Thrifty Mommy » gasoline

Price Gouging Impacts Families

Karen Weideman — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 04:01:34 +0000

I’ve been told for quite some time now that gas companies are only allowed to charge a certain amount above what they pay for the gas. The Department of Energy even has a site where consumers can report price gouging on gasoline.

A recent trip to Wal-Mart left me questioning what is going on around here. Murphy Express is selling gas for thirty cents less per gallon than the other gas stations. Thirty cents!!!! Unbelievable! Yes, it is definitely worth driving the few extra miles for the savings.

Needless to say, the competition has been great and other gas stations are lowering their prices as well. A little competition is always good for the pocketbook.

What do you think about all this?

images by Karen

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Frugal Friday #8: 10 Ways to Save Gas

Karen Weideman — Fri, 18 May 2007 20:21:14 +0000

Many of you will be traveling soon and with gas prices nearly $3 a gallon, we all could use some tips on ways to save.

1. Drive sensibly – Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration, braking) wastes gas. Driving sensibly can help increase your gas mileage by 5% for around town driving and 33% at highway speeds.

2. Observe the speed limit – Gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph.

3. Remove excess weight – Avoid carrying unnecessary, heavy items in your car which will reduce your mpg.

4. Use cruise control – Using the cruise control will help you maintain a constant speed, which will in most cases save you money.

5. Keep your engine tuned – Fixing a serious maintenance problem, such as a faulty oxygen sensory, can improve your mileage by as much as 40 percent.

6. Check and replace air filters regularly – It saves gas and improves mileage.

7. Keep proper tire pressure – Under inflated tires lower gas mileage. Properly inflated tires are safer and last longer.

8. Avoid roof racks when traveling – Place items in the trunk if possible.

9. Avoid unnecessary idling – It wastes fuel and pollutes the air. If possible, schedule your commute from work during the least busy times. I remember when I worked in Blacksburg, I really had to watch the times that I left work. Waiting an additional 10 minutes could cost me an additional 30 minutes of commute time.

10. Practical tip – Schedule your errands more efficiently. I try to do all my errands on one side of town in one day, that way I’m not driving all over the place. This saves time and money.

Hope these tips help. Do you have any tips?

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Saturn’s hybrid Vue saves money in more than just gas.

kellys — Sun, 03 Sep 2006 15:15:54 +0000

I like the idea of hybrid cars. I think they can really save you money if you can afford the initial price. On average, the cost of a hybrid is around $4000-6000 more than the regular version of any given model. My question has always been why we have to absorb the price. I know the answer is technology, but I don’t have to like it. Well, now Saturn has fixed my wine. They have created the hybrid Vue with a minimal increase – only $2000 more. Now that is a reasonable increase for a 500 mile tank of gas. Now if they would just make it seat 8 I would be happy. HAHA!

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Gas prices are finally decreasing!

kellys — Sun, 03 Sep 2006 14:50:28 +0000

Finally! The gas prices have started going down. Now maybe it won’t cost me $30 to fill up the tank. Prices here where I live are $2.39/gallon. I had to laugh though because I went to pick up a friend and the gas station read $2.31/g and when I came back, the sign read $2.39. Now I know the supply of gas didn’t shrink that fast. I wonder how they really determine the price per gallon? The price so far has dropped $.60 on average.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Mini Cooper vs Subaru.

kellys — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 02:00:02 +0000

I love the look of the Mini Cooper. It was a huge hit in the movie, The Italian Job. It is cute and thrifty with 28 mpg in the city! That is way better than my Lumina gets and certainly better than our F-150 gets. Now Subaru is getting in on the bandwagon of little cars. Rumor has it from whatcar.com that they are getting ready to unveil a super mini that will be available in Europe and Asia. Lucky ya’ll! It isn’t as cute as the Mini Cooper but I am all about great gas mileage.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Summer vacation doesn’t have to be skipped because of hi gas prices.

kellys — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 02:49:53 +0000

I love it when a great article is written to point out the advantages of sky-rocketing gas prices since the goods side is usually hard to find. TulsaWorld.com has a great article on how they expect people to stay closer to home and tour Oklahoma instead of traveling any distance. Makes good sense to me. My home state of Virginia has a ton of great vacation spots within a couple of hours from us. Just a thrifty idea for summer vacation.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Mopeds and scooters can save you money on gas.

kellys — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 14:31:34 +0000

Have you seen the scooters on the roads lately? No surprise as to why. The gas prices went up $.13 where I live in only a week. I got spoiled paying $2.55/g. Well, the people who only have to drive around town have the right idea when they purchase a scooter and use that to get where they need to go. The Roketa Tahiti MC-03 moped, for instance, can go up to 60mph and get an average of 70-100 miles/g according to one website. Note: I am not indorsing any particular brand or style, just an idea They are all over the news for saving money on gas. If I could put a car seat for KM on the back, I would be wiling to try it. Unfortunately, I have to drive on the interstate and I can’t get my 14 month old on it safely. But if you don’t have those 2 obstacles, maybe a scooter would be a good source of thrifty money if you can recoup your money in gas over the summer. Don’t laugh. You know you have always wanted to look cool on a moped!

LA Times

Sunshine Coast Daily

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Tire inflation can save you money on gas.

kellys — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 02:01:30 +0000

I heard on the radio yesterday that if you maintain proper tire inflation in your tires that you can save 9 cents/gallon on gas. The advertisement was from the rubber industry. I admit that I don’t know the exact company but I thought the idea is interesting. I have heard Mario Andretti say the same thing on several advertisements. Must be some truth to it. Just a thought.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Texas to increase speed limits. Go waste gas!

kellys — Fri, 26 May 2006 13:45:58 +0000

I am from south Texas. I love that fact. But I was just watching Fox news and they just gave a report that the state of Texas will be raising the speed limit to 80 mph on some rural highways. Let’s see… Raise the speed limit on roads that have tractors and trailers traveling on them while sucking up gas. We all know that the faster you go, the more gas you use and the few miles per gallon your vehicle gets. Not to mention, the chances of fatal car accidents will probably increase. That just doesn’t seem smart to me. But what do I know. I am just a mommy who already admits to driving too fast anyway. Now I have an excuse. Well, at least it won’t take me as long to get to Grandma’s now.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Top 10 frugal cars to drive.

kellys — Fri, 05 May 2006 02:06:24 +0000

Gas prices have been going up and down for a while. Who is happy with paying up to $75 for a tank of gas? I’m not. I put $35 in mine the last time. What about the cars that get good gas mileage? Are there any cars out there that are actually thrifty to operate? Here is a great list of the top 10 most frugal cars to drive.

Thanks About.com

Post from: Thrifty Mommy