7 Ways You Can Save Significant Money On Your Fuel Bill

Fuel prices are now their highest in 30 months and while they will fluctuate, the trend is sharply upward. How can you save significant money on your fuel bill?

1) Car Pool. Your employer may provide a car pool service or you can informally organize one with your co-workers or those who work nearby. Let people know online or on a bulletin board. In college many years ago, I was always on a tight budget and offering others a ride for gas money worked well.

2) Organize Your Travel. This will not only save you money but save you time. Here's what I do. Living in the Los Angeles area, I group the places I visit: The San Fernando Valley one day, Orange County another day and the South Bay/LAX area a different day.

3) Empty The Junk From Your Trunk. In preparing this piece, I realized like most people, I'm guilty of using my trunk as a catch-all. I emptied the excess and learned I've been unnecessarily carrying 50 to 60 pounds around and paying for the gas to do it.

4) Keep Your Car Well Serviced and Your Tires Inflated Properly. A misfiring engine, low inflated tires or other little maladjustments can cost you a lot of money.

5) Work From Home When Possible. I do this now and save a small fortune in gas and in wear and tear not only on the car but on me. And it is a far better use of time than commuting. Even if your employer will allow you to do this just one day a week, it's money in your pocket and higher productivity in his or hers.

6) Is This Trip Really Necessary? Instead of driving, could you do some of your shopping online? For example, I usually buy office supplies online and the cost of computer printer ink alone is high enough to receive free overnight shipping. This is time not spent in the car, nor walking the store aisles, nor standing in line to check out, nor lugging heavy packages in and out of the car.

7) Get a Bus Pass, Ride Your Bike or Walk. With a bus pass, the government subsidizes your travel and it keeps the cost low. But even better is if you can ride a bike or walk. My physical therapist lives about three miles from work. Often he rides his bike or walks and not only does it save him gas money, it helps relieve his stress while helping to keep him in top condition.

Use a combination of these suggestions and it could amaze you how fast your savings grow. And don't you have better uses for your money than to give it to oil companies?

Dick