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The Biggest Ways You're Wasting Money at the Pump

Ashley Eneriz — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 10:00:06 +0000

Ever feel conflicted at the pump when you need to choose between premium gas and standard grade? Consumers as a whole have been led to believe that items with the "premium" name tag are worth the money — and can even save us money long-term. However, this is not true when it comes to premium gas.

A recent AAA report found that the higher cost of premium gas offers little to no benefit for vehicles that are recommended, but not required, to use the fuel. The same goes for cars that do not recommend nor require the higher octane gasoline. According to the report, over 1.5 million new cars sold last year came with the recommendation to use higher octane gas, but it was not required for car functionality. So, unless your car requires the premium stuff, you're better off skipping it.

If you are in the market for a new vehicle, consider choosing a car that does not require premium gas. Driving a car that needs premium fuel will cost you about 20 to 25 percent more at the pump, which translates to about 50 cents a gallon. For a 15-gallon car, that can tack on an additional $7.50 per fill up. (See also: 7 Ways You're Wasting Gas Without Realizing It)

Here are other ways drivers are wasting money at the pump.

Not shopping around

Many times, drivers will pay more for gas due to poor planning. You are desperate to find the closest gas station before you run on empty, and you don't care if you have to pay more. If this describes you, stop living this way. Not only are you slowly draining your budget, but you put yourself at risk if an emergency were to happen.

Once your tank hits the halfway mark, use an app like GasBuddy to find the cheapest gas in your area. Plan to stop when you are near that station for another errand. When you find a good deal on gas, fill up the tank.

Not paying the right way

There are really only two options that are beneficial to your finances when it comes to paying for gas. The first option is to pay with cash. Some gas stations will offer a small discount per gallon if you pay with cash over plastic. The other option is to purchase gas with a credit card that offers rewards or cash back for gas. Make sure you're able to pay your credit card bill in full each month to truly benefit from the rewards.

Using your debit card at the pump doesn't benefit your bank account, and it can also put you at risk. Skimmers and card fraud are increasingly common at gas stations. If you pay with a credit card, it is easier to stop fraudulent charges, and your personal bank account will not be in limbo as the bank sorts out the mess.

Not keeping your car well maintained

Several small factors can add up to wasted money at the gas pump. For example, poorly inflated tires and dirty air filters can make your vehicle work harder than it needs to. This translates to more gas wasted on the road.

Similarly, the heavier your car is, the more gas you will burn. Having a little extra junk in the trunk isn't going to throw off your gas budget, but if you regularly keep heavy equipment or tools in the back of your vehicle, consider lightening the load on days you don't need the items.

Not driving smarter

It seems like common knowledge that a steady driving speed is better for your gas tank than overly accelerating or braking your car. However, each time I drive into Los Angeles, I am amazed by how many drivers accelerate for extended periods of time, brake hard for no reason, or drive over 90 MPH.

Driving at a slower, steadier pace will extend your time between gas fuel ups and keep you away from pricey speeding tickets. For longer commutes, plan your trip so you can avoid heavy times of traffic.

Using these tips can save you as much as $10 to $20 per fuel up, which adds up quickly. Wouldn't you rather spend that money on something fun than at the pump?

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This article is from Ashley Eneriz of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

8 Cheap Ways to Save Money on Gas

Dealnews — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 10:24:24 +0000

As we rightly anticipated, gasoline is one of (at least) 11 things that will be more expensive in 2012. Prices have been steadily climbing, and some experts are predicting that by May, the national price per gallon could be as high as $3.96. The LA Times even claims that there's a "2% chance that the average U.S. gasoline price will hit $5 a gallon for all of June."

As a consumer, you may not be able to control the escalating prices — but you're certainly not powerless. As a society, we can use less gasoline without disrupting much of our daily routine. There's nothing wrong with using every means at our disposal to find the cheapest gas, or to conserve it. Here's a list of strategies, products, and miscellanea to help push the price at the pump back a bit while, of course, keeping your wallet and tank full.

