Save Money at the Gas Pump?
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Discounted Prepaid Gas Cards
Introduction
The energy crisis has hit the world by storm and now many people are finding that the same amount of money is starting to buy them a whole lot less. Indeed, nobody can blame you for being angry about higher prices of energy, simply because the economy has really been built on the idea that oil would always be plentiful and cheap. Without that concept in place, not only is gas going up with the basic necessities of life that are transported using gas are rising in price as well, really placing the average person between a rock and a hard place.
For that reason, many companies have now offered their customers discounted prepaid gas cards. As the name suggests, these cards can be used at gas stations in order to gain a discount on gas, with the catch that you need to load them with money before you make the actual purchase. Depending on the card, you can either reload it when it runs out or alternatively you might need to get a completely new one from the gas station and throw the old one out. Many people are intrigued by these types of offers, but would like to know what the advantages and disadvantages are of such an arrangement. The best way to determine this would be to look at several factors and determine if those factors are advantages or disadvantages to the overall idea.
Price
The most important factor involved with discounted prepaid gas cards is of course price. They would not exist without price, so it is definitely the determining factor in many cases. And if you look at it from the point of view of the actual amount of money that you pay for gas, you will find that price is decidedly one of the big advantages of these discounted prepaid gas cards. They do allow you to get a discount in the gas price and for that reason are definitely useful things to have.
At the same time however, it is important to consider the other factors that might limit how much of an advantage price is. For example, if you look at price from a monthly budget point of view and then consider that you have to load money onto the card before you actually buy the gas, you might end up with a situation where the change in your cash flow is more than the card is worth. Additionally, a particular card might only work for a particular company’s gas stations, which is another thing that you might need to consider. What use is having a discounted prepaid gas card if you have to drive further to get to a gas station where you can use it?
Overall, price is still an advantage, but for people that live close to gas stations where they can get the discount and are good at managing their cash flow, the advantage involved is far greater.
Convenience
Convenience is another interesting factor and one that is definitely worth further consideration. The convenience involved with a gas card is that quite frequently you can use the gas card to pay at your pump rather than walking into the station and paying where the actual gas station attendant is seated. This is something that can be very advantageous if you are in a hurry and for that reason is definitely something that increases the level of convenience that you might feel.
On the other hand, most of the gas stations in the country already do have some sort of plastic card payment slot. In other words, you can already pay for gas at the pump in most cases through the use of credit cards and debit cards. This means that the advantage that you gain from gas cards is negligible and since many gas cards actually need to be validated at the counter, this might actually be something that is somewhat disadvantageous.
If you are tied down to using your gas card as opposed to a credit or debit card when you are at the gas station, then you might get yourself into a situation where paying at the pump is impossible because the attendants need to validate your discount. While such situations are rare, they have been known to happen.
For this reason, the convenience factor involved is actually a disadvantage, since being tied down to using discount prepaid gas cards can actually make things less convenient for you.
Hassle
The last factor worth considering is hassle, which is something that is similar to convenience but not exactly the same. Where convenience deals with your interactions with the gas station using the gas card, hassle rather deals with what happens when all of your purchasing is tied directly to the card. For the most part, there is really nothing to gain from having this, aside from the price considerations that have already been discussed in previous sections.
On the other hand, there is a lot that you can lose. For the average person that pays for gas with a credit card and then drives away within a few seconds of having pumped the gas, the potential problems that could arise with a discount prepaid gas card could delay them by quite a large margin. In addition to this, the discount prepaid gas card is yet another card that must be carried around and that in turn means that it is just one more card that you can potentially forget. Driving back to get it would likely negate the discount that you get.
Overall, discount prepaid gas cards are disadvantageous because of the potential for hassle that exists in their use.
Conclusion
Overall, discount prepaid gas cards provide you with cheaper gas, but they are less convenient and less hassle-free than their credit and debit card counterparts. However, for most people, the discounted gas is worth the potential for extra hassle and for that reason they are still overall more advantageous than disadvantageous to have.
Paul Kapschock is an author, researcher, financial guru, web designer and developer and CEO of Good Sense Inc. Good Sense Inc. owns and operates informational websites for the general public and niche specific sites for avid readers.
His latest site is: http://www.DiscountedPrepaidGasCards.com
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Tips to Save Gas! Maintain Your Car to Its Best Performance!
Proper maintenance not only keeps your vehicle running efficiently and ensure its reliability, and also it is also likely to fetch a better resale price. It is important to read the owner’s manual and familiarize yourself with the maintenance schedule and requirements recommended by the manufacturer. From time to time, it is advisable to perform the following regular checks to ensure that your vehicle is in good operating condition, and to identify problems that may increase your fuel costs.
Keep Air Filter Clean
A clogged air filter can reduce fuel efficiency by as much as 10% and damage your engine over time. Regularly inspect your air filter and replace if necessary.
Keep Typres Properly Inflated
Check your car’s tyres at least once a month and ensure that they are inflated to the recommended tyre pressure stated in your owner’s manual. Properly inflated tyres can improve fuel economy by 5%.
Check Car Fluid Leakages
Check around the car and under the engine for fluid leaks. Fluids such as engine oil lubricate the moving parts of the engine, minimizing friction carrying away excess heat and leading to optimal engine performance and fuel economy.
Use the Right Engine Fuel
A vehicle engine will give the optimum engine performance when you use the fuel specified by the manufacturer. Read your owner’s manual to find out what your vehicle really needs.
Keep Brakes Functioning
Check for problems with the brakes. Malfunctioning brakes can significantly increase fuel consumption because the vehicle must work harder to overcome the resistance.
