I like calculating my fuel economy so I fill it until it's full. Usually 9-11 gallons depending on whether I wait for the light or not. If I go home every other week then I have to fill up every other week. I filled up 2.5 weeks ago and might have used a gallon of gas in that time. Don't have to drive much since I only go out to get groceries once a week and the stores are close by.
Fill'er Up?
- Thread starter Merkava_4
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So what is your question?
I do always fill up. It seems pointless not to, and it is the only accurate way to keep track of mileage.
We drive a ton, especially around this time of year. Our last fuel credit card payment was well over $1k for about 1-1/2 months of driving. And that is just gas, nothing else. Wow. I wish I could make $20 of gas last ten days!
My cost containment strategy for auto expenses has always been to keep depreciation at zero and do my own maintenance. Now, with a $600/month fuel tab on average, those things almost seem pointless by comparison.
We drive a ton, especially around this time of year. Our last fuel credit card payment was well over $1k for about 1-1/2 months of driving. And that is just gas, nothing else. Wow. I wish I could make $20 of gas last ten days!
My cost containment strategy for auto expenses has always been to keep depreciation at zero and do my own maintenance. Now, with a $600/month fuel tab on average, those things almost seem pointless by comparison.
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You spend money on gas when you drive your vehicle, not when you fill it up.
My poor old Dad - puts in about a quarter to a half tank every couple of days and thinks he's saving money. Still drives the same amount!
His head is up his a$$ when it comes to this kind of stuff and he won't listen to anyone...
Fill it up.
My poor old Dad - puts in about a quarter to a half tank every couple of days and thinks he's saving money. Still drives the same amount!
Fill it up.
Originally Posted By: PW01
I fill it up every time. I mean come on, your going to need the gas, not filling it up just means more trips to the gas station.
That's my take on it as well.
Besides, I pay with a credit card, which means the money doesn't actually leave my pocket for another 30 days or so. So what benefit would it be for me to do 4 fillups of $20 each vs 1 fillup of $80 during the course of the month? I will still end up paying $80 to the credit card company come next month.
The only thing I do by filling up more frequently is waste time. I can think of more fun things to do than playing with a gas pump.
I fill it up every time. I mean come on, your going to need the gas, not filling it up just means more trips to the gas station.
That's my take on it as well.
Besides, I pay with a credit card, which means the money doesn't actually leave my pocket for another 30 days or so. So what benefit would it be for me to do 4 fillups of $20 each vs 1 fillup of $80 during the course of the month? I will still end up paying $80 to the credit card company come next month.
The only thing I do by filling up more frequently is waste time. I can think of more fun things to do than playing with a gas pump.
Let's calculate how much extra gas it takes to carry around an extra 40 lbs of gas in the tank by keeping it above 1/2 full vs keeping it below 1/2 full.
and is any savings worth the extra 5 minutes buying gas twice as often?
and is any savings worth the extra 5 minutes buying gas twice as often?
I always fill because it is better to do so. If your tank is full you get less condensation build up that freezes gas lines in the winter. A full tank doesnt slosh but an empty one does, its small but it shifts weight back & forth affecting handling (again a winter thing). Finally having a reserve on hand cant be a bad thing, who knows when you will need it and you wont be able to get it.
My car seems to run better when its over half tank so I try to keep it near full. Doesn't seem to be as shocking buying 25.00 in gas twice as much as 50.00 at once. All a mental thing I guess. In the summer I drive ALOT less though compared to during semesters. I use maybe 40.00 of fuel a MONTH vs 40.00 a week.
Also, I believe in always having as much fuel in the car as I can if I am doing anything other than maybe doing a few mile shopping run. You never know when there is an accident on a highway and you get stuck for a while, or if a sudden roadtrip comes up.
I have had a few instances in life recently which I made a 50 mile trip without more than 20 mins warning and I didnt carry much cash so I was glad to have a large reserve of fuel.
Also, I believe in always having as much fuel in the car as I can if I am doing anything other than maybe doing a few mile shopping run. You never know when there is an accident on a highway and you get stuck for a while, or if a sudden roadtrip comes up.
I have had a few instances in life recently which I made a 50 mile trip without more than 20 mins warning and I didnt carry much cash so I was glad to have a large reserve of fuel.
I fill up so I can measure mileage.
I do admit the extra weight is probably counterproductive but eh.
I do admit the extra weight is probably counterproductive but eh.
Originally Posted By: Shannow
I fill every time.
It's gonna be more expensive next time.
True! And what about the incidental costs of filling up? Over a year, how much fuel would we burn going to the gas station twice as many times? Sure, we might save a few pennies "dollar cost averaging" our fuel purchases, but I'd imagine it isn't worth it in the end.
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
What if you fill your tank up at $4.50 a gallon and it drops to $2.00 a gallon over night?
I'll gladly take that loss! Seriously, what would it be? I have about 3/4 a tank right now. If I only had a 1/4 tank and gas suddenly was $2 today, I will have saved about $15 not filling up the other day. I'll take that risk...
I fill every time.
