Every little bit helps when it comes to saving money on fuel. Not only does it help your pocketbook but it also helps the Planet.

Doing things like checking tire pressure, keeping your car tuned up and traveling light can all help make your car more eco-friendly and lower your carbon footprint on this Earth.

I realize this may not be an option for many of you, but if it is you might want to seriously consider moving closer to your workplace or changing jobs to work closer to home. If you can work from home, even for only several days a week, the savings could be worth any potential pay cuts. Many employers now offer the option of telecommuting your work projects via the Internet.

When you also consider the time savings of a shorter commute this option may be your biggest savings of all.

We all want to save money fuel. Especially with today’s high gasoline prices and heavy carbon footprint.

Using Cruise control whenever possible will save you more than just a speeding ticket.

Proper Tire Inflation

One thing that people often forget is that the tires on their car are vital to the safety of the driver and their passengers.

In fact, most people only consider their tires when they have to get through an MOT – and all that matters then is being road legal.

But there’s a lot more to tires than keeping the occupants of the car safe.  Having properly inflated tires will decrease your car’s rolling resistance and make the fuel efficiency of the car far better than if your tires don’t have enough pressure in them.

This rule applies to the hybrid car as much as the conventional car. The only difference with a hybrid is that you’ll be increasing your fuel efficiency on two fronts as the mere fact of driving a hybrid is that as it’s got a dual electric-petrol power source, you use less fuel in the first place.

Some people find the prospect of checking their tires such a chore that they just push it to the back of their mind and don’t do it; but once you have done it a few times and established a routine, it should only take a few minutes.

Plan to do the tire check once a month, and combine it with a trip to fill up with fuel as pretty much every fuel station has an air pump available for public use. Consult your owner’s manual to check what PSI you should have, and then just top up each tire to the requisite amount. Whatever brand car you have, whether it’s a Honda, Ford or VW, they all include this information in the driver’s manual. However, if you’ve had the car a while and already changed the tires, or bought it second hand, your car may have different tires than the manufacturer equipped it with. Double check this. Don’t rely on the PSI stamp on the sidewall of the tire itself, as this indicates the maximum pressure the tire will stand – which is higher than the PSI recommended for safe driving.

Remember, when you take the tire pressures, the tires should be cold as warm tires will register with a higher PSI. This figure will be inaccurate when the tires cool down. So do the check before, rather than after, a long journey.

As well as checking the tire pressure, you should also check that the tire tread is greater than the legal minimum. In the UK this is 3mm, but in the US, this varies from state to state, so check with your local garage.

Checking your tires needn’t be a chore, and doing it regularly will offer you a double reward of protection and better fuel economy.

Related articles

• Ways to Make the Car you Drive more Green (gogogreencars.com)
• Best Sites for Buying Tires (verybestsites.com)
• Choosing the right tire type
• Touring Tires
• Proper Tire Inflation

If you don’t have the money to go out and buy the latest hybrid but still want to “Go Green”, there are a few things you can do today to help lower the fuel consumption of your car.

And then of course there is always recycling used car parts… a great way to save money and the environment.

Ethanol has become all the rage here in the United States and some people believe it is the answer to dependence on foreign oil, however is corn based ethanol really good for America. There is no question it burns cleaner and is far better for the environment than gasoline, but is it worth the cost to the economy and food supply?

Are there better ways of helping the planet? Things like recycling plastic, paper and used car parts.

Here’s a quick and fun look at Corn-based Ethanol

This planet is our home and we need to treat it with respect and care.

There are a lot of ways we can help the environment, including recycling.

Request your mechanic use only guaranteed used car parts. Great for you and the environment.

You don’t have to own a hybrid in order to drive and still be environmentally friendly. There are plenty of simple things you can do to save gas while driving and produce fewer emissions. For millions of motorists, “driving green” is a matter of being conscientious and taking small, preventative measures in pursuit of conservation. In this article, I’ll give you 5 easy ideas that you can implement today in order to operate your vehicle and have less impact on the environment.

#1 – Get A Tune-Up

Over time, your car’s engine begins to lose its original calibration and show signs of wear and tear. Not only does that cause your vehicle to burn more fuel needlessly, but the exhaust that spews from the back will carry a heavier load of harmful emissions. Look at your owner’s manual and get a tune-up at the recommended mileage. The job doesn’t take long and is relatively inexpensive.

#2 – Drive Easily

Have you ever seen a driver moving along the highway at 85 mph or more? That person’s car is guzzling gas. The fact is, driving faster than 65 slashes your vehicle’s fuel efficiency. In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy suggests that your car’s fuel efficiency takes a 7% hit for each 5 mph over 65 that you travel. And it’s even worse on city streets that are littered with traffic lights. Take your time when driving.

#3 – Get Rid Of The Extra Weight

It’s not uncommon for drivers to collect things in their vehicles (usually inside the trunk) that aren’t necessary. Gym clothes, extra tools, golf gear, chairs, and other items add extra weight which creates additional drag. Even a bike rack can create wind resistance. The more resistance, the harder your car works to move, which translates into burning more fuel. Take the items you don’t need out (or off) of your car. You’ll end up saving money at the pump while giving the environment a small break.