1. Avoid Traffic Jams

This is obviously easier said than done; no one likes sitting in traffic, so mostly everyone already tries to avoid it. But if you aren't turning to smartphone apps, a GPS, or even the radio for assistance, you're missing out on information that could help you avoid parking lots on the road. Before setting out on a drive, check traffic; smartphone apps, including the built-in Google Maps for Android and Maps for iOS, feature an option to view roads with the heaviest traffic, which you should take into account before setting out. Many GPS units — like the Editors' Choice Magellan RoadMate 2136T-LM 4.3" Portable GPS Navigation System — also include a traffic mode.

2. Find the Lowest Rates at Gas Stations

GasBuddy is one of the most popular gas price checking tools, and it has been for many years now; it ranks among the granddaddies when it comes to finding low, low gas prices. It functions as an easy way to compare the cheapest prices on gasoline, as the site updates prices at the pump every 24 hours all over the country. There's also a free GasBuddy app for iPhone and Android. What's more, GasBuddy is not only free to use (just sign up and create an account), but once you do, you can enter to win $250 in free gas (which is as good as liquid gold these days!).

GasPriceWatch is similar to GasBuddy, and has been around just as long. With GasPriceWatch, you may find a rock-bottom price that was missed by GasBuddy (and vice versa). GPW also features a cool widget that shows gas prices throughout the U.S.

3. Inflate Your Tires

Countless studies have shown that cars with properly inflated and balanced tires get better gas mileage — around 3.3% more miles to the gallon. To fill your tires up, scope out gas stations that still offer free air, though they're rare; otherwise, filling up your tires with air might cost you about 50 cents.

4. Drive Slower

It may seem like a contradiction: Driving slower means you'll take longer to reach your destination — how could that lower your fuel costs? Well, your car uses gas more efficiently at slower speeds. Take, for example, Garmin's GPS tool ecoRoute, which helps you plot your trips to use less fuel, mainly by avoiding those fast freeways and highways. Moreover, some tests have shown that even slight changes in driving habits — how you start and stop at lights, for example — can cut fuel consumption considerably.

5. Check Your Fluids

Ensuring your car has enough coolant and oil is critical to their running efficiently. Older cars especially run better on 5W-30 motor oil. The right oil grade will get you another 1% to 2% per mile — see how all this is adding up? However, it's important to note, though that the next time Mr. Quickie Oil Change Man (it reads "Bob" on his jumpsuit) tells you to replace your air filter, it won't do much to extend your miles per gallon — though it will help your engine run better!

6. Buy Gas Outside the City Limits

In large urban areas, like Chicago, gasoline is heavily taxed and thus more expensive. Odd as it may seem, you can drive to gas stations just outside a city's limits and find gasoline that's much cheaper. Beyond that, keep your eyes peeled for especially busy stations, a sure sign that prices there are very low. But, of course, don't drive too far out of your way to get the cheap stuff, as a long trip may negate any savings you realize.

7. Buy Low-Octane Gasoline

If you're among the consumers who buy high-octane gas because you think it offers better gas mileage, we're sorry to say that it's a waste of money. Props to the folks at Bankrate.com for pointing this out, along with other gas-saving tips. Bottom line: Unless your car specifically requires premium, skip it and fill up with low-octane fuel.

8. Just. Don't. Drive. (Duh.)

True, it's hard to get around without a car in the 'burbs (or in L.A. for that matter), but now's the time to ask yourself the tough questions: Is it time to get rid of my fuel-hogging SUV? Should I hop on my bike instead and take a step towards eliminating a spare tire of a different sort? Can I walk to the pharmacy? Isn't it time I learned the public transit routes in my town? Consider this: Every time you take the train or bus instead of driving, you have the ability to handle all sorts of business via your smartphone, perhaps even crossing errands off your to-do list. You can't do that behind the wheel, so you may end up saving time in addition to fuel.

