Everything nowadays costs a ton of money. Whether it’s $50 for a small popcorn and a movie ticket, or $30 for a drink and a slice of pizza at a baseball game, you’re shelling out money left and right. Every dollar counts so it pays (literally) to do everything you can to save money. As it turns out, there’s a lot of ways to do that just by altering some driving habits. Take a look below to see what you can do to keep more money in your pocket.

 

Calm Down!

 

Aggressive driving can be extremely bad on both your car and your pockets. Rapid acceleration and frequent braking are really bad for gas mileage, and both go hand in hand with weaving through traffic. Take your time and keep pace with the other cars. Not only can it save you a lot on gas money, but it can save you a lot of aggravation as well.

 

Keep Your Windows Up

 

Driving with the windows down feels really good in the summertime, but it can be pretty bad for gas mileage. I always thought that the air conditioner used up a ton of gas, but it turns out putting the windows down creates a lot of drag on your car, which is worse than A/C. That drag ends up slowing your car down, making the engine work harder to maintain the speed limit.

 

Plan Your Route

 

Getting somewhere faster is great but getting somewhere cheaper is better. Sometimes the better routes take a bit longer, but they’re worth it. Choose the path of least resistance; stop signs and brake lights are bad for gas mileage, so choose whichever way will end up causing you to start and stop your car less often.

 

Maintain Your Car

 

Clogged air filters can really leave your car struggling to breathe, so change them regularly to keep it from working too hard Using the wrong motor oil also strains the engine, as does underinflated tires. Regular maintenance may cost you in the short run, but it can end up saving you money over time.

 

Buy Gas between Sunday and Tuesday

 

Gas prices tend to be cheaper during the earlier days of the week, and then start to rise on Wednesdays. Starting your week by filling your tank is the cheapest way to go. Buying your gas in the early morning and later in the night when it’s cooler is also a good way to save money. The warmer gas gets, the denser it gets, meaning you pump less but pay the same amount.

 

Watch Your Braking Habits

 

Every time you slow down in traffic is just one more time that you have to speed up again. Keeping a greater distance between you and the car in front of you can help you to keep driving at a steady pace, with less breaking and acceleration. A good rule of thumb is that the harder you push on your pedals, the more gas you are wasting.

 

Kick it into Neutral

 

Keeping your car in gear means that the engine is constantly working, no matter how fast you’re going. If you’re going down a hill or sitting at a light, shifting your car into neutral puts your car in a resting mode where it’s using considerably less gas. It’s easiest to do with a manual transmission, which are more fuel efficient in general than automatics.

 

Follow the Speed Limit

 

Cars are at their most fuel efficient when they maintain a speed between 45 and 60 miles per hour. Staying within that range will give you the most bang for your buck. It’s also worth noting that fuel efficiency dramatically decreases the higher you go above 60 miles per hour.

 

I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather spend my hard-earned money on a couple of tacos than on driving too fast just to stop again at the next light. When you think about it, being in a rush is really costing you some tacos. Nobody needs that kind of negativity in their life. Another thing that nobody needs is overpriced car insurance.  So if you’d rather have cheap car insurance, give Good2Go Auto Insurance a shot. Visit www.Good2Go.com for low rate, low down payment, minimal limits auto insurance today!