Way back in November, back when I was young and carefree, I wrote about how to find your car’s miles per gallon. Back then I got 29.5 mpg, which is not too shabby, but by gumbo, I wanted to save some money on gas. Recently, I found some simple ways to increase my car’s fuel efficiency. By following these three simple tips, I’ve increased my horseless carriage’s miles per gallon up to a whopping 36 mpg (about a 22% improvement).

How to Improve Your Car’s Fuel Efficiency

1. Easy on the acceleration – when the light turns green, slowly ease down the gas pedal. No need to burn rubber, just accelerate slowly and steadily. This makes a big difference in improving fuel efficiency.
2. Don’t idle for over a minute – if you’re at a stoplight where you know you’ll be waiting for over a minute, just turn your car off. When the light is about to turn green, turn your car back on. Only do this at stops that you’re very familiar with, and where you know you’ll be waiting for over a minute.
3. Drive your optimal speed
   
   Believe it or not, driving at 70mph on a highway or belt-line is not very fuel efficient. For most cars, the optimal speed is 40-60 mph. Yes, lots of cars will pass you. Stay in the slow lane to let them. They are just wasting their gas (and money).

By following these oh-so-handy tips, I only use about 80% the gas that I used to use. That means I’m saving about 20% in gas money, which these days is a big chunk o’ change. So help out your wallet and the good ol’ environment, and don’t drive like a maniac.