If the notion of ditching your wheels is completely unfathomable, consider ways to improve your car's function. Try carpooling. Estimate your savings if you traded in an old automobile for a newer, more fuel-efficient (or hybrid) model. And above all, plot your routes with greater consciousness. These small changes can mean big savings at the pump.

This is a guest post by Dealnews.

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Here's a list of strategies, products, and more to help push the price at the pump back a bit and keep your wallet and tank full.

This article is from Dealnews of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Link-Love Makes the World Go 'Round

Linsey Knerl — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 15:50:47 +0000

In keeping with the warm and fuzzy feeling that Wisebread gives many of its writers and readers, I am taking a moment to give thanks to those that have linked to us over the past two weeks. We appreciate that you would vouch for our perspectives on money and life here at Wisebread. While every attempt is made to include all link love and honorable mentions, I am a newer writer here at Wisebread, and may have inadvertently missed someone very special who didn’t show up in my search. If you are one of those brilliant but overlooked souls, just email us, and we’ll be sure to get you included in the next listing of Wisebread friends and family.

Thanks to Lifehacker for its mention of Jessica’s Road Trip piece. We’re feeling your ode to White Snake, but you haven’t truly lived until you’ve driven 230 miles with R.E.M’s “Shiny Happy People” on repeat.

Wired blog also gave our travel bit the label “savvy” and suggested that we get a little more kid-friendly over here at Wisebread. We hear ya loud and clear. Expect some suggestions for families with children in the next month.

The always charming The Simple Dollar was almost forgotten in my original post (sorry, guys). They always do such a nice job of pointing out our better posts. Sometimes people are so good at giving link love, they kind of get taken for granted. (Won't happen again, I promise!) If you're looking for a great roundup of some frugal but practical ideas, check them out.

We were happy to see Paul’s Moon Roof piece on Autoblog. We appreciate you helping us to inform consumers on the perils of car-repair fraud!

Apparently our own Paul Michael wasn’t the only one enamored by the strapless flip-flop. Product Dose gave props to the strangest useful summer product I’ve seen in ages.

Echo Boomer Finance shares his feelings on Philip’s budget article, along with a nice outline for college grocery spending. We can take heart knowing we weren’t the only college kids buying Ramen in the economy pack.

Andrea’s Decked Out in Dog article prompted mention from Pajamas Media.

Our take on the Road Trip by Jessica was also posted on the Best of the Black Hills.

Ed's Must-have free plugins for your WordPress made the grade at Web-Dosh (Blog it and Earn it.)

Jaimie at PaidTwice gave us a nice shout-out for why A Budget is Not a Constraint, along with a lovely spot on the Blogroll!

Once again, we want to thank ALL of our web friends for their word-of-mouth generosity. If you see Wisebread recently mentioned somewhere I forgot, please email us at tips@wisebread.com, and we’ll be sure to include the poster in our next roundup!

This article is from Linsey Knerl of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Link it real good

Andrea Karim — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 21:11:19 +0000

Wise Bread loves the following blogs for their linky love. We encourage our readers to visit these blogs, leave comments, and love them in return along with us.

Paul's pink slip article got a mention from one of our blogging idols, Dumb Little Man, a couple weeks ago, and I neglected to mention it in the round up. We love you, Dumb Little Man! Every dumb, little thing about you. Wait, that doesn't sound good. Anyway, sorry for the miss.

Perchance to be liked Will's post about getting free children's books at Barnes and Noble.

Julie's mortgage post made it's way up the de.licio.us ladder, impressing all of us. Lifehacker gave it a mention, and there was much partying (freaking LIFEHACKER, man!). Also doing a likey-link was Hackzine.

Esha from Dance, Life, and Lunges liked my coffee-quittin' post so much that she quit drinking coffee! For two days. Ah, well, I suppose I should be grateful that she's able stay awake through one of my blog posts, caffeinated or not.

