With gas prices pushing well over $4.00 per gallon it’s enough to make anyone wonder if the price increases will ever stop. Many Americans are feeling helpless as they see the cost at the pump go from being expensive to ridiculous. So what can really be done? Since it seems there is no way to lower gas, what can be done to combat these extreme prices?
Here are 5 ways that you can “get back at the man” for hiking up your gasoline budget:
- Use a credit card that gives you cash back on gasoline purchases. Creditors are a little tight right now, but there are still many great cash back cards that can give you up to 5% back at any gasoline station. This translates into around 21 cents for the average gallon of gas and can add up to as much as $3.35 for filling up your tank. It’s not quite a free gallon of gas for a fill-up, but it helps the sting a little.
- Put special additives in your gas tank next time you fill up. Make sure you get the right kind of fuel booster. It will not only help clean out your engine but it will also give you better efficiency with your engine. I personally like to also use a product called Sea-Foam once in a while to keep things running smoothly.
- Put nitrogen in your tires. More tire places are recommending putting nitrogen in your tires instead of just the air we breathe. The molecules in nitrogen are bigger and therefore will not leak out of your tire as much as regular air will. And we all know that well-inflated tires will give you better gas mileage.
- Buy more gas when prices dip a little. Even with these high gas prices, they still fluctuate a lot. When you spot a good deal make sure you fill that tank up all the way. But when prices spike you should just get enough to get you by and wait for the drop again. This doesn’t always work according to plan, but if you can buy gas when it’s a little lower sometimes you can ride out the extremely high prices and wait for another dip.
- Start carpooling more. You don’t just have to use a carpool when you go to work. The next time you go to the mall you can hitch a ride with some friends and everyone can share the gas bill. Besides, riding in the HOV lane usually has a lot less traffic so it can save you some time as well.
Philip writes for an extended car warranty site that gives useful advice on taking care of your car and getting a good protection program.
