Saving gas means saving money means saving energy! And my own little hint that I have to throw in is really deep: you won’t save the money by just reading the article. You have to actually do what is advised.

I ran across this article in a wonderful newsletter I receive called The Daily Green. It is a fun, informative, hint-filled publication. They published 10 Gas Saving Tips and what I love about the article is that they have spelled it out for us to the PENNY how much money you can save by following the tips. To me, 20% is an appreciable savings. So enjoy, engage and start saving!

Check Your Air Filter – A clean air filter can improve gas mileage by as much as 10% and nearly one in four cars needs an air filter replacement. Cost Savings: 28 cents a gallon.

Straighten Up – Poor alignment not only causes tires to wear out more quickly, but also forces your engine to work harder, which can reduce fuel economy by as much as 10%. Cost Savings: 28 cents per gallon

Tune Up – A properly tuned engine can improve mileage by 4%. Cost Savings: 11 cents a gallon.

Pump ’em Up – More than one-quarter of vehicles have improperly inflated tires. The average under-inflation of 7.5 pounds causes a loss of 2.8% in fuel efficiency. Cost Savings: 8 cents per gallon.

Check Your Cap – It is estimated that nearly 17% of cars on the road have broken or missing gas caps, which not only reduces gas mileage but may harm the environment. Cost Savings: 2 cents per gallon.

Slow Down – For every 5 mph you reduce highway speed, you can reduce fuel consumption by 7%. Cost Savings: 19 cents, by reducing speed from 70 mph to 65 mph.

Drive More Smoothly – The more smoothly you accelerate and decelerate, the better your gas mileage, with potential gas savings of 33% on the highway and 5% around town. Cost Savings: 48 cents a gallon.

(Don’t) Give Your Foot a Brake – Riding with your foot on the brake not only wears out brakes but can also increase gas consumption by as much as 35%. Cost Savings: 96 cents per gallon.

Lighten Up For every 100 extra pounds carried around, your vehicle loses 1 to 2% in fuel efficiency. Cost Savings: 4 cents per gallon, per 100 pounds of weight removed.

Don’t Be Idle Besides causing pollution, idling wastes gas. If stopped for more than 30 seconds, turn off the engine, and don’t bother to ‘warm up’ your car before driving — it is not necessary. Cost Savings: 1 cent per gallon, for every two minutes you avoid idling.

The Daily Green credits Consumer Federation of America for these great tips. I had no idea that by simply not driving with your foot on the brake (any why would you anyway – even though I know people who do), you can save 96 cents per gallon.