Paul got much love from Geekdad, Baby Cheapskate, Daddy Daze, Boing Boing, and many many more blogs for informing us that the Discovery Channel stores are going out of business.

Ed got de.licio.us attention for his article on blogging tools.

Paul's 10 frugal things post also got a nod from Pesky'Apostrophe, Money Walks and The Digerati Life, which caused him to squeal and jump up and down with glee (so I've heard).

The Simple Dollar continues our torrid love affair by linking my post about the being frugal versus stealing.

Physics Geek liked Paul's recommendation of Frucall. Paul's vinegar post, which has been given the Wisebread "Post that just won't go quietly into the night" Award (or PTJWGQITN, for short) showed up in link form on Diary of a Goldfish.

Paul's pink slip article continues to make the rounds with a link from The SC Employment Law Blog, run by a lawyer who actually likes Wise Bread overall, a statement made us all blush collectively. Sheryl, who runs the SC blog, has another blog as well. If you live in South Carolina and need info on bankruptcy and consumer protection, look no further than the SC Bankruptcy & Consumer Law Blog.

Did you link to us and did we forget to mention you? Give us a virtual spanking (don't worry, we like it) by emailing us at tips@wisebread.com. Send us your link and we'll issue a contrite mention AND totally be loyal to you forever.

(Picture by Greg Peverill-Conti)

This article is from Andrea Karim of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Link-o-rama

Andrea Karim — Wed, 23 May 2007 01:01:44 +0000

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who linked to our blog posts over the past week. We couldn't do it without you. And if we could, we wouldn't anyway. THAT'S how strong our love is.

Thanks to Lifehacker for picking up Sarah's post, and for not jacking the entire post like SOME OTHER BLOGS I WON'T MENTION.

Our guest blogger Leo officially wins the Linked by a Foreign Language Website Contest of the week, having gotten a mention on 16secrets. 16 Secrets purports to be about "Amour, argent, santé et sexe!", which I think is something we can all get behind. So to speak. Leo also graciously linked to the article from his own site, Zen Habits, thus assuring another round of ecstatic readers in the frugal mindset.

A special thanks to The Simple Dollar for frequently mentioning us in his daily roundups (e.g. Jessica, Maly, and Andrea). We freaking LOVE that site.

Thanks to FreelanceSwitch for giving us such a warm mention! We're hoping to move beyond the "best little-known" category sometime soon!

Paul's got some big mentions from MSN's clicked blog, which makes all of us swoon and call for the smelling salts.

My baby carrots story got some good traffic, and we owe it to Dr. Mercola, cookthink, Matt Bites and megnut, and the grandaddy of them all - Joel of Dethroner. We all experienced what could be described as a collective geekgasm over that one.

Will would like to thank Cynical-C, Crooks and Liars, and Makezine blog for including his Mother's Day post. Will also got a mention on the SCOTUSblog, for his story explaining the climactic scene in Trading Places. Frankly, we're all in awe that he got it all sorted out, but SCOTUSblog, people! Will claims that this is the closest that he will ever get to the Supreme Court, but we still have hope that he will sue or be sued all the way up the circuits - we pulling for you, Will!

Will's article about why co-op blogging is da bomb also got mention on Brain Based Business.

This article is from Andrea Karim of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Fight Your Speeding Ticket, Save Yourself Some Dough

Andrea Karim — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 23:06:48 +0000

I've never fought a speeding ticket before. I usually just pay it and forget it. By "usually", I mean, for the two tickets I got before when I was 16 and 19 years old.

My recent ticket was an anomaly for a couple of reasons. And I've decided that I have to fight it, so I've been researching ways in which you can fight your tickets. Here's what happened to me, and what I found out about fighting the system.

Country Road, Take Me Home, Late at Night, With a Big Truck Following Me....

