gas Archives — Thrifty Mommas Tips

How to Increase Fuel Mileage Now

Paula — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 10:11:15 +0000

Everybody wants to know how to save money on gas. What if that could be done by attending to fuel mileage over time with a few small changes to your habits? Well, with the prices of gas constantly fluctuating any and all tips are welcome here. Fuel saving techniques are obviously related to driving habits, but did you know they are also dependent on vehicle maintenance? It’s true. Combined with changing your driving habits a bit, regular vehicle maintenance can make an impact on your fuel mileage and gas costs. I mean individually each idea here is not extremely new, but if you pay attention to most or all of these then the fuel savings could be substantial. Vehicle Maintenance for Improved Fuel Mileage Adhering to a routine vehicle maintenance regimen can improve the number of miles or kilometres per gallon. Keeping the car’s engine running at its peak performance level helps burn less fuel. Some maintenance services that should be performed as a scheduled routine include: Engine oil and filter changeEngine air filterFuel filterTire rotation – stay on top of this or you wear your tires out faster too and that’s wasteful. Oil is a lubricant that reduces friction in moving engine parts. A dirty air filter restricts the amount of air inducted into the motor. A dirty fuel filter can reduce the fuel flow. If these routine maintenance items go unchecked, the engine may burn more fuel to compensate for increased friction or lack of air. Tire Care for Improved Fuel Economy Underinflated tires increase the rolling resistance of the vehicle. To compensate for the increased rolling resistance, the engine has to work harder to maintain a given speed. A harder working engine translates into more fuel consumption. Underinflated tires will also wear prematurely and have an increased chance of a blowout. Nobody wants that. These are the three big reasons that a vehicle’s tires should be maintained at the recommended tire pressure. I wrote about the difference our new snow tires made to that in this snow tires post. Nitrogen? One method that can help maintain tire pressure is to fill the tires with nitrogen instead of air. Since the molecules are larger, nitrogen tends to escape at a much slower rate than air. Most auto repair shops that are in the business of selling and servicing tires have nitrogen available at a minimal cost. There are a few other benefits of nitrogen-filled tires besides maintaining the appropriate tire pressure, but that’s a post for another day. Driving Habits for Increasing Fuel Mileage Individual driving habits can have a dramatic impact on fuel consumption. Aggressive drivers that consistently have their foot on the accelerator, weaving in and out of traffic, will burn much more gas than drivers that obey the speed limit. So take that rambunctious driver!! Using low gears to gain more engine power for quick acceleration will create more engine revolutions per minute (RPM). Did you know that engines that turn at a higher RPM naturally burn more fuel. Since an engine that runs at a higher RPM burns more fuel, overdrive (if equipped) should be used as often as possible, even in stop and go traffic. Overdrive allows the engine to run at a lower RPM while turning the wheels at a higher rate. This might sound obvious but it isn’t always. If you really want to save fuel and do the environment a favour while you are at it, then walk, or carpool, or ride a bike. Ask yourself if you really need to use the car to pick up your children at school. Or, do you really need to drive by yourself to work every morning. There might be a better way. Make Smart Driving Choices More importantly, owners of any vehicle have to get in the right mindset with respect to driving to save fuel. Keeping within the posted speed limits and using overdrive are just some positive driving habits. Other things like coasting to a stop without riding the brakes and light acceleration on take offs can help to improve mileage and gas costs. Change a few of these things and keep track of the impact. You may be surprised.

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Quality Insurance and FREE GAS with Desjardins Insurance #GetAQuoteAndWin

