24 Ways To Save Money on Gas: Driving Habits, Car Maintenance and Smart Buying Tips

High gas prices can quickly strain a tight budget. These gas-saving tips cover the places where you have some control over fuel costs: how you drive, how you maintain your vehicle, where you buy gas and how much you pay for it.

TDS Money-Saving Strategist: Andrea Norris-McKnight | posted August 2026

When gas prices climb, even a few extra dollars per fill-up can put additional pressure on an already tight budget. Fortunately, you have more control over your fuel costs than you might think.

You can drive in ways that use less fuel, keep your vehicle running efficiently, pay less when you fill up and even reduce the number of miles you need to drive.

Over the years, oil industry executive Chris Faulkner and mechanic Chris Stevenson have shared a number of gas-saving suggestions with The Dollar Stretcher. While some automotive advice has changed as vehicles have changed, many of the basic principles still apply.

Here are 24 ways to stretch your gas dollars further.

Save Gas by Changing How You Drive

How you drive can significantly affect how quickly you empty your tank. Better yet, most of these changes cost nothing to make.

1. Accelerate Gradually

Jackrabbit starts use more fuel. Stevenson recommends a lighter foot on the accelerator rather than racing away from every stoplight.

Accelerate smoothly and give your vehicle time to build speed.

2. Avoid Hard Braking

Hard braking often goes hand in hand with aggressive acceleration.

Watch the traffic ahead so you can ease off the accelerator sooner and slow down gradually, rather than repeatedly accelerating and braking.

3. Slow Down

Higher speeds generally mean lower fuel economy.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, gas mileage typically decreases quickly at speeds above 50 mph. As a rough rule of thumb, every additional 5 mph over 50 mph is like paying more per gallon for gas.

You don’t need to crawl down the highway. Simply following the speed limit instead of routinely exceeding it can help stretch a tank.

4. Maintain a Steady Speed

Repeatedly speeding up and slowing down consumes more fuel.

When traffic conditions allow, settle into a steady speed instead.

5. Use Cruise Control When Appropriate

Faulkner recommends using cruise control for highway driving because it helps maintain a consistent speed.

Cruise control won’t make sense in heavy traffic, on slippery roads or sometimes on very hilly terrain, but on long stretches of relatively flat highway it may help prevent unnecessary changes in speed.

6. Don’t Idle Unnecessarily

An idling vehicle is getting zero miles per gallon.

If you’re parked and waiting for someone, consider turning off the engine rather than letting it run. Many newer vehicles already reduce idling with automatic stop-start systems.

7. Use Air Conditioning Wisely

Air conditioning requires energy, but driving with the windows down can create additional aerodynamic drag, particularly at highway speeds.

Rather than sweltering to save a few cents, use your AC sensibly. Park in the shade when possible, vent a hot car before turning on the AC and avoid cooling the cabin more than necessary.

8. Combine Errands

One trip to the grocery store, pharmacy and bank will usually use less gas than three separate outings.

Before leaving home, ask yourself whether there are other errands you can handle along the way.

9. Plan Your Route

Faulkner recommends planning errands before you leave to avoid unnecessary backtracking.

A few minutes spent deciding which stop should come first can save both time and miles.

Want to find more ways your driving style could be costing you? See our article, Driving Habits That Waste Gas (and How to Fix Them).

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Maintain Your Car for Better Fuel Economy

You don’t need to buy special gadgets or additives to improve mileage. Start with basic maintenance that helps your vehicle operate as efficiently as it was designed to.

10. Keep Your Tires Properly Inflated

Both Faulkner and Stevenson emphasized tire pressure as an important part of fuel economy.

Underinflated tires create additional rolling resistance. Check them regularly and inflate them to the pressure recommended by your vehicle manufacturer, typically found on a label inside the driver’s door or in the owner’s manual.

11. Stay Current on Routine Maintenance

A poorly running engine can burn more fuel.

Follow the maintenance schedule in your owner’s manual and address problems rather than allowing them to linger.

12. Use the Recommended Motor Oil

When it’s time for an oil change, use the oil viscosity recommended by the vehicle manufacturer.

The right oil helps the engine operate as intended while protecting it from unnecessary wear.

13. Replace a Dirty Engine Air Filter When Needed

A clean engine air filter is an important part of vehicle maintenance.

Replacing a dirty filter may not dramatically improve MPG on every modern vehicle, but it can enhance performance and help your engine operate properly.