I was driving home to Seattle from my parents' house, which is a few hours' drive. I had gotten a late start, and had chosen a quieter, more remote route to avoid the death race that is I-90 westbound. I was driving behind a small car that was going well under the speed limit. When I reached a passing lane, I passed him, going over the speed limit to ensure that I made it past him (the passing lanes weren't that long).

As I was slowing down in the passing lane, a large truck came zooming up the left lane, so I pulled into the right one to let him pass. He didn't.

The truck followed me at an uncomfortable range for the next 2 miles. His headlights were shining in my rearview and side mirrors, and it was making me nervous. I sped up to get away from him, but he kept pace with me. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I was scared. This was a huge truck that appeared intent on sitting on my car's tail for the rest of the drive.

I am female, driving alone, on a more-or-less deserted road, at 11:30PM. My cell phone just died, so I couldn't call anyone. I couldn't pull over, as it was a narrow, twisting road and there wasn't much of a shoulder, and besides, what single woman would pull over and let some nutcase in a giant Chevy kill her in the mountains? I tried a few times to speed up and get away from him, since he didn't want to pass me, but he wouldn't pass.

Finally, as I was reaching a small hamlet with a gas station, and preparing to pull over, the truck behind me began flashing police lights.

That really threw me for a second. Police lights? On a truck? Oh. State patrol. Washington State Mountain Patrol.

I pulled over, and got all my papers ready. I have to admit that I was in shock. Looking back, the reaction that my have been more appropriate would have been to shout, "What the hell were you thinking? Why were you following me like that? You scared the living daylights out of me, you sonofabitch! You don't do that to single women late at night on a mountain road! Give me your badge number!" Not that I advocate screaming at cops. But righteous indignation might have gotten me farther than silent stewing.

But instead, I was fuming. I was mad at him for following so close that I couldn't see his police lights. And it was all I could do to KEEP from shouting, although I'm sensing now that a bit of outspoken anger may have been a better response to his questions than quiet, seething rage. I probably came across as someone who was angry to get caught, rather than someone who was infuriated that she was being intimidated into speeding.

My explanation that I thought he was trying to kill me apparently wasn't enough, and I felt too drained to fight. I also sincerely believed that my clean driving record would mean that I would get a warning. But I was handed a $132 ticket.

I'll Fight the Law, But Will the Law Win?

I have several options:

Pay the damn ticket and forget about it. This is a tough one for me, because I feel like I don't deserve it. This will save me time and effort.

Plead guilty but explain the circumstances. Perhaps pay a lower fee, perhaps have a point added to my driving record. If I'm lucky, I might be able to request deferred adjudication, where I pay a fine, but no point is added to my driving record should I be convicted of no further violations for a specified period (usually one year) thereafter.

Fight it in court on my own. Plead not guilty and tell them why I'm not guilty. This requires significant time and effort, and may or may not result in a dropped ticket or a reduced fine.

Get a lawyer. Hiring a lawyer will cost a decent chunk of money. In my case, a flat fee of $350 for a successful lawyer who may be more apt at explaining to a judge why it's not cool for a cop in a large truck to tail someone on a dark mountain highway for several miles. I'm wary of this because $350 is a heftier hunk of change than $132. However, I'm unable to determine how much my insurance would increase by (if at all), should I plead guilty to a speeding ticket. My insurance agent attempted to run the numbers for me, but admitted that even if the system doesn't seem to want to increase my premiums now, they most likely would do so once the traffic conviction was processed and would MANUALLY enter an increase into their system.

Tips for Fighting Your Ticket

While the incident is still fresh in your mind, write down everything that you remember. You can take pictures of the scene if you want to. If the officer was particularly nasty (mine wasn't, but I had one before who was), make note of that.

Send in your paperwork within a week. I know you have 15 days, but do it within 7. Don't let it wait, or you're screwed.

If you chose to fight it, when you get your court date, ask for an extension immediately.

Subpoena the officer, and request all of the evidence that will be used by the prosecution.

