Unless you ride a bicycle or walk where ever you go, you have certainly noticed that gas prices have sky rocketed. Trend data leans toward them continuing to do so and that seems to be a given. We’ve all felt the reluctance to look at the price total display on the fuel pump as we fuel up. Many of us refuse to look at the read out until the fueling operation is complete and then we balk as the amount spent is realized. This reaction is common due to the fact that most people prefer the quick shock of seeing the price, as opposed to a gradually increasing pain of watching the total grow as fuel is pumped. It just hurts to see that much money go out of the window for what could amount to a single trip. To endure this infringement on the household budget, many drivers have elected to use varying tactics to relieve the financial pressures presented by this unwelcome increase in fuel prices.
Tactics such as driving less, carpooling, low price gas shopping, shopping online, and electing for public transportation, have all been used in an effort to offset the effects of rising fuel costs. However, with all of these options come the same feeling of inconvenience and hindrance. When you aren’t able to drive as you wish, it’s then that you come to appreciate the convenience of driving one’s personal vehicle. For many, the sense of freedom is not only gone, but with substantial oil deposits becoming harder and harder to find, and interruptions to oil production due to wars, weather and human will, regaining that freedom seems unclear at best. While the nation has not needed to resort to rationing fuel, many households haven’t been as fortunate. For many, it is a daily decision whether to travel or not. “Do I go to the store now, or wait until other tasks require me to drive in the vicinity of the store?" “Do I have enough fuel to get there and back without having to fill up again?" Questions similar to these are common in most middle and lower income households. Seven out of ten people surveyed, admit that higher gas prices have affected their driving habits. Four out of ten drivers polled admit to changing travel plans such as vacations, trips and entertainment related maneuvering due to higher gas prices. As many consumers have found, attempting to drive less does not always work, as life demands travel. Six out of ten people surveyed say they have redirected money ear marked for other things to purchasing fuel for their vehicles.
This redistribution of funds within the average household is telling, in that the consumers lifestyle is directly being affected buy the sharp rise in gas prices. It’s no longer just about “go or don’t go." For many, it is about “have or not have", and these significantly differ in their scope. It is one thing to simply say “well I won’t go to the store this time." But it is a totally different thing to say I won’t go to the store because I spent most of my money on gas." That being said, many drivers are turning to the Internet as a means of purchasing items and accomplishing tasks while minimizing their fuel expenditures. A new resource for supplementing one’s fuel budget called Gas Money Toolbar is changing drivers focus from merely lowering fuel expenses to actually increasing the size of the driver’s gas budget. The Gas Money Toolbar is providing a means for drivers to pay for the higher gas prices with less of a burden being placed on their household finances. Through its sister dot com website TypoBounty, GasMoneyToolbar dot com presents the user with the opportunity to earn money for gas by helping locate and report errors on the websites that they visit. With average two dollar bounty offered for reported errors, users are able to earn money for gas relatively quickly. “I have been to this gas station 3 times this week" says Larnell White, “I haven’t seen the same price yet. This is madness."
“The average driver can earn enough money to fill up his/her gas tank in a couple of hours of surfing the web", says Douglas Angston, ‘that’s appealing when you fill up twice a week at $54 each."
“Users need gas money, website owners need web traffic and the internet needs correcting." Says John Michaels. “This approach combines and provides for these differing needs, while merging them into a workable arrangement that benefits everyone. The Gas Money Toolbar idea is essentially solving three very high profile problems at the same time."
Consumers can feel empowered once again by the ability to fill their fuel tanks without totally destroying their household budgets. Since they are surfing the Internet for some reason anyway, consumers simply help their favorite websites be better by pointing out the errors they encounter. The websites enjoy rich amounts of traffic and correct their errors promptly to prevent their image from being damaged. It is a win win win situation for all parties.
Oil Gas Prices
The key to cutting down your gas bill isn't driving less. It's getting better gas mileage when you are driving. And the really astonishing thing: You can actually get better performance at the same time.
There are several changes you can make to improve your gas mileage. Some of these modifications have to do with aerodynamics. Other changes have to do with your engine and exhaust system. And still others have to do with your tires.
Let's start on the outside, with aerodynamics. Automakers spend a lot of time in the wind tunnel testing vehicles to improve their coefficient of drag--i.e., to lessen their wind resistance. That's because it takes power to push something big like a car or truck through the air. It literally has to push aside all the air that's in front of it as it moves down the road.
If you're like me and dive a pick up truck, you typically can make the biggest gains when it comes to aerodynamics. That's because air flows into a pickup's bed and runs smack into the tailgate, causing a lot of resistance. To reduce wind resistance, you can drive around with your tailgate down, as some people do. Or you can remove your solid metal tailgate and replace it with a tailgate net, so the air can flow right on through. An air gate operates under the same principle, but it's made from metal tubing or mesh, instead of vinyl netting. Another option is to install a tonneau cover or a truck cap. Not only do these products smooth the airflow over your bed, they also can provide lots of secure storage space.
I wouldn't waste my money on spoilers and ground effects kits. Although these products originally were designed to improve aerodynamics on race cars, many will make your vehicle look racy rather than reducing wind resistance.
Your tires are another story. Smaller, narrower tires wouldn't be as safe because they produce less friction against the pavement and determine how much control you have when it's time to steer or brake. However, if your tires are running low on air, they're pulling money out of your pocket. That's because tires that are underinflated reduce fuel economy--and they also wear out faster.
Also, if you make your engine more efficient, it will produce more power and get better gas mileage at the same time. Here's how it works: An engine that burns 90 percent of the air and fuel mixture is much more efficient than one that burns 60 percent. It therefore will make more power from the same amount of fuel--because what isn't burned in the combustion process becomes waste and gets sent out your tailpipe. So, a more efficient engine is not only more powerful, it gets better fuel economy.
One way you can make an engine more efficient is to improve the spark to your engine, so it burns the air and fuel mixture better. You also can make a motor more efficient by reducing internal friction, so it doesn't have to work as hard. One way to reduce friction within an engine is to run a high-quality--or synthetic--motor oil.
High-quality oil control products, like a good oil pan and a windage tray, also make an engine's life easier. That's because the crankshaft at the bottom of your engine is spinning incredibly fast. It sits right above the oil pan, which is where oil returns to after it has lubricated your engine. If the oil keeps splashing back up onto the crankshaft, it's harder for the crankshaft to turn. It's kind of like taking a walk on the beach: It's pretty easy to walk on the wet sand at the edge of the water, but if you try to walk through the water, it takes a lot more energy. Any time you can conserve your engine's energy, it takes less fuel to power your vehicle.
Lots of other performance products can improve an engine's performance and fuel economy, too, including a high-flow intake system and a free-flowing exhaust. It's easy to understand why improvements to the intake system help: If you've ever tried drinking a really thick milkshake through a straw, you know how hard it can be to pull that fluid through an opening that's too restrictive. Your engine may be feeling the same way about incoming air.Exhaust system changes work pretty much the same way: If your engine is trying to force its spent gases out through an opening that's too small, it's wasting energy. Plus, if there's too much backpressure, some exhaust may remain inside your engine, which means there isn't as much room for fresh air and fuel to be burned, so you're making less power.
Both John Reed & Mike Rosania are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
John Reed has sinced written about articles on various topics from Video Games, Credit Cards and Auto Insurance. John Reed has 15 years business and marketing experience and has had the opportunity to use and review multiple advertising and marketing techniques. You can
