Did you miss out on last week’s savings tips? Be sure to check them out here!
Every week, Really Simple Money brings you some great money-saving tips. Today we focus on your car: how you can drive more efficiently and make your car more fuel efficient in order to cut back on your bills.
71) Make your car more fuel-efficient. You can do this by keeping your tyres inflated. If the tyre pressure is low, it increases the drag on the car which means you will use more fuel. So regularly check the pressures to make sure they are correct.
72) Declutter your car. The lighter your car, the less effort it needs to accelerate. You can save on fuel by clearing your junk from the boot. On average every extra 50 kg in your car, will increase your petrol by 2 per cent.
73) Take your roof rack off. A roof rack adds wind resistance to the car which makes your engine work harder. A roof rack can add fuel consumption by a whopping 10 per cent.
74) You should also turn off the air-conditioning when you don’t need it. Air-conditioning uses an incredible amount of fuel.
75) Drive more efficiently. Accelerate gradually without over-revving. If you press hard on the pedal, you will use more fuel.
76) Change up a gear sooner than later. Always drive in the highest gear possible without labouring your engine.
77) The brake is a money burner. Give yourself time to slow your car down gradually. Good road positioning is crucial for this.
78) Find the cheapest petrol or diesel prices. There are several apps available to find cheap petrol near you. Try the Motormouth app, fuelcheck.nsw.gov.au is another online tool designed to provide real-time information about petrol prices at every station across NSW. You can also use petrolspy.com.au
79) It is not necessary to have a full tank as it adds weight to the car and your car will use more fuel.
80) Carpooling with friends and neighbours is a good way of sharing costs. You can take turns to use different cars to work. Remember the less you use your car, the more you walk or use public transport, the more you slash your costs.