Nine ways to save gas and money this summer

6) You can even pick the exact station at which you will purchase your gas on the way back in. Most rental companies require only that you fill the tank within 10 miles of the return lot; you will typically find much cheaper gas at this distance, out where real people buy gas for daily life. If you do this, get a receipt and take it with you to the counter as proof of purchase.

7) Even before getting in the car -- in fact even before booking the rental -- you may want to make the fuel efficiency of your chosen vehicle a priority. You can research fuel efficiency by car class, model, year and more at http://www.fueleconomy.gov/. The dollar amounts aren't nothing -- the site mentions that "the difference between a car that gets 20 mpg and one that gets 30 mpg amounts to $550 per year (assuming 15,000 miles of driving annually and a fuel cost of $2.20)." And we all know that the $2.20 gallon of gas ain't likely coming back.

Driving around
8) There are a gazillion ways to keep fuel consumption down when driving; here are just a few: Gas Prices Got You Down?

9) A recent study found that, when searching for parking spaces, people lose the most time and burn up the most fuel by trying too hard to get too close to the entrance of the store, restaurant or hotel they are visiting. Not only that, they found that the harder you tried to park up close, the longer you waited overall.

The study found that:

• People who drove to the first and obviously available spot and walked, no matter how far from the entrance, tended to get to the entrance first and burn the least fuel.
• People who drove around looking for the best spot, then parked when they found one, tended to get to the entrance next, and burned more fuel.
• People who waited to see someone who was about to pull out of their spot, then sat and waited for them to pull out and pulled into the spot, tended to get to the entrance last, and burned the most fuel.

So park a little further away and save yourself time, burn less fuel and burn more calories.

I hope these tips help you beat the heat this summer without wilting your wallet.

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The Independent Traveler is an interactive traveler's exchange and comprehensive online travel guide for a community of travelers who enjoy the fun of planning their own trips and the adventure of independent travel. You can access our wealth of travel resources and great bargains here at www.independenttraveler.com , or at www.bargainbox.com .

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