One obvious way that you can easily decrease the amount of fuel that your vehicle uses is to limit where you travel to. Unless you absolutely need to drive long distances on a regular basis, you should attempt to stick to your taking care of business in your own neighborhood. By shopping near your job or home, you not only reduce your fuel requirements, but you will also reduce the amount of wear and tear that your vehicle endures. If you absolutely must travel long distances, don't be ashamed to utilize public transportation or some other alternate means of reaching your destination.

Believe it or not, your gas will last considerably longer if you completely fill up your gas tank, as opposed to only buying $10 - $20 at a time. If you are unsure of whether or not this strategy actually works, pay close attention to how quickly your gas disappears when you only put in few dollars of gas at a time, and then fill up your tank at a different time and watch how much longer it will last. You could save as much as $20 - $30 a week provided you fill up your tank at each refueling.

If you fail to keep up standard maintenance on your vehicle, such performing scheduled oil changes, replacing the fuel filter, and many other necessary repairs, you will notice a definite increase in the amount of fuel that your vehicles uses. Of course you must spend money in order to appropriately maintain your vehicle, but you will spend a lot less in the long run if you choose to keep up the maintenance instead of frequently refilling the constantly disappearing fuel in case you choose not to maintain the car or truck.

One thing that you can't ignore when you're trying to save on fuel costs are your tires. Under-inflated tires can increase the amount of fuel that your vehicle burns by as much as 10 %. Your car must work harder in order to compensate for the lack of proper tire inflation, which is why it burns a greater amount of fuel under these conditions. Making sure that your tires are properly inflated and in good working condition at all times can result in substantial fuel savings for you.

If your car is a gas guzzler, you have probably considered downsizing to a smaller, gas-saving vehicle. Larger vehicles such as full-size cars, vans and trucks can cost nearly $100 or more for a fill-up, as opposed to $40 or $50 for a smaller, more fuel efficient vehicle. You don't have to settle for a Ford Focus or Escort if those cars aren't your style, as there are plenty of other cars that have excellent gas mileage as well. All you have to do is check out each possible car's gas mileage prior to purchasing it.

If you pay attention to your local radio stations on a regular basis, many are offering gas at reduced costs for special periods of times, usually as a one-time courtesy to their customers, and to increase business. For instance, one Knoxville, Tennessee radio station offered gas for nearly a dollar less per gallon for an hour on a particular day. All of the consumers who reached the gas station before the special was over were able to take advantage of gassing up for this greatly reduced price. Knoxville certainly isn't the only city offering such a deal, and if you listen close enough you are bound to find similar gas deals in your city or town.

If you frequently find yourself trying to decide whether to purchase food for your family or gas in order to get to work, you may need to make some immediate changes in order to reduce the amount that you spend each week on gas. Even if you have to do something as drastic as trading in your huge SUV for a small car, at least you will be savings a great deal on gas costs. It may be annoying and time-consuming to search for ways to save money on gas instead of handling things like you're used to, but in the long-run you will realize how much the trouble will be worth it when you no longer have to stress out about buying gas each week.