Tips and Tricks to maximize your purchase at the gas pumps

1. Buy your gas in the morning or evening

Gas becomes denser when the temperature is colder. Gas pumps measure the volume of the gas that you pump and do not measure the density. You are getting more gas per gallon when the gas is denser. A congressional committee has estimated that US consumers will pay 2.1 billion dollars more for gas this summer because of this density difference.

If you fill up your gas tank in the morning's cooler temperatures, or in the evening's cooler temperatures, you'll be getting more gas and increased gas price economy. As an added benefit, filling your tank later in the evening could also help you to avoid wasting gas idling while waiting for a pump to open up during the busier hours.

2. Don't let your gas tank get empty, fill up sooner.

Driving your car until the gas tank is almost empty can cost you fuel economy and could damage your engine. Dirt that has accumulated in the fuel tank over time can be pulled into the engine. This will cause the engine to operate less efficiently and will reduce the miles per gallon your engine runs at.

In fact, driving till empty can create a double whammy. Not only will you use more gas because your engine starts to run poorly, you can find yourself buying gas at a higher price. If you are at empty you will have to gas up at the first station you come across or risk running out of gas. That usually means paying a higher price than you should. The choice of where to gas up is taken away from you due to circumstance. You no longer have the option to find the station with the best prices.

If at all possible maintain your gas level above the quarter tank mark. Plan to purchase fuel when your tank is between half and a quarter tank.

3. Save gas with a flick of the wrist!

When you have finished filling up your gas tank try turning the nozzle of the hose a full 180 degrees. This will drain a bit more gas into your tank; in some cases up to an entire half cup that would otherwise be a bonus to the next gas customer.

Once you get into the habit of turning the hose you'll find yourself doing it without thinking. That extra half cup that you get each time that you fill your gas tank can add up to a lot of extra gas at the end of the year that you would have otherwise left for the next motorist.

If you buy gasoline once per week and you can get that extra half cup out of the nozzle each time, you would be 52 half cups per year ahead. That would be 1.625 gallons.

Just by turning the nozzle each time you fill up you will get 1.625 gallons of gas free. If you are a two car family you could realize over 3 gallons of "free" gas a year with just a flick of the wrist.

These are just a few of many things you can do to maximize your fuel economy and gas purchases. Just thinking about gas and the things you can do will help you make a habit out of saving gas.

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Scott Siegel is the author of a 143 page manual of industry insider information on saving gas and money at the pump (beatthegaspump.com). Visit us to learn how you can get better gas mileage. Find out how to increase gas mileage.