Fuel Economy Tip - Use the Proper Grade

Today's tip won't increase your gas mileage, but it can help you keep a bunch of money that you are needlessly throwing away.

Use the proper grade of fuel for your car, as recommended by the manufacturer.

Not that I want to make grand assumptions, but I'm going to assume that most of the people that read these tips are regular Joes (like myself) who drive cars that take regular 87 octane gas. And I'm also going to work under the assumption that most of us always fill up with the regular 87 octane gas.

But, there are some of us who needlessly fill up with mid-grade or premium gas either because we mistakenly think that's what our vehicle should be running on or because we think it's going to make our cars run better.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), needlessly bumping up your vehicle's fuel grade does nothing but drain your wallet. Using a mid or premium gas when your car should be taking regular unleaded does not improve performance, give you extra power or give you better fuel economy.

It is simply a waste of money.... unless it is recommended by your car's manufacturer. Then, by all means, use the higher graded fuels.

But for argument's sake, let's assume you're an average Joe like me and drive a regular unleaded car, but you've been filling it with mid-grade gas, spending an extra $.10 on each gallon of gas.

In terms of money spent, for a 15 gallon car, you're wasting $1.50 every time you fill up. If you fill up once a week, that's over $75 a year, with nothing to show for it.

So, before you fill up with a higher grade fuel, make sure that it's recommended by your vehicle's manufacturer. Otherwise, stick with regular unleaded.