Now that the price of a gallon of gas has increased to $4.043 in Los Angeles, it's time to get creative about how to save money and make every gallon count.
1. Turn down the sound.
Maybe the Jay-Z song is on, but keep it down, for crying out loud. One person suggests that if your metal music is actually causing you to put the pedal to the metal, you're wasting precious gas.
2. Lose weight.
Who, you? No, you don't need to lose a pound. Don't ever change. Instead, trim the fat by cleaning out your trunk or removing unused seats. Several sources say that decreasing the load in your car by 100 pounds increases your fuel economy by 2 percent.
3. Stay cool.
When you're fuming because all the coveted spots in the shade have already been taken, you can also boil over the fact that parking in the sun can cause gas to evaporate from the tank. As you return to your car and blast the air conditioner, also know that this can be a gas guzzler.
4. Get out.
Instead of waiting in traffic, stop, get out of the car and pass the time since you're getting nowhere fast anyway. Oh, the friends you'll meet. We're not implying you hang out roadside, but rather, find a commercial area to spend money that you would otherwise spend on gas.
5. Get inside.
According to the United States Department of Transportation in 2009, 45 percent of gas consumption is expended on family and personal business. If Boo Radley could master the stay-at-home creeper without all the advents of technology we have today, such as online grocery shopping, then you can, too.
