One of the hardest parts of coming out to Amish Country (or just traveling in general) is filling up your tank to make the trip, especially right now! A lot of traffic comes through Berlin, so local gas can get pretty pricey here, so here are 10 tips from Smarter Travel and the US department of Energy on how to save money on gas for your next trip!
1.Fill up BEFORE you travel. You know your local gas stations better than the ones in Amish Country, so go for the stations and prices that you know are lower than other spots!
2.Travel light. You may not think about it this way often, but extra pounds can add up fast on your gas tank. So if you always pack thoroughly, reevaluate what you really need to take on the trip with you, or even just clean your car out. You might not need that set of camping chairs if you’re staying at a hotel.
3.If you’re taking a highway, make sure to stop at exits with lots of choices for gas! This means that the local stations will be competing with each other, so at least one of them may undercut their competition and list a lower price. That’s good news for your wallet! Additionally government rest stops on toll roads also tend to have lower prices, so making a quick detour could save you.
4.If you’re renting a car, make sure you refill your tank in advance long before you take it back for return. Nearby gas stations will often take advantage of the time crunch that travelers are under on their return trips, so take note of what nearby gas stations are like when you initially pick your rental car up!
5.When planning your trip make sure you are using the right car for you! If you have the choice between multiple vehicles, compare their gas mileage!
6.Keep your windows closed! Believe it or not, keeping your AC on is actually quite a bit more fuel efficient than opening up the windows (at least at higher speeds). This is because opening up your windows interrupts the air flow around your car, creating drag that can hold your car back some.
7.Relax a little! Aggressive driving, harsh stops and quick acceleration are terrible for your gas mileage, and you’ll end up burning through so much more gas. So just take a deep breath and enjoy your drive, you’ll have a better time, save money on gas, and you’ll be doing your part to keep our roads safe!
8.Slow down too. Most cars lose so much of their fuel efficiency above 60mph.
9.Use cruise control when you can! maintaining a constant speed means that you won’t be wasting extra gas accelerating unnecessarily.
10.Don’t worry too much about finding a good parking space, take the longer walk through the lot! You’ll end up unnecessarily burning through extra fuel when you slowly roll around a parking lot looking for a moderately better space, so just take the first one you saw and get some extra steps in.
If you want to learn more than check these sources out!
www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/driveHabits.jsp