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A few simple steps add up and can save you a lot of money at the gas pump
.The average price of a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline reached another all-time high recently, reaching $2.61. In parts of California and Nevada, prices have already passed the previously unthinkable three dollar per gallon mark. Adjusted for inflation, prices are still lower than they were in early 1981, when they reached an average of what would be $3.15 per gallon today. Still, for the average American consumer, who has a mortgage, a car loan and $10,000 in credit card debt, the price of gasoline represents yet another problem in debt management. What can be done?
Obviously, there is little to be done about the price of gas itself. Tensions in the Middle East and a moratorium on the building of new refineries means that prices will probably continue to go up in the near future. What this means for debt-strapped consumers is that saving gas and using less is the only way to save money. Here are a few tips that will help manage your gasoline costs.
- Get the junk out of your trunk - Carrying around a set of golf clubs? How about a toolbox? Old clothes that you’ve been meaning to drop off for charity? A bag of sand to help you on icy roads? All of these things have one thing in common - weight. And the more your car weighs, the more gas it takes to make it run. If it isn’t absolutely necessary, take it out of your trunk. Your car and wallet will thank you.
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