Saving Bucks Tips to Save on Fuel

                              When a light turns green, do you accelerate gradually or do you gun it?  Is your trunk full of junk?  Do you keep your air filter clean?
                               If you're looking to reduce your fuel costs, answers to these questions matter.
                               Recently, the $aving Bucks crew ventured out to the AAA Car Care Center in Willow Grove, where manager Richard Santiago shared a few ways you can alter your driving and car-maintenance habits to save a few dollars.
                               Santiago's advice on changing driving habits so you can conserve gas:

• At a light?  Don't rev your engine; you're using up gas.  Accelerate gradually.
• Coming to a stop sign or a red light?  If you let go of the gas pedal earlier and coast rather than brake at the last minute, you'll save gas.
• Is your trunk full of junk?  Get it out and pack only necessary items.  For every 100 pounds you add to your car, you lose 1 percent to 2 percent of fuel efficiency.  If you eliminate 100 pounds, you can save 6 cents per gallon of gas.
• Don't drive so fast.  For every 5 mph you knock off your speedometer, you reduce fuel consumption by 7 percent.  If you're driving 60 mph and slow to 55, you'll save yourself 27 cents a gallon.
• If you're not in the car driving, don't leave it running.  Every two minutes you leave the car idling, you'll lose 1 cent per gallon.              

                            A few more tips that can save you money:

• Maintain the vehicle.  Simple checks and routine maintenance can help prevent costly repairs and, most important, a headache, when you're supposed to be enjoying yourself.
• Check those tires.  You can improve your gas mileage by up to 3.3 percent simply by keeping your tires inflated to the right pressure.  Tread Depth-Bridgestone has tested tread depth and verified a low tread depth saves you money by increasing fuel economy by up to 4 percent.  Make sure your tires are wearing evenly.  Poor wheel alignment forces the vehicle to work harder and can reduce gas mileage by as much as 10 percent.
• Change your oil.  Make sure you get the oil changed as recommended in the owner's manual or by your dealer.  A buildup of oil deposits and sludgy oil can decrease the performance of the engine, which, in turn, leads to higher fuel consumption.  Also, without proper lubrication, more friction between the engine parts would occur, which would affect gas mileage.  And make sure you're using the recommended grade of motor oil; this can improve gas mileage by 1 percent to 2 percent.
• Check your fluids, belts and hoses.  This can help prevent a costly repair that not only harms your pocket, it reduces your enjoyment if a problem occurs while you're on vacation.
• Get a tuneup.  Replacing spark plugs and servicing the fuel system can improve mileage by 4 percent and save you up to 15 cents a gallon.
• Replace the air filter.  Simply by replacing your air filter, you can improve gas mileage by as much as 10 percent.  Recent studies show that as much as 25 percent of all cars on the road could use a new air filter.

                         These tips, provided by AAA's Santiago, will certainly help my family save bucks.
                         I hope they'll help you, too!