With fuel prices exceeding the three dollar mark across the U.S., we have all become obsessed and will stop at nothing for gas mileage improvement on each and every one of our long-distance journeys. Unfortunately, these prices are hurting us just on our daily commutes and when running errands close to home.
Gas price increases have caused so many of us to stay closer to home, which impacts badly on those working in the hotel and travel industries. The prices, combined with the need to recoup losses means that other forms of transportation have increased, such travelling by plane or bus. While we wait for gas prices to fall, which is looking pretty unlikely at the moment, we need to do everything we can to cut our transport costs.
The main drawback of gas mileage improvement is the lack of money-saving options. You could not leave the house or try a car pool, but it doesn't really give you freedom, does it?
Another option is optimizing your car in the hopes of gas mileage improvement. Keeping your motor running efficiently with fresh filters can help, but it won't exactly save you hundreds of dollars a year.
Experts recommend shutting of the air-con and opening windows instead. However, according to a whole other set of experts, any gas mileage improvement you find will soon be eaten up by the wind resistance created by having windows open. This is a bit of a no-win situation.
Perhaps the trick is forgetting tiny changes when you're looking for gas mileage improvement. Instead, think big and go for options which will save you cash immediately. For starters, how could you save money on the daily commute to work? Finding a car share buddy is a good option. You could swap driving responsibilities every few days or simply pay towards the fuel bills. Obviously, the more you can recruit in this scheme, the more you save. If you don't live too far from work, you could always cycle there a few times a week which will not only save you money but get you fit at the same time.
There are many voices out there saying that fuel prices will need to climb even further before we can see any real and long-term gas mileage improvement. Then and only then, they believe, will people make lasting changes which will mean they don't rely on gas.
While I can see what they're getting at, it isn't actually realistic for many people. We would all love to go out and purchase hybrids, but they are far too expensive for many people's wallets at the moment. Increasing prices will do nothing but damage the lives of our population and give our economy another crushing blow.
