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Getting the most out of your gasoline dollar.

Here are some tips to get the most out of your gasoline dollar, I am not an expert in this field so I can't tell you for sure that these tips help, but they seem like they would work:

Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so buying in the afternoon or in the evening....your gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products plays an important role.

A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps.

When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode. If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3) stages: low, middle, and high. In slow mode you should be pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping.. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some other liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you're getting less worth for your money.

One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY. The reason for this is, the more gas you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine.

Another reminder, if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up--most likely the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom. Hope this will help you get the most value for your money.

DO SHARE THESE TIPS WITH OTHERS

The contents of this posting are the property of Pam Mabe and Solaris Realty of TampaBay. Pam Mabe is a broker working in the Tampa area helping buyers and sellers buy and sell homes. Contact Pam at 813-245-0316 to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Hillsborough, Pinellas or Pasco County area. Information is provided in this blog with the intent to educate homeowners and buyers about Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Brandon, Wesley Chapel, Lutz, Valrico, Odessa and other communities in the Tampa area. For more information on different communities and subdivisions go to my website at TampaHomegGuides.

Visit my profile to find my more about my services. Call 813-245-0316. To view homes for sale in the Tampa area, click here and then fill in the information on your dream home.

Posted by Pam Mabe on 03/19/2008 09:44 AM

Comments (8)

gasoline prices, tips, saving money

8 Comments on Getting the most out of your gasoline dollar.

Pam, thank you for these money saving tips. I never stopped to think about the half-full tank/evaporation bit. This should prove useful for the agents out there.

03/19/2008 09:48 AM

by Mark Organek - Tempe Gilbert Mesa Chandler REALTOR (RE/MAX Alliance)

Thanks for the good tips. The price of gas is increasingly becoming a cost factor in this already competative business.

03/19/2008 09:48 AM

by Jason Gault, Ortonville Michigan Real Estate (Upland Realty, LLC)

I bought a K&N air filter and have seen an increase of 1-2 mpg.

03/19/2008 09:50 AM

by Kevin Robinson (Crownline Home Builders)

Pam...most of these are good ideas. The the comment on the temp of the ground being warmer later in the day doesn't flow. Most gas tanks are below ground as you said, in fact as much as 12 feet at the lowest point. Today with the energy crunch people are doing more Geo-Thermal for heating and they will bury their lines in the ground about 8-10 feet because it stays a steady temp of about 52-55 degrees all year long.

That being the case, how can the gas warm up to a warmer temp when the studies for the Geo-Thermal show otherwise. if anyone doubts this, dig a hole in the gound and you will find that by the time you get 2 feet down, the temp is cooler that at the surface, even on a hot day. Now take this hole down 12 feet and you will find the temp about the same all the way down. You can do this easier by going to a construction site when the are digging a new basement and ask if you can get into the hole and feel the temp.

You can also go to your favorite station and fill a 1 galon container with gas in the morning and put a thermometer on the can. Go back in the heat of the day and see the difference.

I am sure this is something that you have heard of before, as I have heard of this temp. thing for years, but, it just doesn't hold water.

03/19/2008 09:59 AM

by William Feela Owner/Broker North Branch,MN (Whispering Pines Realty)

Hi Pam,

Thanks for the tips. Always looking for ways to save. Have a great week. Michael A. Caruso

03/19/2008 10:13 AM

by Michael Caruso Real Estate Group

Pretty good tips! Thanks for sharing these ideas.

03/19/2008 10:22 AM

by christopher maguire (Hard Money Broker)

Pam, these are great tips! Thank you! I also try to have my phone plugged in and seatbelts on and fastened before I start up the engine, at least when it's warm. My sweet car is such a little guzzler! Maybe this will help.

03/21/2008 12:18 PM

by Patricia Kennedy (Evers & Company)

Thanks Pam. We all need help to save a couple dollars in these gas guzzling days. I don't drive my Yukon unless I have a bunch of kids to transport. I now use my mom's PT Cruiser. I am saving at least $50 a week.

03/27/2008 06:51 AM

by Tara Colquitt, Consumer Credit Advocate (Tara Colquitt, The Credit Woman)

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