#4 – Cruise Along

If you’re going to drive long distances, turn your vehicle’s cruise control on. It’s most useful when you’re driving along level roads; variances in elevation cause the system to vary speed to compensate.

#5 – Don’t Idle

When your engine idles, it consumes fuel. Unfortunately, you’re not actually getting any value from the gas since your car isn’t moving. Of course, some idling (for example, when you’re stopped at a red traffic light) is unavoidable. But, when you’re stuck at a train crossing, waiting for someone outside a store, or grabbing a quick bite at a fast food drive-thru, consider cutting the engine.

Remember, taking a few small steps to conserve fuel and reduce the toxic emissions from entering the atmosphere goes a long way toward protecting the environment. You may not be able to give up your gas-guzzling vehicle or buy a new hybrid, but you can easily drive greener without much effort.

Car thieves used to smash windows, get inside vehicles, hotwire and drive off with them. Then, they’d either sell it outright to someone or take it to a “chop shop” to have it stripped for its parts. While that still happens throughout the nation, a new trend is becoming increasingly common: the theft of catalytic converters. Today, I’ll explain what this important component does and why it’s a target of car thieves. Then, we’ll explore how to prevent yours from being taken from you.

Why And How They’re Stolen

In the 1970′s, a federal law was passed that required all vehicles to have a catalytic converter installed. The purpose was to protect the environment from a number of harmful pollutants, such as hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides. These compounds are produced by cars, trucks, and SUVs during operation and escape into the environment through the exhaust. A catalytic converter prevents that from happening.

The reason why thieves steal them is because they’re built with a number of valuable metals, including platinum and gold. By ripping them out from under your car, they can sell them, often for as much as $200. The component is popular with thieves because they can be taken from your vehicle within 2 or 3 minutes. The only tool needed is a wrench.

Replacement Costs

If yours is stolen, plan to spend $1,000 to have it replaced. The part itself doesn’t cost much. The majority of the expense is due to labor fees to have a new one installed. But, it gets worse. Because of how the part is positioned under the hood, it’s relatively easy for a thief to accidentally damage the fuel line. If that happens, plan to spend a lot more money to have the damage repaired.

Preventing The Theft

If you ask your mechanic how to prevent your catalytic converter from being stolen, he’ll probably mention that you can shear off the bolt heads that keep it in place. That way, someone armed with a wrench won’t be able to get a grip on the bolts and therefore, won’t be able to remove the part. There are other options.

Because this component has become so popular with crooks, a few companies have designed products aimed at preventing its theft. Most of them were created to discourage thieves by making the component more difficult remove (for example, by placing a metal cage around it). The thought is that crooks will simply leave your car alone and move on to easier targets if it takes too long to remove the thing.

In the end, park in well-lit places and shave the bolt heads that keep your catalytic converter attached. If you take only those 2 steps, you’ll likely dissuade 90% of the crooks.

A lot of people were flabbergasted over the past year when gasoline spiked to over $4 a gallon. Even though prices have since declined, experts claim that the good times are short-lived; the price you’ll pay at the pump is going to climb again in the near future. In the spirit of keeping as many dollars in your wallet as possible, we’re going to talk about how maintaining your vehicle can boost its fuel efficiency. In this article, you’ll discover 3 easy things you can do to squeeze as many miles as possible from each gallon of gas.

Get A Tune-Up

Tune-ups involve more than tweaking a few screws and tightening a few hoses. Your mechanic will run a diagnostic test and calibrate your engine and important systems back to factory specifications (or, as close to them as possible). That’s valuable. A lot of drivers don’t realize that there’s an oxygen sensor in their vehicles’ emissions system. If it’s not set right, there will either be too much or too little oxygen present while the engine burns gas. That can slash the fuel efficiency of your engine by over 30%! Get a tune-up and have a technician calibrate it correctly.

Tire Maintenance

Your vehicle’s tires lose air over time. The problem is that if they’re sufficiently inflated, they’ll create too much resistance on the road. That means the engine will have to work a lot harder while you’re driving. Fortunately, there’s a simple solution: buy a digital air pressure gauge and use it. Each time you visit the gas station, check the pressure in your tires (your owner’s manual will describe how much pressure your tires need). The digital gauge will cost less than $20 and checking your tires only takes a couple of minutes. That’s a small investment of time and money to enjoy perpetual savings at the pump.

Change The Air Filter

Most people underestimate the importance of the air filter. They know it gets dirty. And they know it only costs a few bucks to buy a new one. But, like most car parts, they rarely think about the filter unless it causes a major problem (for example, they can’t start their car). In truth, you can increase your vehicle’s fuel efficiency by regularly replacing the air filter.

Here’s why: gas isn’t the only substance needed in your car’s engine. It needs air. If the filter is jammed with dirt and debris, air can’t get through it effectively. You’ll still be able to drive your car, but it will be burning gas much less efficiently. Keep the air flow clear by changing your filter every 10,000 miles.

The Little Things Add Up

Proper vehicle maintenance – getting regular tune-ups, keeping your tires inflated, and changing the air filter – can have a substantial impact on your car’s fuel efficiency. It adds up. Over time, you’ll find that you’re paying less money at the pump because your car can use gas more effectively. As the price per gallon of fuel rises, that extra money stays in your pocket.