Things to Cut When Money Is Tight...2026 June Edition

 So, not really specific things but more of a method.  Should have though through the series title but I didn't.

Anyhoo...

Slow down.  55mph doesn't just save lives, it saves $$.

Most rigs get better mileage if you slow down.   There is a limit to that.  I once had to follow a truck convoy for work duties.  The colleague riding along to make sure I didn't fall asleep on the all night drive, thought I'd get GREAT mileage at 3mph.  No.  There is just a base amount of fuel to keep a car running, and the middle of a gear's speed range seems to be more efficiently sustained than the bottom.  Got crap mileage.

Slowing down in town helps too.  Accelerating takes more fuel than keeping a steady speed.  One must accelerate from a stop, but accelerating gently will be more efficient.  If yo aren't going so fast, you may be able to just take your foot of the gas to gradually slow fore most of the stopping distance at intersections.  This is more efficient than going fast and slamming on the brakes.

On the highway, most of my driving, for my vehicle 55 to 60 does seem to seriously increase mpg.  I wonder if that is how the endgine is set up or how it was broken in or both   This past weekend I drove a few hundred miles on highways but through mountains.  I was pretty careful about not trying to accelerate going uphill, coasting as much as possible downhill, and just maintaining a speed on flat areas.   Gained over 10% efficiency.   Noted.

The other thing...walk for any errand etc under a mile (about a 15 min walk for me).  It costs money to start the car so every time you don't, that helps save $$ directly by not using fuel, indirectly by not causing wear and tear on the engine and by making me exercise which probably will make me live 3 minutes longer (and that's just enough time to binge it a bag of mini-candy-bars...damn...there goes the savings!).

Rules: 
Slow down

Start slow

Accelerate less

Maintain a speed

Don't drive if you can walk.

It will all save a bit.  Gas is back just under 4$ a gallon here for the moment, but it won't last.  So Im keeping the habits going,