Uncommon Cents

I wish driving wasn’t a necessity for me. There’s just no way that’s as practical or time-effective for me to get to my two jobs or navigate around the island. The issue is, of course, cost.

Gas prices have been on the rise for years. I filled up on Sunday and paid $3.56 $3.60 per gallon for premium at a local station; that’s right, $3.60, and an all time high for me. Gasoline purchases have become well over $2000.00 per year. What can be done?

Fortunately, all is not lost. There are several things that can assist in paying less for gas.

1) Use the gas meant for your vehicle: if your car’s manual calls for premium, use premium; however, if it calls for regular, go ahead and use regular. However…

2) Keep track of if and how different brands and grades of gasoline effect your vehicle’s performance: call me anal retentive but I do have a log back to the second I bought this truck, and I try to track my milage closely. I’ve settled on two different brands of gas, even if they’re not dirt cheap (Costco is unfortunately not one of them) because my truck gets better milage and seems to run best when I use them.

3) Use Internet sites to track gas prices, but do so wisely: Honolulu Gas Prices is a great site to check out current costs, but it’s not always up to date; also, the same stations tend to be higher (or lower) on the cost scale, often by location. For instance, I know that the Tesoro stations in Palama and Kapahulu tend to be cheaper than the Tesoro stations on Dillingham or Makiki. I also know that driving halfway across the island to get a couple of cents knocked off the per gallon price is not cost effective at all.

4) Basic maintenance can keep your milage up: Keeping your tires well inflated and changing your air filters regularly (or installing a K&N reusable air filter that needs cleaning close to never) are two ways that cost very little but can pay big dividends. I try to check my air pressure every two weeks and check my air filter the same; doing other maintenance like oil changes (or changing to synthetic oil which can last six to ten times as long as conventional oil) may not be as important for milage but can help your bottom line in many other ways.

5) Consider a high rewards gas credit card: Pentagon Federal Credit Union and Discover both offer 5% back on gas with some of their cards (although Discover limits the benefit after the first $1200 of gas purchased per year); for someone like me, that can mean $100 back, which is substantial any way you look at it.

6) Think about alternatives: is where you’re going in walking distance? Thought about cycling or carpooling? What about a moped or motorcycle? Public transportation? One of the things that I’ve said for a long time is that my definition of “walking distance” tends to increase along with the price of gas. If I have several errands to run in one central area (post office, bank, Safeway, and Longs), I’ll park in one place and do the rounds on foot. It’s not necessarily faster or more convenient, but it’s better for my health and better for my budget.

While gasoline is a cost many (including myself) are stuck with, there are ways to try to cut your bill down. Take a look at these six and see if they might make a difference in your bottom line.

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