Paula — Mon, 12 Nov 2018 12:51:53 +0000

This post has been sponsored by Desjardins which means I received compensation. My opinion is my own. Quality insurance is something I’ve always known I would need. As many of my regular readers know by now, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease by the age of 14. It’s a chronic inflammatory bowel disease with no known cure, only management. From high school on I knew any career path I chose would have to be one that offered great insurance I could trust. I have been dealing with insurance companies from the time I was a teen. I used to fill out our insurance forms with my Mom’s supervision. She was a single parent and ever had enough hands for things like that. So, I know many insurance companies and have had interactions with several over the decades. When I got married and then later when we adopted our two girls we needed reliable health, property and auto insurance. Reliable quality insurance was crucial and of course auto insurance and home insurance were necessary to protect us as a family. We ended up with Desjardins Insurance several years ago, long before they approached me to share this free gas promotion. Quality Insurance is Key for My Family For years, my family and I have relied on Desjardins to help us keep us healthy, and frankly, sane. We have multiple people with health issues and complex needs in our home, and I use our insurance weekly or even more often, in some cases. They make it simple and easy, which I appreciate. When someone in my family is sick, the last thing I want to do is fight with an insurance company about coverage or reimbursement for costs. When you are sick, or parenting kids with special needs and complex mental and physical health issues, everything is already an uphill battle. Every single step involves advocating for something. Insurance and health care should support and help, not place additional obstacles in your path. I’ve had challenges with some previous companies, and it absolutely adds insult to injury in a very real way. Similarly when you have a car accident you want the car fixed promptly and you don’t really want to have to argue with anyone to get that done. When our fence blew over in a violent windstorm in May, I was glad we had homeowner’s insurance that helped. I remember going through a claims process 25 years ago with a different insurer. In the end, I worked it out, but I had to work it out. I came away from the whole thing feeling defeated and exactly like a number, not a person. That has never been my experience with Desjardins. When I call them – whether it be for a claim or to ask a question – I am treated well, and I come away feeling glad that we have this particular insurer for our family. Get Quality Insurance and Maybe Free Gas I know from personal experience that Desjardins is an excellent company, and I want you to know, too. We have been with them for health insurance for about 10 years now. They have a vast range of other insurance products too from home and auto insurance to critical illness insurance and even identity coverage insurance. My point is – they have everything needed to help give you peace of mind. Right now Desjardins is also providing the chance to win free gas for a year, which could be an amazing prize for someone. Here’s hoping it’s one of my readers! Contest Details: When you get a quote from Desjardins, you’ll be entered to win free gas for a year. Here are the details straight from Desjardins. Desjardins Insurance has the right coverage to help you protect the things that matter most to you. And now, for a limited time, you could be entered to win FREE GAS for a year when you complete an online quote. It’s quick and easy – and you can see just how much you can save with a Desjardins Agent. Here’s how to enter: Simply visit their FREE GAS page and click “Get a Quote”. That’s it. There are no hoops and no runaround. You get a quote, and you might get free gas. I KNOW you’ll get a quality insurance provider if you decide to sign up with them. So get a quote on the insurance you need and maybe get some free gas. This contest closes December 17th, 2018 at 11:59am EST. This contest is open to Alberta, Ontario and New Brunswick residents only. No purchase necessary. See full Contest Rules. Good Luck!

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Husky Enacts Pay Before You Pump Policy

Paula — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 10:51:21 +0000

What if making one small change improved safety for many? Would you do it? Actually I like to think most people would adjust and make the small changes necessary to help others. That’s what Husky’s pay before you pump policy is about. The pay before you pump policy is common sense and ensures safety of both gas station attendants and customers. It’s a pre-emptive move against gas theft incidents that could cause injuries to attendants and customers. Pay Before You Pump Helps Increase Safety If you’ve filled up at a Husky station, you’ve probably noticed their new policy. They’ve been implementing this policy since the fall of 2017, and now it’s in place in their stations across Canada. This weekend when I filled up I noticed it for the first time. Pay Before You Pump is Husky’s way of doing their part to ensure both employee and customer safety by reducing the chances of gas-and-dash incidents and the possible injury that can accompany that sort of theft. “We commend companies that are taking the initiative around pre-pay,” explains Jack Smith, president of the Canada Safety Council. “Corporations and consumers both must do their part and contribute to the decline of injury and fatalities in Canada and we are proud to see companies realize this transition to a pre-payment system can make a big impact.” Under this new policy, patrons must use their debit or credit card or pre-pay in cash before filling their tanks. This falls in line with Husky’s stand against theft and possible violence. In fact, B.C. has had provincewide legislation in place since 2008 which makes pre-pay fuel mandatory. Alberta just enacted the pre-pay legislation this June, after fatal gas thefts in the province. What’s more, in provinces where pre-pay has been implemented, the rate of gas-and-dash deaths has dropped to ZERO. I fully support their new policy. It only makes sense to me, and as a parent, I find it even more sensible because I know it helps reduce the danger to workers, many of whom might be young teenagers working part-time at one of their stations. Reality is 98 % of the time I pay before I pump anyways. From the time the kids were small I would use my debit card at all gas stations, because I couldn’t get out and leave kids sitting in a vehicle. What if they climbed out of the car, or had a choking accident or heaven forbid even got into a big fight. Not a chance I ever wanted to take. So, really this changes nothing for me. I haven’t walked into a gas station to pay for years. On the rare occasion I go into a gas station these days it’s because the pump failed to print my receipt. Pay Before You Pump – It’s Safer for Everyone I’m glad that Husky is taking a stand against incidents involving gas theft across the country with its campaign to keep employees and customers safe. The Pay Before You Pump policy, ensures the safety of everyone involved in gas transactions, and that makes me feel good as a consumer and a parent. Husky Energy sponsored this post. My opinion is all my own and it is also truthful.

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