8 Ways to Save Money on Gas on Your Next Road Trip
Are you planning a road trip on a budget? I’ve discussed budgeting for a road trip in the past, including how to calculate what your fuel costs will be for a given trip. But what if you want to save as much money as possible? (After all, in in theory, road tripping should be a good way to explore the world on a budget.) This post will tell you 8 ways to save money on gas while you’re out on the road, including estimates for how much you can save by adopting each of these 8 practices!
1. Get your car serviced ahead of time!
At one point in my life, I was paying off my college loans and didn’t have money to make it rain at the mechanic. I also didn’t know that much about cars and didn’t trust the mechanic when he said certain filters or oils needed to be changed out, so I just didn’t let him do it. Since then, however, I’ve learned more about how cars work and how each of those services actually impact the car’s performance (such as fuel efficiency). Things like replacing air filters or spark plugs can drastically improve your car’s fuel performance up to 40%! (Servicing cars will make them perform better? Who knew???? (SMH at Past Lindsay, who was occasionally a dummy.))
Now I track when I have services performed and I make sure to get my regular services performed before a trip. Check out my post on some specific things that might be affecting your vehicle’s fuel consumption too!
2. Avoid using a roof-top cargo box!
People LOVE giving me advice. (Or maybe they just love giving EVERYONE advice? Who knows. And yes, I’m aware that I’m complaining about advice-givers in a blog post giving advice.) Occasionally when I talk about planning a road trip, I’ll have someone tell me I should get a roof-top cargo box since I drive a Honda Civic that’s so small.
If you absolutely MUST have a cargo box for storage, however, consider getting a rear-mounted box instead of one for the roof. A large, blunt roof-top cargo box, can reduce fuel economy by around 2% to 8% in city driving, 6% to 17% on the highway, and 10% to 25% at Interstate speeds (65 mph to 75 mph). Jeez, that will definitely add up!
3. Don’t over-pack!
One thing I love about road-trips (especially solo road trips) is that I don’t have to count every article I pack the way I do when I fly. I’m not limited to a single carry-on and a personal item. But before you throw that solar waffle-maker into the back of your car, consider this: over-packing definitely reduces your fuel economy. In fact, an extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your MPG by about 1%. I drive a Honda Civic, which is pretty fuel efficient, but this 1% might add up if you drive a larger (or older) vehicle that guzzles gas.
4. Keep your windows up!
One of my quirks while I’m on the road is that I get extremely anxious as soon as my fuel light turns on. I’ll start sweating and imagining all kinds of worst-case scenarios that end up with me stranded on the side of the road. Generally, as soon as I get down to “two bars” in my gas gauge, I’ll turn the AC down and roll the windows down (which, in southeast Texas, definitely makes you sweat more), because I’ve always thought that running the air conditioner in the summer took more fuel than driving with the windows down. Apparently I shouldn’t have been doing this! Like using a roof rack, putting your windows down actually increases your aerodynamic drag and reduces your MPG by up to 8.5%. Oops!
5. Don’t speed!
I also tend to speed up when my gas gets low, my anxiety making me want to “get this over with” and find out if I’m going to actually make it to a gas station. (I always have, by the way, even when I was really foolish and probably didn’t deserve to.) However, I’ve stopped doing this since I find out that gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 50 mph. For each extra 10 mph over 50mph you drive, you lose 12% of your miles per gallon, which actually increases the faster you go. (For example, going from 70 to 80 mph costs you 15%.) Plus, speeding brings the risk of getting pulled over and given a traffic citation (especially in small towns that depend on citation revenue.) So slow down if you’re trying to save money!
6. Don’t drive aggressively, either!
It may be satisfying to jam your foot on the gas and brake pedals while you’re on the road, but this kind of aggressive driving significantly decreases your fuel efficiency as you spend a lot of energy getting up to speed and then slowing back down rather than using things like momentum to coast. In fact, some people report increasing their fuel mileage y 5-6 mpg simply by changing their driving habits (which, depending on your car, could add 50-60 miles you can drive to each tank of gas or up to 16%). Plus, you’re more likely to be a part of a road rage episode (either your own or someone else’s) if you’re actively driving aggressively on the road. So slowing down and driving more carefully is really a win/win!
7. Avoid idling!
Some people apparently believe that you should leave your car on if you’re making frequent (or short) stops to save fuel on restarting your vehicle. In fact, the opposite of this is true. Idling can use a quarter to a half gallon of fuel per hour, depending on engine size and air conditioner (AC) use but it only takes about 10 seconds’ worth of fuel to restart your vehicle. So turn off your car when you’re parked.
8. Check your tire pressure throughout your trip (and keep your tires inflated)!
And finally, make sure to check your tire pressure throughout your trip. Improperly inflated tires can reduce your car’s fuel economy by up to 5% in some cases! Keep your tires inflated to the manufacturer’s recommendations located in your vehicle’s handbook (NOT the “max pressure” number provided on the tire) to maintain optimum fuel consumption.
Thanks for reading! Did I forget anything? Leave ma a comment and let me know! – Lindsay
