Anyone who drives knows how the cost of fuel keeps going up and up.  One day you notice the price drops a little and you might stop in to fill up your tank to take advantage of that lower price.  If you want to stretch those gallons as far as possible, there are some strategies listed here that can help.  There is little skill involved in them but more of a commitment to implement them each and every time you are behind the wheel.

- Your number one mileage killer comes from how you begin driving from a stopped position. Start off as gradually as you can, depending on the traffic around you and then increase your speed slowly.  Climbing big hills is number two on this list so try to find a way to avoid those large hills, without adding significant mileage to reach your destination of course.  

We all have common routes we take all the time like to our job, to school or to the market.  Take some time to see if you can find an alternate route, one that could take you out of the stop and go of freeway traffic.  It is possible to gain ten MPG or more by doing just this.  You can also become so familiar with your route that you know where you can coast and save on gas that way.  

- When you reduce your speed, you are lowering wind resistance and it is a fact that wind resistance will generally double between the speed of fifty-five and seventy mph.  This tells you that driving at the speed limit or even lower, as long as traffic conditions allow it, can boost your gas mileage.

- Did you know running the air conditioning makes your engine work harder?  If you own a smaller car, you notice the drain in power when you turn on the AC. If you can wait to turn the AC on when you are traveling down hill or when you are decelerating, you will save gas.  This works because you are using the momentum of your vehicle to run the AC instead of your fuel. If you can keep the air conditioning off when traveling uphill, you will not only be saving gas but you will also notice your engine will have more power.  

- Tire pressure is not something that most people would think about when it comes to gas mileage. If your tires are low on air, that will certainly rob you of gas mileage so check the sticker on your car door that tells you what the minimum pressure should be.  Driving on a higher pressure will give you better fuel savings but you will notice a harder ride.

- Life today has us all in a hurry and that shows in how we drive.  You can get to your destination without zipping around and wasting that expensive liquid we call fuel.  Turn on your radio to listen for traffic backups and accidents so you can go around them and that too will help your gas mileage.

   

This article was written by Holly Adams of Coupon Croc, the best resource for those planning a road trip, or summer vacation getaway. Save big on all your travel plans with an on the beach voucher code.