Many vehicles are getting worse fuel economy than vehicles of the past. Auto manufacturers are putting larger engines in bigger vehicles, which results in unsatisfactory fuel economy. Many SUV's get 15-20 MPG (some even worse). A new wave of hybrid gas/electric vehicles are on the market, and some of them get 45+ MPG. Although their manufacturers say that they get nearly 60MPG, the Honda Insight and the Toyota Prius actually get around 45MPG in real world tests. This is still 3 times the fuel economy on some of the big SUV's and can lead to huge savings. Keep in mind that unless you do a lot of driving, it may be difficult to save enough money to justify paying the premiums that these vehicles command at the dealership. There are a number of other non-hybrid vehicles available that can save you a lot of money at the pump.
One of the best ways to lower your fuel expenses, is to carpool to work. You can reduce the inconvenience by sharing a ride with someone that works at the same company, and lives near your home. Many companies have a bulletin board, or Intranet web site where you may be able to find someone to carpool with. Another great option is public transporation. Passes are usually available at discounted rates. Although you have to pay to use public transporation, is usually much less expensive than driving to work, and paying for parking (where applicable). Some other options are walking, or riding bike to work. Both of these options have the added benefit of giving you exercise; however, you must live relatively close to work to be able to do this, and you are well advised to ensure that you have access to a shower at work!
Many stations have coupons available for discounts on gas purchases. These coupons can be found in various places, like the back side of grocery store receipts, in the mail coupons, internet coupons. Many stations will give you a discount on gas with the purchase of a car wash, or visa versa. A great way to save money on gas is by using a gas rebate credit card. Some of these cards can be used at virtually any gas station, like the Chase Perfect Card (which gives you a 6% rebate on all gas purchases for the first 90 days), and the Discover Gas Card (which gives you a 5% rebate on all gas purchases). Both cards give you a 1% rebate on all other non gas purchases. A number of gas station specific cards are available, but are much more limiting, since you only save money at the same brand station.
