Walking into my favourite coffee shop at lunchtime for a plate fried rice and a kopi susu is making my wallet lighter and leaving me with a less satisfied appetite. Why? Because of the recent huge rise in goods and services in our nation, the cost of my fried rice and kopi susu has gone up and there are less ‘additions’ in my rice. They have reduced the number of prawns and shredded chicken. My kopi susu does not come filled to the tip like before and it tastes somewhat lighter. I suppose all this is a way to start trimming down my weight but the effects of the rise is felt everywhere, all the time.
Let me offer to you today some helpful tips in saving on fuel and also the ‘wear and tear’ on your car that I myself subscribe to daily and have seen some results that will in time benefit my next of kin.
1) Wake up earlier
Leaving for work a little bit earlier means beating the heavy morning traffic. This way you can also save fuel by driving without your air-conditioner as the early morning air is cool and somewhat refreshing. Arriving for work early allows you to be more productive and a possible promotion and rise in pay will be appreciated.
2) Check your tire pressure
When is the last time you checked your tire pressure? Under-inflated tires are very common with car owners today and reduce fuel efficiency. Keep your tires properly inflated by checking them every time you fuel up. It costs nothing and remember to shut off your engine when checking your tire pressure. Even better, invest in a tire gauge and check when you get home at your leisure. Use the inflation pressures guide shown in the owner’s manual or on the data plate in the driver’s doorjamb.
3) Drive at a lower speed
Going fast might cost you in extra fuel as well as a speeding ticket. So slow down and take stock of the world around you. You’ll save a lot of fuel and your journey won’t take much longer. Just be sure you keep to the left on the highway and not cause a traffic jam.
4) Watch how bus and truck drivers move
If you travel along the Federal Highway daily like I do you will notice that in bad traffic jams, cars seem to constantly speed up and slow down, while busses and lorries tend to roll along at the same leisurely pace? A constant speed keeps gear shifting to a minimum and so reduces the wastage of fuel. You already know there is a traffic jam up front so why bother revving your engine trying to squeeze thru crawling traffic. Relax and listen to the radio. Listen to LiteFM 105.7Mhz and sing along to the tunes. This will save you fuel and some aggravation.
6) Stay with less rubber
New 17-inch alloy wheels and thin wide tires may look cool, and they can certainly improve handling on a dry tarmac only. But if they are wider than the stock tires, chances are they will create more rolling resistance and decrease fuel economy. If you upgrade your wheels and tires, keep the old ones. Factory alloy wheels and tires give a smoother ride and better economy. Bigger rubbers mean bigger fuel bills.
7) Clean out your car
The more weight your car has to carry, the more fuel it needs to do the work. If you’re the type who takes a leisurely attitude towards car cleanliness and seldom bother to go through your car and see what can be taken out or brought into the house, then you need to be a little more hard working. It doesn’t take much to acquire an extra 10 or even 20kg in your car with golf bags, newspapers, water bottles, shoes, magazines and even car care products that are used just once a month.
8) Try not to drive unless necessary
You have already invested in your car and the last thing you want to hear from me is to keep your car at home. Let’s face it. In developed countries, most city employees leave their cars at the train, monorail and bus stations and take public transport. Yes I know our Klang Valley public transport is not the most flattering. But if you consider the fact that you are paying for fuel, car wear and tear and also high parking charges in the city, then the drive to and from work in heavy traffic starts looking really silly. Like mentioned earlier, leave early for work. Park at the commuter station and travel in leisure. Weekly errands can be ‘bunched’ up with some planning to reduce wastage commutes to the dry cleaners, hypermarket, digital mall, bank, etc. Plan and avoid wasting time in your car.
The question now is how much can you save by doing all the 8 steps above. Well the savings can be as much as 9% if well executed. On average you should be able to see at least a 4% savings if executed daily.
