Today a growing expense which we often forget to budget enough money for is gas and driving. As gas prices increase, we need to be more aware of our driving practices and gas consumption. Otherwise, the costs will soon add up, and your budget will be a disaster. Stick to these few ideas to help cut driving costs.

Car pool to work. By sharing the driving with just one other person in a 20 mile trip (both ways), you could save about $200 a year in gasoline alone. Sharing the driving with 2 others increases the savings even more. Savings will vary depending on the length of your commute. You will also save on maintenance costs and the wear and tear on your car, all totaling a potential savings of between $400 and $700/year.

Carpooling also reduces annual gas mileage on your car, which reduces the risk of accident. Insurance companies may charge you less for your coverage because of this lowered risk.

Wasteful driving habits can double your fuel consumption, so try to develop some gas-saving habits. (1) Always accelerate gently; (2) watch traffic ahead of you so you can anticipate slow-downs and avoid stops; (3) coast up to traffic jams by lifting your foot off the gas pedal instead of approaching at full speed and slamming on the brakes. It takes 20% more gas to accelerate to normal speed from a full stop than it does from four or five miles per hour; (4) don’t drive too fast or too slow. It takes 20% to 30% more gas to drive at 70 mph than 50 mph; (5) maintain a steady speed on the highway. Avoid getting stuck behind slow cars where you have to slow down to their pace and then speed up to pass.

Don’t warm your car up by letting it idle. The engine will warm up faster when driving than it does when idling. Additionally, idling wastes about a quart of gas every 15 minutes.

Save fuel by combining errands into one trip and avoid backtracking whenever possible. Discuss with other family members when they will be going out, so you can coordinate with them.

Stop being lazy…pump your own gas. Self serve gas is usually 5% to 10% cheaper than full serve, which can really add up to some savings.

Don’t ‘top off’ the tank when pumping gas. Some of the gas may end up overflowing when it expands in the sun or if you park on a hill.

Consider using a gasoline or oil additive that not only improves your gas mileage but also helps the environment.

See for example: http://www.unikproductsplus.info/

Change one thing at a time and you’ll see a difference in the size of your wallet over the course of a year!