How to Postpone Buying Gas

There is nothing quite like needing to buy gas at the end of the pay period.  If you need to maximize the little amount of gas that you have left, there are a few things you can do.

1.  Drive Gently.  Fast starts and heavy acceleration drinks gas quickly.  Instead, accelerately slowly and steadily.  Strive not to use the brakes.  Coast to stops whenever rather than braking heavily.

2.  Minimize Stops.  It's better to travel continuously than it is to stop.  You don't want to sit at traffic lights so take the highway.  Choose travel times when the highway is less congested so that you don't get caugt in stop and go traffic.

3.  Minimize the Number of Trips.  If you are traveling somewhere, it is better to stop along the way and get things you need instead of making a separate trip later.

4.  Don't Buy More Gas Than You Need.  If you know you need to make a 20 mile round-trip commute two more times during a pay period and that you ger 20 miles per gallon, you only need a little over 2 gallons.  Depending on the price of gas, that's probably only $7 or $8. So buy $10 worth of gas instead of $20 or $30.

5. Buy Gas With Cash. If you are low on funds, the automated card reader on the pump might not authorize you to purchase an indeterminate amount of gas.  If you plunk a $10 bill down inside and pay cah for gas, you won't have that issue.

With these tips, you should be able to make it through til the end of the pay period.  But, don't drive on fumes that may leave you stranded in a dangerous area.  When you get paid again, buy the gas you need.

Saving Money on Gas

If you are running low on cash, a tank of gas can really hit your wallet hard.  It can be worth it to change your driving habits to squeeze every last mile out of a thank of gas.  I often coast down hills and even cut the car off sometimes at long lights.  But, there is a group of people called hyper-milers who really take it to the limit and make dramatic improvements in fuel economy.

You can make big improvements even if you drive what could be considered a gas guzzler, consider John Teach's article on maximizing the fuel economy of his Corvette.

Dr. Hyper-Mile Or:  How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Save Fuel

Even if you don't have a Corvette, you can save gas by easing up on the gas, coasting down hills, and taking 55 mile an hour bi-ways instead of 80 mile an hour highways.