How To Reduce Fuel Consumption By Avoiding These Bad Driving Habits

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[The following is a guest post telling how to reduce fuel consumption]

Bad driving habits are sometimes dangerous and almost always costly in some way. This means that doing whatever you can to break your bad habits and become a better, more conscientious driver is a very good thing to do. You could even save yourself a decent amount of money on gas and car insurance quotes, so it’s worth considering.

Read on to find out about some bad driving habits that push up prices, and how to overcome them.

Reduce Fuel Consumption By Avoiding These Bad Driving Habits

 

Driving Too Fast

One of the worst bad driving habits is driving too fast. Not only is this sometimes illegal, depending on the speed limit – and therefore often dangerous – but it also means you end up paying more than you need to for gas.

This is because cars have certain speeds where they are more efficient than others, and too much rapid acceleration and driving at high speeds can mean you end up paying the price. Slow down, and you’ll be able to reduce fuel consumption!

 

Braking Too Often

Braking at the right time is, as you know, vital when it comes to driving. However, braking too often – or too late – can lead to you using more gas than you need to. This means that your miles per gallon rating won’t be as good as it should and you’ll end up paying more for your gas as a result.

This is especially a concern for bigger, more powerful cars that tend to be faster anyway, as it can also lead to your car insurance costs going up.

 

Not Maintaining Your Car

As well as actual bad driving habits, other habits related to your car can also push up the cost of driving. For instance, if you fail to maintain your car properly (such as by changing the air filter when required), you could lose fuel efficiency which will increase your gas expenditure.

You might also end up with major repair bills that could have been avoided.

 

Driving Alone

If you can, use a carpool to get to work. Driving alone means that you have sole responsibility not just for the driving, but the costs associated with it.

Joining a carpool scheme means you’ll be spending less and it’s also better for the environment as there will be fewer cars on the road.

 

Low Tire Pressure

The pressure of your tires is something else that has an impact on fuel efficiency. You should make sure your tires are properly inflated at all times so you get the most out of your gas consumption, as well as for safety reasons.

Low tire pressure can be dangerous as well as costing you more money.

 

Too Much In The Trunk

The heavier your car is, the harder it is to move and so the more gas it uses to get started. One common bad habit is to have far too much stuff in the trunk of the car, which weighs it down and increases fuel consumption unnecessarily.

 

Air Conditioning On High

The air conditioning is something else that can reduce fuel efficiency by up to 5% per MPG. Turning it down and opening the window wherever possible could save you a decent amount of money on gas.

By correcting these bad habits, you can reduce fuel consumption, and forget about foolish tactics like a gas boycott!

photo by digitalart

3 Ways to Get the Most Money for Your Old Car

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Recently, I had to get rid of my old Toyota Camry after years of faithful service.  It was a 1993 and the transmission was on its last leg (kind of like my laptop).  We knew we were not going to put any more money into the car, given its current value compared to the cost of fixing the transmission, and also considering how much longer it could last us and the cost to maintain it until then. That’s when we decided to research ways to get money for your old car.

Also, we were blessed with the gift of a newer vehicle around the time the transmission started to go, so it all worked out!  It did not make sense to continue to pay insurance on the Camry once we got the newer Ford, and so we considered these 3 options for getting rid of our car.

3 Ways To Get Money For Your Old Car

Donate to Charity

This seems like a very popular option for a lot of people nowadays.  It is as simple as a phone call, and some charities will pick up/tow the vehicle at no cost to you.  The benefit of donation is that it is tax deductible if the correct steps are taken.

First, it is important to make sure the charity is a qualified 501(c)(3) organization.  Second, you will have to itemize on your taxes in order to get money for your old car.  Further instructions regarding the proper way to calculate fair market value for your automobile, qualified charities, and the correct documentation for the contribution can be retrieved from the IRS website.

