learn valuable lessons.

• Saving.  Nothing teaches about money like not having any and an economic downturn reinforces the fact that things don't always go as planned.  Families that experience economic hardship have the experience to plan for another one should it come.  Saving 10% is a great start to building up some reserve resources.
• Taking care of what you have.  In a comsumerist society, there is not a lot of emphasis placed on preserving possessions.  Why?  Because you just go out and buy another one.  A recession automatically helps people shift their perspective concerning materialism and it helps them learn to value their things more.  Things that are valued are taken cared of, cleaned, repaired, and maintained.
• Delayed Gratification.  Today, people want stuff and they want it now!  Even though we have plenty of drive-thru this or that to get you want on demand, life isn't really like that.  A recession can teach people that they don't have to have the latest and greatest right now and that some things are worth waiting for. 

History indicates that many alive today will go through at least one more major recession in their lifetime.  With this in mind, it pays to capitalize as much as possible on bad circumstances by learning some truly valuable life lessons.

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