With the price of gasoline what is it these days and with the price of oil only getting higher, this is what people are typically the most concerned with when talking about their vehicles right now. But, did you know that you probably waste a lot of money on your vehicle on other things besides just the gasoline you buy for it?

If you have always bought premium gasoline under the impression that it helps your engine's performance in some way, I hate to tell you that you have been mislead. A lot of higher end vehicles such as BMWs and others will require higher octane fuels because their engines cannot handle lower octanes, but other vehicles do not require this high octane fuel.

There is no difference between the performance of a vehicle that does not use premium gasoline and a vehicle that does use it. The only time you should be buying premium gasoline is if your owner's manual says to use that and that alone. If your owner's manual does not warn you against using lower octane fuels, your engine will be fine.

Another way to save on the cost of gas is to make sure your tires are properly inflated. If they are not, then not only are you wasting gas, but you are also running the risk of a blowout (not fun on the freeway) and your tires will also wear out a lot faster. Take a quarter or two and fill up those tires.

You should get oil changes twice a year at least, but you probably do not need to get them every 3,000 miles like some people do. Getting it changed every 5,000 to 7,000 miles should be just fine, but it depends on how much you drive. If you do not drive much, you can get away with doing it just twice a year and go by your calendar.

You should never assume your vehicle has a major problem with it. Some repair shops will try to prey on this fear and make you pay for a bunch of work that did not need to be performed. Never tell them what you think it might be, since they may take advantage of you by telling you that you are right, even if you are not; if they are good at their jobs, they will find out what it is.

You might have an inexpensive thermostat or other small item that needs to be replaced. It could even be the light on the dashboard telling you there is a problem that has failed. You never know.