Can You Really Save Money On Gas?

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Constantly rising gas prices are making us all search hard for ways to save. Online car insurance rate comparisons are one way to check for savings, but are recent media claims about errors at the gas pumps a cause for concern?

Is the pump to blame?
In a word, no. Unless the pump is really cheating you, you won’t save much anyway. There are much easier ways of saving money on gas, and most of them have to do with improving fuel economy. Here are some tips for saving gas without making big changes.

Where to start.
First, consider car maintenance. Many common car maintenance procedures can really affect gas mileage. An oil change, including a new filter and synthetic oil, can help your car use less gas by making the engine run better. A tune up does the same thing, especially if you make sure your air filter is checked or replaced at the same time. In addition, properly aligning and inflating the tires means your car wastes less gas fighting resistance.

Drive differently.
Next, think about your driving habits. Slow down a little. Driving over 60 steadily cuts your car’s gas mileage. Don’t start and stop so suddenly. Hard acceleration uses a lot of gas to move a little distance, and hard braking uses gas until the last possible second. If your car has them, use gas-saving features like cruise control and overdrive. You’ll be surprised at how much you can save by easing off the pedal.

Also, take a look at how you use your car. You might be able to save money on gas by combining multiple trips, or walking and biking more often. Reducing your annual mileage to below 10,000 miles could also reduce your car insurance rate by letting you qualify for a low-mileage discount (if available). Also, your car uses a lot of gas when it’s idling—more than restarting its warmed-up engine does. So, shut your engine off whenever practical.

Save on car insurance.
Finally, (you knew this was coming) try saving some money on your car insurance rate. Compare multiple car insurance quotes from over a dozen top companies, for free, online at Insurance.com. Get as many quotes as you want. It’s definitely one of the easiest ways to save money on your car.

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