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14. Pay Attention to Wheel Alignment

Misaligned wheels can increase rolling resistance and cause premature tire wear.

If your vehicle pulls to one side or you notice uneven tire wear, have the alignment checked.

15. Don’t Ignore the Check Engine Light

Some problems that trigger a check engine light can also hurt fuel economy.

Have the problem diagnosed rather than continue driving for months, potentially wasting more gas.

16. Remove Unnecessary Weight

You don’t have to empty your car after every trip, but there’s little reason to haul heavy items around for weeks.

Stevenson recommends clearing unnecessary items from the trunk and passenger areas. Leave emergency supplies and things you regularly need, but take out items that are simply along for the ride.

17. Remove Roof Racks and Cargo Carriers When You Don’t Need Them

A roof rack, cargo box or other exterior carrier can create additional aerodynamic drag.

If it’s easily removable and you use it only occasionally, take it off between trips.

For more details on maintaining your vehicle to improve fuel efficiency, see Car Maintenance That Improves Gas Mileage.

Pay Less When You Fill Up

Getting more miles from each gallon is only half the equation. Paying less for those gallons can also reduce your fuel bill.

18. Compare Nearby Gas Prices

Prices can vary considerably between stations that aren’t very far apart.

Check prices before you need gas, so you know which stations along your normal routes tend to be cheapest.

19. Use a Gas Price App

Apps such as GasBuddy can make price comparisons easier.

But Stevenson offered an important caution: Don’t drive across town to save a few cents per gallon. The extra gas and time can wipe out the savings.

20. Look Beyond Highway Gas Stations

Faulkner notes that stations near highway exits may charge more for their convenient locations.

If you have options along your regular route, compare prices at stations farther from the interstate before filling up.

21. Use Fuel Rewards You Already Earn

Some grocery stores and other retailers offer fuel points or discounts based on purchases.

If you’re buying those groceries anyway, using rewards can reduce your per-gallon price without requiring additional spending.

Don’t buy things you don’t need just to earn more fuel points.

22. Compare Warehouse Club Gas Prices

If you already belong to a warehouse club, check its fuel prices against nearby competitors.

If you’re considering joining primarily for cheaper gas, calculate your likely annual savings first. A lower price per gallon is only a bargain if you save enough to justify the membership cost.

23. Use the Correct Octane

Premium isn’t automatically better.

Use the octane recommended or required by your vehicle manufacturer. Buying a higher octane than your vehicle needs generally means paying more without receiving a corresponding improvement in fuel economy.

24. Give Yourself the Flexibility To Buy Gas Where It’s Cheaper

Waiting until the low-fuel warning appears can leave you little choice but to stop at the nearest station.

Start watching prices before you urgently need gas. Then you can fill up when you pass a reasonably priced station rather than being forced to buy wherever you happen to be when the tank is nearly empty.

For more ways to reduce what you pay at the pump, see 10 Ways To Pay Less for Gas Without Driving Less.

One More Money-Saving Habit: Track Your MPG

There is another simple step that doesn’t directly save gas but can help you determine whether all these efforts are working: track your gas mileage.

Record the miles driven and gallons purchased at each fill-up. Over several tanks, you’ll establish your vehicle’s typical MPG.

Then experiment. Does slowing down on the highway make a difference? Did properly inflating your tires improve your mileage? Has your MPG suddenly dropped for no obvious reason?

Tracking turns gas-saving advice into information specific to your vehicle and driving habits. A noticeable decline can also alert you to a possible maintenance problem.

See Why You Should Track Your Gas Mileage (and How to Do It) for an easy method of calculating and monitoring your MPG.

TDS Takeaway: Start With the Changes That Cost Nothing

When gas prices are high, it’s tempting to look for a product that promises better mileage or assume you need a more fuel-efficient vehicle. Before spending money, start with the things that cost nothing.

Slow down. Accelerate more gently. Combine errands. Remove unnecessary weight from the trunk. Compare prices before filling up.

Then make sure you’re keeping up with the maintenance your vehicle needs anyway.

You may not be able to control the price posted on the gas station sign, but you do have some control over how often you need to stop there and how much you pay when you do.

Did this article help you save or stretch a few dollars or plug a financial leak? The Dollar Stretcher can help you make your dollars go even further.

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About the Author

Andrea Norris-McKnight is the Money-Saving Strategist behind The Dollar Stretcher.

She helps people on tight budgets cut everyday costs, build steadier money habits and create a little breathing room—without guilt, gimmicks, or unrealistic advice.

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