For more detail of maintaining your car, check it out at http://www.waystosaveenergy.net
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Telltale Signs That Your Brake Pads Need Replacing
If your car’s brake pads are worn out, you could find it difficult to bring your car to a complete stop. How dangerous that can be if you encounter an emergency situation!
Fortunately, there are some clear signs of impending brake trouble including the following:
- Squealing brakes
- Grinding brakes
- Brake pedal that needs to be pumped in order to stop the car
- Pulling of the car from one side to the other
- Wheel grabbing
- Sudden and hard brake pedal
- Spongy brake pedals
Though some of these problems may require that you replace other brake components, an inspection of your brake pads will usually reveal that they are worn and are in need of prompt replacement.
The next step you take depends on your skillsets, time available, and your budget. Most automotive garages offer a free brake inspection which can be a perfect opportunity for you to have someone else inspect your system to confirm what you suspect is wrong with your car.
Ask your mechanic for a full diagnosis of your brake system and get a written estimate of what parts and repairs will cost you. A professional garage will give you a print out showing an estimate of what your costs will be. Include local taxes and the price quoted should be about 95% of the final cost, excluding unforeseen additional problems being detected [for example, a leaking master cylinder].
If you are confident that you can do the work yourself, you could save yourself plenty of money, at least in labor costs. You can also save money with parts by shopping around, but expect to pay the highest prices at your dealer’s parts department. On the other hand, prices at a national auto parts supply store should be lower, while prices through an online wholesaler should be about the lowest of all as they purchase their inventory directly from the manufacturer, cutting out the middle man.
Should you choose to purchase online, only obtain parts from a reputable dealer selling parts from respected manufacturers. Be careful of those sites selling generic parts from unknown overseas merchants. Make sure that you can return what you purchase, if needed, to an address based in the U.S.
Copyright 2008-2012 — Matthew C. Keegan is the owner of a successful writing and marketing business based in North Carolina, USA. He manages several websites and is a contributing writer for Andy’s Auto Sport, a retailer of quality Toyota Celica body kits and Toyota Celica carbon fiber hoods
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The O2 Sensor and You - Why You Need Them
Modern vehicles are much more complex than their predecessors. Numerous additions have been made to increase fuel economy, as well as to decrease emissions. One of these things is the O2 sensor. All modern cars have at least one sensor, though most have two and several have four sensors. These sensors are located at various points in the exhaust system and play a vital role in both fuel economy and emission regulation.
For the tuner, O2 sensors can be huge pain in the behind. Custom exhausts are a great way to add power and performance to your vehicle. Unfortunately, you can find yourself without a place for your oxygen sensors if you don’t buy the right type of pipes and headers. Typically, one sensor will be mounted on the exhaust manifold gasket (which is replaced by the header) and the other will be placed midway down the exhaust pipe, usually just before the catalytic converter.
Together, these two sensor help regulate your fuel/air mixture, as well as EGR valve operation. Without these sensors, your check engine light lights up, your car runs rough and your fuel mileage can significantly decrease. In addition, it’s pretty hard (read as impossible) to pass an emissions test without O2 sensors installed. That pesky check engine light will usually give you away.
What do oxygen sensors do? They tell your car’s computer the volume of unspent gas fumes in your exhaust gasses. Depending on this reading, your EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) valve will open or close, allowing those fumes to feed your engine and increasing fuel mileage. While tuners are not necessarily interested in getting the best gas mileage or reducing their emissions, you still have to have these babies installed to pass your emissions test. Emissions testing has become mandatory in most urban areas and even in many suburban and rural areas.
In addition to making it impossible to pass the emissions test, the fact that the check engine light remains on makes it difficult to know when another problem has occurred. The check engine light is designed to illuminate under a plethora of different conditions, from sensor malfunction to transmission problems and even loose gas caps (fuel leak sensor). The light will not turn off until you have reinstalled those O2 sensors. So, what are you to do?
The best way to circumvent the problem is to purchase headers and custom exhaust pipes with oxygen sensor bungs already in place. This way, all you have to do is unscrew the sensors from the original pipes and install them in the new ones. The check engine light stays off and you stay legal for testing purposes. Oxygen sensor removal will require a special socket, designed to fit the diameter of the nut made into the sensor, as well as unhooking the wiring harness leading into the vehicle. The harness is usually found a short distance from the sensor; just follow the wire and you will find it. In some vehicles, the wire actually terminates under the seats, inside the car, so be prepared.
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5 Tips For Saving Money and Gas
With the stress of rising fuel costs we are all looking for ways to save money. Check out my top 5 tips for improving your fuel economy:
1. Accelerate and Decelerate with Ease - Accelerating and decelerating slowly is key to saving gas. In fact you can save 5% - 30% when you follow this rule.
2. Drive in Neutral - Put it in neutral as much as possible. When driving down an incline of a 1/4 mile or more neural should be your best friend. While some would encourage you to turn the engine off, I simply suggest putting it in neutral and coasting.
3. Tire Pressure - According to the Department of Energy roughly 1.2 billion gallons of gasoline were wasted in 2005 alone do to driving on under-inflated tires. So check your tire pressure and make sure you aren’t burning gas unnecessarily.
4. Lighten Your Load - Reduce the load in your car to save that fuel! Studies have shown that for every 100 pounds you carry in your car you lose roughly 2% in fuel efficiency. So what are you waiting for? Remove excess weight from trunk and your car!
5. Lose the Rims - While all rims are not an issue it is important to be sure that the tires and rims on your car are the proper size for your make and model. If they are too wide they will produce a pull on your car that will make you burn fuel faster.
Take these tips and apply them in your everyday life you will likely find that you are saving gas and reducing your carbon footprint.
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