This can save not only money, but your life!!
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FIND THE LOWEST GAS PRICES IN YOUR AREA
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TEN WAYS TO INCREASE YOUR GAS MILEAGE
1. Avoid aggressive driving: Speeding, rapid acceleration, and perpetual braking waste gas. Driving at a constant speed can lower your gas mileage by up to 33 percent on the highway. Defensive drivers can save up to $1.35 per gallon compared to their speedy counterparts.
2. Clear the air: Your car's air filter prevents airborne impurities from wreaking havoc on your engine. Not only can replacing a clogged air filter save you up to $0.41 on the gallon, but it can also safeguard your engine.
3. Inflate your tires, not your MPGs: By properly inflating your tires, you can save up to 3.3 percent on your miles per gallon (MPG), which equals about $0.12 per gallon. Check your owner's manual for the correct pressure per square inch (psi) for your car's tire size. Appropriately inflated tires results in better gas mileage, improved safety, and longer lasting tires.
4. Watch your speed: Reaching your car's optimal fuel economy depends on the model and speed at which you're traveling. Still, gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. As a general rule, every 5 mph you go over 60 costs an additional $0.30 per gallon.
5. Be regular: Most cars do not need premium gas, which has higher levels of octane. In most cases, buying high octane gas will provide you with a bigger hole in your wallet--and nothing more. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) estimates a savings of $0.15 to $0.35 per gallon by switching to regular gas.
6. Use your dipstick: You've probably heard that changing your oil every 3,000 miles will protect your engine, but using the proper oil can save you on gas, too. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that by using the recommended oil, you can save up to six cents a gallon.
7. Don't stand idly by: Idling for long periods of time gets zero miles per gallon. You may think just sitting there with the engine running is harmless, but it expends precious fuel. A recent report from Texas A&M University found that idling costs Americans $78.2 billion in lost gallons.
8. Use cruise control and overdrive: By using cruise control on the highway, you can maintain a constant speed and reduce the amount of braking necessary for long trips, consequently using less gas to accelerate again. Using your overdrive when trying to brake or go up hill reduces the speed at which your engine works again saving you gas.
9. Check the cap: It may sound arbitrary, but damaged, loose, or missing gas caps can result in your gas turning to vapor. This can cost you gallons of gas a year, according to the Car Care Council.
10. Trim the weight: If you keep excessively heavy objects in your car, be prepared to spend some MPGs. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle can cost you an estimated 2 percent of your miles per gallon.
FROM: QUALITY HEALTH at www.qualityhealth.com
Never Finance a Car with a Credit Card
"Interest on credit card balances is determined using the average daily balancemethod. Auto loans come in at least two flavors: simple interest, where each month you pay interest on the remaining balance (most common these days), and a loan method that uses the Rule of 78s, also known as sum of the digits.In the latter, the interest is collected at the front of the loan period, so paying off the loan early saves nothing. The net difference between a credit-card loan and simple interest auto loan is not that significant, provided you are not adding new purchases each month to the credit-card balance.
But there are other reasons why you absolutely do not want to pay for this car with a credit card.
In a credit cards fine print are these words: Terms and conditions may change at any time and for any reason. Don't care what they advertise as the rate of interest on that card or if they say it is fixed. They can and they probably will change that interest rate at any time and for any reason. And if you are ever late by even five minutes with a payment, expect a huge late fee and the interest rate to jump to the default rate, which could be 28 percent or more.
The interest on an auto loan cannot change once it is executed by both parties. If you are late with a payment on a simple interest auto loan, you pay a stipulated late fee, but the interest rate cannot change.
Another problem: Who is going to accept a credit card as payment for a used car? If you limit yourself to only used car dealers who accept credit cards as payment, you will miss out on the best bets in used cars Âthose that are for sale by owner.
If you are planning to take a cash advance on the card so you can pay in cash, that would be disastrous. The cash advance fee can be from 3 to 5 percent of the advanced amount! Do the math. And keep in mind that there is no grace period on cash advances and they are subject to a much higher rate of interest than transfers and purchases. You would be looking at a rate of 20 percent or more to start.
If you must get a loan, get a standard auto loan from your bank or credit union. Putting that car on a credit card is a huge mistake that you will regret for many years to come."
FROM MARY HUNT, Creator of "Debt Proof Living"
PROVEN WAYS TO MAKE YOUR CAR LAST 300,000 MILES.
Driving Techniques
Coast as much as possible. Plan your approach to red lights, stop signs and turns long before you reach them. Don't accelerate unnecessarily and then step on the brake at the last moment - that wears down brakes quickly.
Accelerate slowly. Avoid jackrabbit starts. Flooring the gas pedal when the engine is cold is a major reason for blown head gaskets, which are expensive to fix. Drive as though you have an egg between your foot and the gas pedal. Reserve rapid acceleration for emergency situations.
Allow the engine to get hot. To help flush contaminants, such as fuel and moisture, from the motor oil, drive at highway speeds for 30 minutes at least once a month.
Delay heating or cooling. To prevent adding an extra load on the engine, allow it to run for a minute so that it is lubricated before you turn on the windshield defroster or air conditioner.
Run the air conditioner or windshield defroster at least once a month (even in cooler weather for about a minute to circulate oil through the heating and cooling system. Otherwise, oil may settle in the compressor, causing the system to stop operating.
Use the parking brake. If you don't use it at least once a week while parked - even if you're not parked on an incline - the parking brake can freeze up and fail to release.
Wind down turbocharged engines. The engine should be allowed to idle a few minutes before you shut it down. This allows the turbo to stop spinning while it is still being lubricated with motor oil. (Don't close the garage door until the engine is off.)
Avoid two -footed driving. Using the left foot to brake can lead to unconscious riding of the brakes, which wears them out and confuses the engine control computer, possibly leading to stalling, surging and high emissions.
With manual transmissions, use the brakes and not the gears to slow down - brakes are cheaper to replace than the transmission. For most manual transmission vehicles, aim to operate the engine between 2,000 and 3,000 revolutions per minute (RPM) to avoid overworking or over-revving the engine. Don't keep the clutch pedal pressed any more than necessary. Keep your hand off the gear shift when driving to avoid excess strain on the transmission. Don't necessarily park in gear - if another car bumps into your while yours is in gear, the transmission could be damaged. Exception: Park in gear for extra traction on inclines.
With automatic transmissions, shift into park when idling for extended period to allow the transmission to cool down. Don't idle for long periods in neutral, because some bearing are not lubricated in neutral.
Fuel Choices
Try to use a gas additive with every fill-up because modern gasoline doesn't contain enough detergents to keep the fuel system clean. Avoid additives than contain methanol, methyl, alcohol, xylene, toluene or acetone - these can damage the fuel system hoses and pump. Best: Redline SI-1 or Chevron Techron.
Use the octane called for in the vehicle's owner's manual. Putting premium fuel in an engine designed for regular fuel, or vice versa, won't deliver better mileage, and it can cause a buildup of carbon in the combustion chambers, which hurts driving performance.
Don't let the fuel level drop below one-quarter tank. A low tank promotes condensation, which can damage the fuel pump.
Don't fill the tank to the top of the filler neck. Topping off after the gas hose clicks can damage the evaporative emission canister, which will cause the "check engine" light to come on. Repairs could cost more than $500.
by David Solomon, a certified master auto mechanic, is chairman of "MotorWatch", an automotive safety watchdog organization, and editor of "MotorWatch".