Salvage Yard

Selling your vehicle to a salvage yard is another quick option to get rid of a useless vehicle.  You will probably get less money than the value you would have reported to the government on your taxes if you had chosen to donate, but if you prefer cash-in-hand, it is a great option.  Also, you are able to compare what different yards are willing to give you for your vehicle.  That comparison will help you get the most money for your old car.

If your car is running, they will be able to look at it there and give you a price.  If your vehicle needs to be towed, you are more at the mercy of whoever tows it in, and their assessment once it gets to the yard.  At that point, the value for them may be based on the value of the individual parts, or the weight of the metal.

Also, they will subtract the fee for the tow from the assessed price.

Private Sale

Advertising the sale of your vehicle is another common approach that allows you to ask for the price you believe it is worth.  Many people are interested in cars, even if it’s just for parts, and sites like craigslist are a great place to find an audience for such offerings.

Although self-advertising is time consuming, and may not produce an immediate response, some people find this route rewarding if they are not in a hurry to make money on their old car.

How I Got Money For My Old Car

Before the transmission started to go, we originally wanted to give the Camry away to someone who could use it, but we did not want to burden anyone with this repair.  If your old car is in decent condition, giving it to someone in your life that needs it is a generous option if money is not a consideration.

We opted to sell our car to a local salvage yard because of the convenience, their reputation, and my comfort – having dealt with them on numerous occasions over the last 10 years.  We plan to use the money in our goal to pay off debt.

Your turn:

Have you ever made money on your old car?

What do you think is the best option?

4 Ways To Lower Your Car Costs

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[The following is a guest post on behalf of Jake Ashaye, giving tips on how to produce lower car costs]

Car costs can often work out to be a significant portion of your income, especially if you are someone who drives quite a lot. At a time when many of us are looking for ways to tighten our belts and save money wherever possible, it’s definitely worth taking any steps you can to reduce your costs. Read to find out about four ways you could create lower car costs.

4 Ways To Lower Car Costs

 

Drive less

This might not be possible for everyone, but most of us probably could drive less than we do. The majority of journeys currently involve a car – including short journeys that would be easy enough to walk.

One option for reducing your car costs is to walk or cycle wherever you can. This way, you’ll use less gas, which is naturally one of the biggest costs associated with cars. You might also be able to save on your car insurance costs, as the fewer miles you drive, the less you are likely to have to pay for your insurance.

 

Lower Car Costs By Driving More Efficiently

If you have to drive, it’s a good idea to drive as efficiently as you can. Ideally, this means driving in a way that conserves fuel as much as possible so you can minimise the amount you have to spend on gas.

It’s thought that driving at speeds of between 58-65mph offer the best efficiency when it comes to fuel consumption, so if you’re driving somewhere the speed restrictions allow it, keeping your car between these zones could help you to save cash.

Other tricks, such as slowing down for the lights in good time so you don’t have to slam the brakes on at the last moment can also help you to save small amounts of fuel that will add up over the longer term and help to lower car costs.

 

Compare Car Insurance

Another major cost related with your car is the car insurance. Getting good value, cheap car insurance depends on a range of factors, including the security of your car, how big your engine is, where you live, your driving record and more.

[Khaleef here: I wrote about how we were able to save a ton of money on car insurance, just by changing our address.]

The fact that so many things are taken into consideration when generating car insurance quotes means that different insurers might well offer you significantly different prices. Doing a regular comparison online can help you to find out where the best deals are while still making sure you have cover for everything you need it for.

 

Get Regular Services

Finally, you can also reduce your long term caring costs by getting your car serviced regularly. Of course, it’s going to cost you money to get the car checked once a year, but it’s definitely worth it as it can save you money in the long run.

After all, paying for a small repair now will cost much less than paying for major work to be done to your car in the future if you do nothing while you have the chance.

Getting a regular check-up can also make your car safer to drive, which is something else that can have an impact when it comes to reducing your car insurance costs so it’s definitely something worth doing at least once a year.

photo by krossbow