If you don't receive this paperwork within 3 days of the court day, request another extension.

Some states let you challenge the radar gun's accuracy. In other states, you can try to establish whether or not the gun was accurately calibrated.

Look for discrepancies on your ticket and between your ticket and the officer's notes. I'm curious about mine, for instance, because the officer gave me one explanation for assessing my speed, and noted a different method on my ticket. Discrepancies are nearly a sure-fire way to get the charges dropped. The color of your car wrong? Dropped. The time was wrong? Dropped? Your address was wrong? Dropped.

The notes you took earlier about the incident. Type them up, and keep them with you. Make sure that it's all true (it's harder to remember a lie than it is to remember the truth, and plus, you don't want to lie in court). Bring all of your evidence with you, labeled, and in a folder.

Here are some links with speed-ticket fightin' advice (none of it is legal advice, just tips, so don't go thinking that you're getting actual law advice).

As usual, Lifehacker is a good source of info on how to charm your way to what you want.
FYST (Fight Your Speeding Ticket)
NMA (National Motorists Association)
Fun story about how Google Maps exonerated a driver.
Nolo.com gives 5 strategies for fighting a ticket.

Remember, time is money, but sometimes you lose out on both. As Fringeweb points out:

Losing isn't terribly traumatic. Yes, you'll have to pay the fine and get a point on your insurance. On the bright side, the assessed fine will often be less than the standard penalty, and you have the right to appeal. Of course, you're already out the time you put into the case...

I think I'd rather waste the time and know that I tried to fight something that I find injust, rather than to just give up. But I'll update as the case goes on.

This article is from Andrea Karim of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Would imminent diarrhea beat a speeding ticket? Deadline extended.

Paul Michael — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 03:56:16 +0000

I thought of that one about three hours after I got my speeding ticket. Clever huh?

"What if", I thought "I'd told the police officer that I had a seriously bad case of stomach flu and I needed to get to a bathroom quickly before I ruined the fabric permanently on my new Civic?" Would that work? Could you do better? How about you send in your ideas and I'll give the best one a little prize.

I was actually going to write a very long, serious article about beating a speeding ticket, but I thought better of it. After all, I was speeding. Not by much, and in a speed trap to be honest, but I'm a grown man who can read signs. And 99% of the time, we're at fault anyway. I suspect most of us would fail our test if we had to take it again today.

But I thought it would be a fun idea to see what wonderful, crazy, absurd ideas the good Wisebread readers have thought about to get out of a speeding ticket. Of course, being female helps. I'm sorry if that sounds sexist but I did a straw poll at work. Of all the folks who had been caught speeding, the ladies have been given a warning far more times than the guys. In fact, only 1 guy in the whole department of 78 people had been let off. Compare that to EVERY woman who had been let off at least once in her life. Why? Maybe a cop can write in and answer that one.

HOW TO ENTER:
Just leave your whacky idea as a comment in this blog post, and use your real email address (which will not be displayed publicly, no worries). They can be as off-the-wall nuts as you like (but keep it clean folks). I'll get together with the WB head-honchos and we'll decide who gets the rather fabulous prize of a Mini RC car. Hey ok, so it's not all that fab. But it will get you into less trouble than a real car. You've all got until April 13th at 11.59pm to get your answers in. Have fun with it, and I look forward to seeing the results. I already gave you the diarrhea idea, but here are a few more I thought may work...

I'm sorry officer, I have a split personality and my alter-ego Jock was speeding.
I wasn't speeding. The rotation of the Earth momentarily accelerated.
You know, I gave $20 to the police officers fund this year. Wink.
Speeding? There's no way I could be speeding, I'm way too high to do that.
Is that a speed gun in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me? (oh, it's a speed gun)

And remember, if you're serious about winning the little car, make sure you use a real email address so we can inform you that you've won and you're very smart and very clever and could indeed sell ice to Eskimos.

This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: