Not all drivers traded in their old cars under the federal government’s “cash for clunkers” program. Some of us didn’t want to take on a new car payment. Others found our cars didn’t qualify for the program. And then there were those of us who are happy with the cars we own.

With that in mind, Angie’s List asked auto experts how to make our current vehicles a little more fuel efficient. Here is what they found would help:

Regular engine tune-ups: Have your mechanic do a regular checkup two weeks before your road trip. Annual, biannual and mileage-based preventative maintenance is intended to give technicians the chance to uncover any problems in the early stages.

Monitor tire inflation and mileage: Regularly monitor your tire’s air pressure. It’s like pedaling your bike with a flat tire –you have to work harder and so does your car. Keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure can increase your gas mileage up to three percent. Look on the driver’s side door jamb or in your owner’s manual for your vehicles recommended tire pressure.

Save the limbo for the beach: Don’t get below one-eighth of a tank of gas. Your fuel pump is located there and the bottom of the gas tank collects sediment from gasoline. When you run your car on low fuel, the pump can pick up the sediment and become damaged from it, which results in low fuel-efficiency.

Slow down: Speeding and rapid acceleration/deceleration can decrease your gas mileage – it’s bad for your transmission too. Avoid driving while you’re on the phone, not only is it unsafe, but it takes your attention away from how you are accelerating and decelerating.

Sleep all day, drive all night: Consider driving to any vacation destination during non-peak hours. Nearly half the energy needed to power your vehicle goes in acceleration. Unnecessary braking wastes that energy.

Photo courtesy of AP

Posted by Andrea Walker at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Cars, Gas prices, Travel
        

Add this one to the list of shrinking products: apparently propane tanks now contain less fuel although the tanks themselves remain the same size -- and the same price, according to the Associated Press.

Yes, that's right: if you're planning to buy propane to grill some meat, fish or vegetables this weekend, take a closer look at the labeling on the tank.

 Apparently ...

Continue reading "Propane grill masters fired up about less fuel in their tanks" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 9:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, Energy/Utilities, Food, Gas prices
        

So many people are struggling with utility bills, and have been for so long, that 84,000 Marylanders are at risk of having their electric and gas services cut off once winter restrictions are lifted on April 1, Laura Smitherman reports.

April 1 is the key date, because ...

Utilities can halt service when a customer's balance exceeds $200 for electricity or natural gas, or $300 for both; and when the total due is greater than the deposit. Rules are more lenient for low-income customers who apply for aid, the elderly and those on life support.

State regulations impose further restrictions on utilities during cold weather months for safety reasons. From Nov. 1 to April 1, service terminations are limited when the weather forecast does not exceed 32 degrees for 24 hours. Utilities also must file affidavits confirming that they made personal contact with customers before shutting them off and explaining the reason for doing so.

Now, a number of factors are affecting our bills this winter, including the colder temperatures. While everyone's situation is different, here are a couple of ideas to try to minimize your bills while staying warm:

Continue reading "84,000 people could have their electricity shut off" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 8:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Budgeting, Cheap/Frugal, Energy/Utilities, Gas prices, Home/Real Estate
        

Baltimore taxi riders will continue to pay the same mileage rates when they hop in a cab, for a few more weeks, at least.

You may have read the story last week about a taxi mileage rate decrease set to take effect March 1, based on a semi-annual review of gas prices. If you heard a lot of honking at the intersection of Baltimore Street and St. Paul Street on Wednesday, that was a protest by taxi drivers calling attention to their situation.

Well, late on Friday afternoon, a group of taxi drivers incensed about the decline obtained a temporary injunction on taxi mileage rate decreases from a Baltimore Circuit Court judge.

As a result ...

Continue reading "Taxi rates not decreasing, after all " »

Posted by Liz Kay at 12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Cars, Cheap/Frugal, Gas prices, Travel
        

So, more Cheap Trick Thursday: workplace columnist Hanah Cho tipped me off to an intriguing offer from McDonalds --- one free medium McCafe coffee from 5 to 8 a.m. every day in February, at Golden Arches locations that sport fancy McCafes selling fancy coffee beverages.

Hanah spotted a commercial advertising this deal, but unfortunately I have not been able to find any information online stating definitively which McDonalds in our area are participating or even which have McCafes at all.

There appears to be some debate online about which U.S. regions will have franchises offering the free McCafe coffee in February deal.

Do you have a McCafe near you? Please share addresses and information so your fellow readers can enjoy this as well.

UPDATE: Looking for more free McDonalds McCafe coffee? Click the link for more details, because Baltimore-area McDonalds will be offering freebies in April!

UPDATED AGAIN: More <a xhref="http://tr.im/rKN5">free McDonalds McCafe Mochas, every Monday</a> through Aug. 3, 2009!

Posted by Liz Kay at 1:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, Food, Gas prices
        

Starting next year, you will get less money for using your car or truck for work.

The IRS today released the new mileage reimbursement rate, which reflects the recent decline in gas prices as well as other driving-related costs.

Next year, you’ll get 55 cents per mile, down from 58½ cents. The business mileage rate at the beginning of this year was 50½ cents, but was raised 8 cents mid-year as gas prices soared.

Similarly, the mileage rate if you use your vehicle for medical trips or moving will be 24 cents per mile next year, down 3 cents. The rate early this year started at 19 cents per mile, but was also raised as gas prices hit new heights.

You can deduct mileage if you use your car while helping out a charity. The rate, which can only be changed by Congress, will remain unchanged at 14 cents per mile.

Posted by Eileen Ambrose at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Gas prices
        

Megabus.com, the express city-to-city bus service that offers fares for as low as $1 on the Internet, is giving away 100,000 free seats starting today.

If you were thinking about taking a winter getaway, but couldn't afford it, if you were planning a trip and wanted to shave some expenses, if you weren't even thinking of going anywhere, do check this out.

The free seats can be booked on their Web site for travel beginning Wed., Jan. 14, through Wed., March 18, 2009.  Customers must enter the promo code greenbus for the opportunity to receive a free seat.

Continue reading "100,000 free seats on Megabus" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 2:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Budgeting, Cheap/Frugal, Gas prices, Travel
        

I stopped to get gas yesterday because my tank was on empty and guess how much it cost me to fill 'er up? 29 buckeroos. Let me repeat that, twenty-nine whole dollars for mid-grade gas, too.

This time last year, it cost me almost twice that, I believe.

I gotta confess, it made me smile... not because I envision driving more or going back to my gas guzzling days. But only because I didn't think I'd see prices going below $2 a gallon anytime this year or anytime in the near future.

Continue reading "Will Low Gas Prices Help the Holiday Shopping Season" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 1:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Economy, Gas prices, Holiday shopping, Shopping
        

On Sunday, I wrote about U-Haul's gas policy and how it forces customers into purchasing more gas than they received to avoid a refueling fee. Some people thought I was too hard on the rental company since many companies use the same gas policy.

I stand firm on my position, though, since I think the policy is flawed. Using something as unreliable as a gas gauge and an eyeball test to determine whether a customer has refilled the tank to exactly where the needle was when they picked up the rental is about as inaccurate a measure as you can get. If the truck is on an incline, if the truck is old and the gauge is off, the chances of getting a bad reading are too great.

Continue reading "More U-Haul Complaints" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Complaints, Gas prices, Rent
        

Is it me or are things starting to feel a teen tiny bit brighter this week? Last week we were down in the dumps. This week, we have a bit o' hope.

The stock market came roaring back on Monday only to drop by 200-plus points on Tuesday as the country waited to see how the feds carry out the rescue plan.

Apple announced plans to start selling a $999 laptop. Still not cheap, by any means, but hey... at least they're acknowledging that there's room to price Mac's a bit more attractively to everyone coveting Apple products, but also watching their wallets.

And last, but not least, gas prices have dropped across the country, says AAA's Fuel Gauge Report. Dude. I filled up my 18-gallon tank for less than $50 on Monday. I think I did a happy Snoopy dance because I can't remember the last I've been able to fill my tank for anything below $65. Lots of Marylanders are feeling a little better about gas prices, too, according to this Mike Dresser story.

Continue reading "Depression. What Depression?" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Computers, Economy, Gas prices
        

Hurricane Ike wreaked havoc in Texas but managed to spare most of the refinery infrastructure.  As a result, oil prices are down to their lowest since February.

Remember, you can search for the lowest gas prices nearest to you using the Baltimore Sun's gas price tracker. Share and submit the prices you're seeing with other readers.

(photo: Associated Press)

Posted by Liz Kay at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cars, Cheap/Frugal, Gas prices
        

Refineries are closing with the threat of Hurricane Ike, and so the somewhat-lower gas prices that drivers have enjoyed for the last few weeks may come to an end. 

Continue reading "Fuel prices to surge with Hurricane Ike" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 4:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cars, Gas prices
        

Pete Horrigan wasn't happy with what I wrote about gas prices recently when reader Townson Burkindine asked if there was a Maryland law preventing individual retailers from selling below cost.

Horrigan, who is with the Mid-Atlantic Petroleum Distributors Association, accused me of presenting only one side of the argument so I'm going to share his letter with you to present the other side. This is his response to my answer to Burkindine's question (ed note: sorry about the all caps. I'm just sharing verbatim what Horrigan wrote, except that I added parentheses around his writing to make it a little easier to follow.):

Continue reading "Gas price laws don't hurt consumers, says Maryland petroleum group" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Gas prices
        

In a recent AAA Mid-Atlantic Web Poll that posed the question “Who’s to Blame for High Gas Prices?,” commodity speculators were ranked the No. 1 evil behind driving up gas prices.

Poll respondents also blamed Congress, Big Oil and unrest in the Middle East.

“It’s a question with no clear, concrete answer,” AAA Mid-Atlantic spokeswoman Ragina C. Averella said. “What is clear is that motorists are frustrated with increased costs and the lack of a near-term solution; thus creating plenty of blame to go around.”

Respondents were given seven choices and asked to pick only three. The list of choices followed by the percentage of people who selected each are:

Continue reading "Who's to Blame for high gas prices?" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 2:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Complaints, Energy/Utilities, Gas prices
        

At the BP on Eastern Avenue where I filled up the tank yesterday, regular unleaded was selling for $3.89 (or $3.90 if you add in that 9/10s of a cent) a gallon.

How funny is it that I was actually excited about that?

AAA says that for the first time since June 7, the national average price of gasoline dropped below $4 a gallon on Saturday to $3.98, which is down 13 cents from the all-time record of $4.11.

Yesterday, the national average dropped another penny to $3.97.

Continue reading "AAA says gas prices will continue to drop" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 11:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Energy/Utilities, Gas prices
        

Maryland is one of 10 states doing the most to wean its residents off a dependence on oil, according to a Natural Resources Defense Council study released yesterday.

The state earned praise along with New York for its smart growth policies, including allocating state funds as well as some federal dollars for public transportation. 

Maryland and other mid-Atlantic/northeastern states dominated the list:

1) California
2) New York
3) Connecticut
4) Washington
5) Pennsylvania
6) New Jersey
7) Rhode Island
8) New Mexico
9) Colorado
10) Maryland

So which states are most at risk, according to NRDC? 

Continue reading "Maryland fighting its oil addiction" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 4:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cars, Gas prices
        

My story today about salvage grocery stores will inspire this week's Cheap Trick Thursday. With food prices soaring, along with gas prices, how are you curtailing your grocery spending?

Lots of people are taking a hard look at what they buy and how they use it to create healthy meals. The food adventures of The 99 Cent Chef, who creates dishes with the best offerings from dollar stores in southern California, are interesting, for example. (My personal, untested hypothesis about dollar stores is that some of the products they carry would normally sell for less than one dollar, so you spend less on some items but more on others. But, I digress.)

I'm more intrigued by what a blogger over at Wise Bread pointed out about healthy, frugal eating: 

Continue reading "Send us your money-saving tips for food" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, Food, Gas prices, Shopping
        

AAA Mid-Atlantic members believe that gas prices will shoot up to $5 a gallon sometime this year. (Continue reading for my prediction.)

Did you hear that sound? That was the sound of millions of drivers groaning.

In a recent AAA Mid-Atlantic member survey, seven in 10 members said they have had to cut spending from other parts of their household budget to make up for the continued spike in gas prices.

Those who are reallocating household funds to pay for increased gas costs are spending fewer dollars on entertainment (87%) and personal shopping (81%) – such as for new home technology or work clothes. Leisure travel (62%) and home improvements (43%) took the next biggest hits as households move money around to pay for gas. Those surveyed were allowed to choose all that applied among six common household budget areas. More than four in 10 (41%) said they had cut back on food shopping.

Continue reading "$5 a gallon gas?" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 7:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Gas prices
        

Check out what the second-prize winner of the Florida Lottery's "Summer Cash" drawing will win: free gas for life!

Well ... not free gas, but 26 pre-paid gas cards, worth $100, every year for the rest of his or her life, according to the New York Times. Sure, that would buy less gas if prices keep going up, but still!

Funny --- I saw this article the day after Consumerist posted a link to this CNN story about scratch-off lottery tickets that are sold after the top prizes have been won.

Continue reading "The newest lottery prize: free gas" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Gas prices, Odds & Ends
        

This is the beauty of the Internet. No sooner had I posted the MyGallons info early this morning, alert readers like Robert and Kelly Murphy pointed us to the problems related to this deal.

Said Kelly:

I found the below information from my second favorite site on consumer items.

http://consumerist.com/tag/mygallons/?i=5022061&t=bbb-says-mygallonscom-omitted-fact-in-advertising-has-no-contract-to-process-transactions

Continue reading "BBB gives MyGallons.com an F" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Gas prices
        

We're all looking to save money on gas. Short of not driving or limiting the amount of time we spend driving, Faithful Reader Bob and his lovely wife, Leslie, gave us a pretty interesting tip about MyGallons.com, which would allow you to lock in gas prices.

The way it works, you sign up for and pay an annual membership fee (the cost of annual membership is $29.95 when enrolling in the auto-refill program, which pre-purchases more fuel for your account when your balance drops below 15 gallons. Cost of annual membership is $39.95 for the manual refill program.) A MyGallons card will be sent to you.

Once you log in, you can access your account to see how many gallons of fuel you have available, your transaction history, th current price for purchasing more fuel, etc. You can also pre-purchase fuel to add to your account at the current price at that very moment in time.

The good thing behind that is that you could lock in a MyGallon price for as many filler ups as you want, while the actual price at the pump keeps climbing. Or you could be unfortunate enough to lock in a price and see real gas prices go down, I guess. At this rate, though, it doesn't really seem like prices are dropping.

Continue reading "Save on gas @ MyGallons.com?" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, Energy/Utilities, Gas prices
        

If filling up your gas guzzler is eating up half your paycheck, you likely have thought about ditching it for a more fuel efficient vehicle.

Imagine, for instance, the savings if you traded in a Hummer for a Prius!

Well, Edmunds.com, an online provider of auto information, has come up with a reality check. Its online calculator allows you to plug in the make, model and year of your car and what you want to trade it in for. Then it figures if there's a savings or not.

"Car buyers think they can save money by dumping their gas-guzzler and purchasing a gas-sipper," says Edmund's Philip Reed in a statement. "But when you look at the big picture -- total cash out of pocket -- a very different situation is often revealed."

Edmunds uses the example of ditching a 4-year-old GMC Yukon worth $13,483 for a spanking new Toyota Prius worth $21,647. That's an $8,164 difference. If the consumer drives 1,200 miles per month and gas costs $4.07 per gallon, the monthly fuel savings will be $201.34.

Sounds good, but is it? It will take 41 months - more than 3 years - to pay back the extra cost of the Prius over the trade-in value of the Yukon, Edmunds reports.

I plugged in the information on a 2005 Hummer vs. 2008 Prius. As it turns out, there's no cost savings.

Play around with the site yourself. Let us know if you think it useful or not.

Posted by Eileen Ambrose at 1:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Gas prices
        

If you plan on speeding in the Atlanta area, you better brace yourself for a fuel surcharge on that speeding ticket you got slapped with, too.

Under the "Here's something interesting about how high fuel prices are affecting us" category, MSNMoney is reporting that speeders in the Atlanta suburb of Holly Springs, Ga., will soon face a $12 "fuel fee" when the motorist is pulled over and ticketed. According to the law, $8 from every fine will go to fuel costs for the police department.

Apparently, the idea has gone over so well with city government types that Atlanta may not be far behind in adopting the practice and other jurisdictions in Florida and California are thinking about it, too.

Continue reading "Nabbed for speeding? Pay police for fuel costs, too." »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 3:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Energy/Utilities, Gas prices
        

Do your eyeballs pop out of your head every time you fill up the gas tank? Are you afraid to look at the price signs to see how much fuel is going to cost you next time you pull up to a pump? Do you need a release for some of that anger?

Settle down, people. I am NOT advocating violence.

ConsumerWatchDog, formerly The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, launched a campaign last week to get you to send a consumer letter to elected officials to let them know what each driver paid for the last fill-up, the price per gallon paid, and the family’s estimated monthly fuel bill.

The idea, CWD says, is to get the attention of "Washington’s elected officials, who rarely have to use their own money at the gas pump. With gasoline prices at or within a penny of their all-time highs, families are at the breaking point, while elected officials are in a bubble until they hear from constituents."

Continue reading "Gas prices got you angry? Good. Tell Congress." »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Complaints, Energy/Utilities, Gas prices
        

The high price of gas might make you stop paying at the pump.

Some gas station owners have banned credit-card transactions entirely. Others are charging more for the privilege of paying with plastic.

I have heard of stations locally --- on Falls Road in Hampden, on York Road in Timonium and near Taylor Avenue in Towson --- that have set two different prices per gallon of gas: one for those paying with cash and another for credit cards.

The difference can be as much as 10 or 12 cents a gallon. One of my friends, faced with the prospect of paying nine cents more per gallon, said she got back in her car and drove to another station.

She wisely did not pay the extra fees to use the ATM at the station, which would have charged her a fee --- along with her bank.

Why the difference?

Continue reading "Gas more expensive when paying with credit cards?" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 6:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Cars, Cheap/Frugal, Credit cards, Gas prices
        

After ten consecutive days of record breaking gas prices...

... get ready for it...this is big.........you're going to feel sooOOOoooo much richer....

The average cost of self-serve regular in Maryland fell two tenths of a penny today to $4.051 a gallon. According to AAA, this price is 35 percent or nearly $1.06 more for a gallon of gas compared to last year at this time.

AAA found that almost all metro areas throughout the state that are surveyed on gas prices are above $4 a gallon for gas on average. Salisbury is still the lowest in Maryland at an average $3.99 a gallon for self-serve regular gas.

Two-tenths of a penny. Gadzooks. Just think of all I'm saving at the pumps now. Where ever am I gonna spend it all?

But before you get too giddy about gas prices falling again, curb your enthusiasm, please.

Continue reading "Gas Prices Drop... two tenths of a penny!" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 11:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Energy/Utilities, Gas prices
        

Most people probably knew you would pay a premium when you let the car rental place fill up the tank of the car you rented over a weekend. But $8 for a $4 gallon of gas? That's pretty unreasonable.

Now, after the state attorney general's office threatened to sue or fine the companies, the major car rental companies agreed to charge no more than 42 percent more than what local gas stations are charging.

That will cut fill-up rates by more than a third, but it will still be expensive, according to the story by Laura McCandlish: 

Beginning July 1, the state's eight major rental car companies will charge customers returning cars in Maryland no more than 42 percent over local pump prices. Hertz, the largest rental car company, agreed to charge no more than 35 percent more - or $5.40 when pump prices are $4 - or a $10 flat fee.

Hertz now charges BWI customers $7.99 a gallon, the highest in Maryland and around the country, Gansler said.

Hertz announced this week a nationwide program beginning July 1 to charge market rates plus a $6.99 service charge to refuel.

But even with this agreement, making refueling rates among the lowest in the nation, you save the most money if you pump it yourself, consumer experts say. 

Continue reading "Renting a car? Refuel it yourself." »

Posted by Liz Kay at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cars, Cheap/Frugal, Gas prices
        

Remember way back when gas prices were almost $2 a gallon and people were really mad and said they'd stop driving as much? Maybe they'd walk or bike more and stop taking so many trips? But that didn't really happen, right?

Well, noted consumer psychologist Kit Yarrow of Golden Gate University says that as consumers prepare themselves for another big spike in gas prices (some areas are close to $5 a gallon as that photo from a Chicago station shows), this jump will finally "mark a tipping point in the way that consumers psychologically respond to gas prices and begin major shifts in behavior."

Our prior optimism about prices eventually falling allowed us to avoid changing our behavior in the hopes of a decline, Yarrow says. But now, she says that we consumers have wrapped our brains around the fact that prices aren't just temporarily high, but that prices are continuously rising and the days of seeing low gas prices are over.

Faced with that realization, Yarrow says we'll have to decide to devote more of our income to gas or we're going to find ways to reduce our consumption.

Continue reading "A Tipping Point for Gas" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Gas prices
        

 
June 11's timely Urban Word of the Day (courtesy of Urban Dictionary) is

hypermiling: driving techniques and car mods aimed at increasing your gas mileage to the absolute max. Often practiced with a Toyota Prius or other hybrid vehicle.

Yoshi is hypermiling cross country this week. He is trying to go from Chicago to LA on one tank of gas!

The hypermilers in my story today were able to eek extra miles out of each gallon by making simple adjustments that frankly most driving instructors would approve of: driving at the speed limit and accelerating and braking gently, keeping tires inflated and decreasing other demands on energy such as idling, air conditioning and heavy loads.

And the savings eases all the pain sometimes felt from the rude gestures from their fellow motorists, although most hypermilers say they stay to the right and yield to faster drivers.

But on a week like this one, how do hypermilers survive the heat without AC?

They minimize it. Here are tips from Wayne Gerdes, of cleanmpg.com:

Continue reading "Hypermiling and air conditioning" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 9:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Cars, Cheap/Frugal, Gas prices
        

As of today, Maryland, like 23 other American states, is home to $4+ gas, AAA Mid-Atlantic reports. The higher prices can be found in the Washington suburbs and Hagerstown.

Gas Prices as of June 10, 2008

(Self-Serve Regular)

Continue reading "Gas prices more than $4 in Maryland" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 2:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cars, Cheap/Frugal, Gas prices
        

Middle River Baptist plans to discount gas at a nearby gas station by 50 cents a gallon for three hours on Monday.

It's a strategy we told you about earlier --- how churches, noting the anxieties surrounding fuel costs, are offering free or low-cost gas as a kind gesture to consumers.

These offers generally stand with no strings attached and few limitations (they'll only fill vehicle fuel tanks --- no portable ones) ... but if it convinces a few drivers to check out Middle River Baptist to check out a Sunday service, they won't say no.

Here's the details if you want to go help yourself to the offer: 

Continue reading "Bless this cheap gas" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 6:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Gas prices
        

 
According to this story, more Marylanders "staycationed" over Memorial Day instead of traveling this weekend. Traffic was down on the Bay bridge and at toll plazas along I-95; hotels were not booked despite lovely weather on all four days.

Well, Budget Travel has compiled a list of deals designed to lure you out onto the open road by overcoming the gas price dilemma. Many are still in effect for at least June, if not the rest of the summer.

Here are the specials within reasonable driving distance:

Continue reading "More free gas-for-travel ideas" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 4:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, Gas prices, Travel
        

It was inevitable.

With gas prices approaching $4 a gallon comes news that gas theft is on the rise.

Although drive-offs have declined earlier this decade since most stations make you pay before you pump, the National Association of Convenience Stores says they’re rising sharply again.

Even worse, the police told msnbc that thieves are getting bolder.

* Using an empty gas can and a siphon, thieves were able to suck 30 gallons of diesel from a bus in a Bethesda, Md., parking lot.

* In Beaver Dam, Wis., “they’re just going to cars at night and siphoning gas out of them,” said Stephanie Lehmann, who said several cars in her neighborhood had been hit.

* Police in Evansville, Ind., said thieves drained all of the fuel this month from seven trucks belonging to a local office of JBM Inc., a metal fabrication chain. They put the loss at $700.

Continue reading "Gasoline theft on the rise" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 7:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Gas prices
        

Still wondering whether you to go road trippin' this weekend? The Sun has an excellent fuel cost calculator to help you gauge how much you'll spend on fuel if you load up the kids for a weekend getaway. (Updated: AAA also has a fuel cost calculator that automatically plugs in estimated distances and fuel costs --- more of a ballpark figure.)

Of course, this doesn't include tolls, lower gas mileage due to AC/idling in traffic, and any number of other contingencies ... like if you add a detour to see Tulsa's Giant Oil Man to your itinerary.

Then again, you could always get someone else to drive ...  

Continue reading "How expensive is your road trip?" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 6:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Cars, Gas prices, How To, Travel
        

Remember, the free Car Care Clinics organized by the Baltimore Metropolitan Council and the Maryland Department of the Environment are coming up next week and through the month of June.

Check out this list of dates to get a free inspection by Precision Tune Auto Care. 

For more tips on easing your commute's impact on the environment and your wallet, go to www.cleancommute.org. 

Posted by Liz Kay at 4:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cars, Cheap/Frugal, Gas prices
        

With gas prices running about $3.80 a gallon for regular unleaded, we knew sooner or later that smart businesses would start offering gas deals to coax consumers into choosing them over a competitor. Most of these deals can be found in hotel deals that are trying to lure you away from home.

Check out Expedia which is offering a $50 gas card to travelers who book a stay at a participating hotel for 3 or more nights. You have to book book by May 23, 2008, 11:59 PM Pacific, and complete travel by September 30, 2008.

BedandBreakfast.com has a list of "tanks a lot" deals from b&bs, some of which are offering as much as $50 gas cards for booking a stay. I can't find a Web site for it, but I've seen several news reports that Rehoboth Beach innkeepers are also offering free gas deals.

Benchmark Painting in Kensington, Md., is offering a $50 gas card for any job up to $500 or a $75 gas card for any job over $500. Offer expires Dec. 31, 2008.

Continue reading "Gas deals" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 7:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Energy/Utilities, Gas prices
        

As promised earlier, here's the list of free car care clinics, organized near you by the Baltimore Metropolitan Council, the Maryland Department of the Environment and Precision Tune Auto Care.

The dates below list Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll and Harford county locations. They're working to schedule two more clinics --- one in Baltimore City, as well as Howard County, said Russ Urlich of the Baltimore Metropolitan Council. 

The really good news: "after June 1, motorists may go into any Precision Tune location and request the free Clean Cars for Clean Air check-up," Urlich wrote in an e-mail.

He explains that the clinics are "comprehensive yet non-invasive" --- no more probing than checking with a dipstick.

The first one, held in Halethorpe last month, was rained out, so they hope to see plenty of you out there, he said.

For more info, including other "clean commuting tips", check out www.cleancommute.org.

Continue reading "More free car care clinics" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 2:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cars, Cheap/Frugal, Gas prices
        

See those people there? It's a line for food rationing distributed by the United Nations World Food Programme in Nairobi.

The reason why I bring this up on a beautiful Friday morning is because reader PastorTim said something yesterday that depressed the heck out of me. On my post about rice rationing by Sam's Clubs because of concerns about shortages, he commented that:

This is only the start of food rations in the USA. We need to wake up to the times we are living in. We're in a Greater Depression.

As I keep telling you, I'm a worrier. So when I saw the Sam's Club story and read about retailers limiting consumer purchases of flour, rice and cooking oil, it made me worry. C'mon. I've been worried for awhile now... about the availability of wheat and now rice, rising food prices, rising gas prices, rising debt levels and of course, the mortgage crisis as documented by my terrific colleague Jamie and her Real Estate Wonk blog. 

Continue reading "A Great(er) Depression: The end of cheap food, energy and credit" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Budgeting, Cheap/Frugal, Debt, Energy/Utilities, Food, Gas prices, Shopping
        

Gas is high enough without cheating pumps adding up to $5 for every fill up. Read Associated Press reporter Michael Gormley's story, fume, and then let us know what you think:

Angry about the price of gas? Just imagine paying for gas you don’t get. Some alert consumers have noticed it over the years: A pump that seems to hesitate a second when the lever is squeezed. Anywhere from 2 to 6 cents tick off before the rush of gasoline starts. That’s what happens with a common, hard to diagnose and mostly ignored problem with the "check valve," which is supposed to make sure gas flows at the same time the price meter starts.

But even if your gas pump works, it can still be off as much as $5 for every fill up. Tests by local regulators allow a pump to charge as much as 6 cents more than the gas delivered in a five-gallon test, but there can be wild fluctuations. Federal regulators said they had heard of swings of as much as 30 to 40 cents per gallon.

Don’t blame the gas guys. Even consumer advocates say retailers may be losing as often as consumers and no one appears able to rig the meters. But the small "check valve" at the end of the multibillion dollar industry just wears out, and often goes unnoticed for months.

Regulators’ records show short staffing, particularly for financially struggling counties that try to inspect pumps every six months, but too often don’t even meet the one-year requirement in states like New York.

Federal standards require all gas pumps to start pumping gas as soon as the price meter starts, said Ken Butcher of the National Institute of Standards of

(AP Photo)

Continue reading "Cheated by the pump" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 6:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Gas prices
        

The Maryland Department of the Environment wants to help you save gas money.

April is National Car Care Month, and some repair shops will be inspecting cars for free, according to an MDE news release. They're looking for common problems that decrease fuel mileage and performance to help both the environment and your pocketbook.

With just a little more than a week left, MDE, the Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC), and Precision Tune Auto Care will offer a free Car Care Clinic from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 20th at the Wal-Mart Supercenter on Washington Boulevard in Halethorpe. Apparently more will be scheduled elsewhere in the Baltimore metro area, and information about them will be posted at www.baltometro.com. (We'll try to keep you posted as well.) 

Here are some problems that can cause gas pains, according to MDE:

Continue reading "Save your gas money" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 8:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, Gas prices, How To
        

(photo by Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

In an earlier post about being frugal, I mentioned my father's refusal to fill his gas tank completely to avoid using up more gas to haul that fuel all over town.

Commenter aeb asked on that post about an opposite strategy --- keeping your tank full to avoid losing your gas to evaporation.

This Real Simple article on saving money also says evaporation is a problem, but because of hot weather, and so recommends parking out of the sun, a tip repeated in this interview on Marketplace.

Little did I know that the kind fellows on Car Talk had addressed these very same questions earlier this year!

An amazing coincidence. So what's the deal?  

Continue reading "Debunking gas saving tips and myths" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 3:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Budgeting, Cars, Cheap/Frugal, Gas prices