Common Sense Approach to Saving Money

With the cost of gas going through the roof we have all heard tips on how to save money. Even candidates running for President have been giving tips on the campaign trail.  It seems everyone has their favorite method to save money.

Here is the scoop on a few commonly floated gas-saving tips, courtesy of A.J. Miranda of the Wall Street Journal.  The tips are based on work done by Energy & Environmental Analysis Inc., Oak Ridge National Laboratories, and FuelEconomy.gov, a Web site sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the EPA.

Sweat A Little
A four-cylinder engine, running the air conditioner decreases fuel economy by 20%.  A V8 engine decreases fuel economy by 10%. Wind drag due to open windows only decreases fuel efficiency by 2% to 3%. So unless you going over 80 mph you should save on gas.

Drive 55
Jimmy Carter was on the mark with 55 mpg speed limit.  For most cars 55 is the most fuel efficient speed.  Even just 5 mph increase in speed lowers fuel economy by 7%.

Use That Pressure Gauge
A single PSI (pound per inch) drop in pressure decreases the fuel economy by 0.4%. So listen to Obama and check the tire pressure.

Tune up That Clunker
Newer cars today do not really need tune ups but the old clunkers need to be tuned up.  Replacing dirty filters can improve fuel economy by 10%.

Follow That Truck Closely
Tailgating that semi can improve the fuel economy by 40%. I would skip this tip to safeguard your life.

Listen To Your Mother
Aggressive driving including rapid acceleration and constant breaking will not only upset your mother and other drivers but also lowers fuel economy. Constant speed can improve fuel efficiency by 33%.

These tips if followed should improve the MPG.  Happy and safe motoring.  Also we could "drill baby drill", buy hybrids and CNG cars and greatly improve on the MPG.