It's gonna be more expensive next time.
True! And what about the incidental costs of filling up? Over a year, how much fuel would we burn going to the gas station twice as many times? Sure, we might save a few pennies "dollar cost averaging" our fuel purchases, but I'd imagine it isn't worth it in the end.
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
What if you fill your tank up at $4.50 a gallon and it drops to $2.00 a gallon over night?
I'll gladly take that loss! Seriously, what would it be? I have about 3/4 a tank right now. If I only had a 1/4 tank and gas suddenly was $2 today, I will have saved about $15 not filling up the other day. I'll take that risk...
Just a heads up for anyone acquiring an older (pre-2002)Toyota Camry or Corolla. While it is tempting to really top-off your tank as an extra 1/2 gallon really extends your range... these cars are very prone to fouling of charcoal cannister due to gasoline entering the system. This will result in the dreaded CEL. The real purps of this are the dreaded gas pump jockeys who always squeezes too much into the tank. This warning s/b given to the non-pumpers (females)of most households.
I almost always fill up. Last night, oilBabe and I went out in two cars because I'm on-call this week and need to be able to respond if something happens.
So we both need gas. Her car was empty and mine was 1/2 full. So it took $64 to fill her car, and another $28 to fill mine.
She said it was painful to fill up, so I asked her why she lets it get to empty if it's so painful to see $70 to fill up the Camry. She said because she was avoiding getting gas in IL. We were in MO (St. Louis, south county for those in the know) and gas is $0.25/gallon cheaper than in IL.
I do the same, I try to avoid filling up in IL, since gas is significantly cheaper in MO.
I don't make special trips to MO to fill up. So the only time I'll not fill up is if I know I'm going to MO soon, and need some gas to get there. Then, I'll put $10 or $20 in the tank until I can get there.
But I try to get gas when I'm at 1/2 a tank, so the shock at the pump isn't so great. My tank is only 13.2 gallons, so 7 gallons or $30 worth is not so heart stopping, LOL.
So we both need gas. Her car was empty and mine was 1/2 full. So it took $64 to fill her car, and another $28 to fill mine.
She said it was painful to fill up, so I asked her why she lets it get to empty if it's so painful to see $70 to fill up the Camry. She said because she was avoiding getting gas in IL. We were in MO (St. Louis, south county for those in the know) and gas is $0.25/gallon cheaper than in IL.
I do the same, I try to avoid filling up in IL, since gas is significantly cheaper in MO.
I don't make special trips to MO to fill up. So the only time I'll not fill up is if I know I'm going to MO soon, and need some gas to get there. Then, I'll put $10 or $20 in the tank until I can get there.
But I try to get gas when I'm at 1/2 a tank, so the shock at the pump isn't so great. My tank is only 13.2 gallons, so 7 gallons or $30 worth is not so heart stopping, LOL.
Originally Posted By: oilyriser
Let's calculate how much extra gas it takes to carry around an extra 40 lbs of gas in the tank by keeping it above 1/2 full vs keeping it below 1/2 full.
and is any savings worth the extra 5 minutes buying gas twice as often?
For me, going to a gas station is not just a waste of time, it's also extra gas burned as there are no stations on my way to work. Even if there was a station along my commute route, I'd still consider it a waste of time. The whole "shock at the pump" doesn't bother me. I guess I'm used to seeing much higher gas bills in Europe.
Let's calculate how much extra gas it takes to carry around an extra 40 lbs of gas in the tank by keeping it above 1/2 full vs keeping it below 1/2 full.
and is any savings worth the extra 5 minutes buying gas twice as often?
For me, going to a gas station is not just a waste of time, it's also extra gas burned as there are no stations on my way to work. Even if there was a station along my commute route, I'd still consider it a waste of time. The whole "shock at the pump" doesn't bother me. I guess I'm used to seeing much higher gas bills in Europe.
Originally Posted By: H2GURU
Just a heads up for anyone acquiring an older (pre-2002)Toyota Camry or Corolla. While it is tempting to really top-off your tank as an extra 1/2 gallon really extends your range... these cars are very prone to fouling of charcoal cannister due to gasoline entering the system. This will result in the dreaded CEL. The real purps of this are the dreaded gas pump jockeys who always squeezes too much into the tank. This warning s/b given to the non-pumpers (females)of most households.
This is also a Kia/Hyundai issue.
Just a heads up for anyone acquiring an older (pre-2002)Toyota Camry or Corolla. While it is tempting to really top-off your tank as an extra 1/2 gallon really extends your range... these cars are very prone to fouling of charcoal cannister due to gasoline entering the system. This will result in the dreaded CEL. The real purps of this are the dreaded gas pump jockeys who always squeezes too much into the tank. This warning s/b given to the non-pumpers (females)of most households.
This is also a Kia/Hyundai issue.
Kestas
Staff member
Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
You spend money on gas when you drive your vehicle, not when you fill it up...
Very wise words. It should qualify for the "Here's your sign" award, so I can hand it out to a few choice acquaintances of mine.
You spend money on gas when you drive your vehicle, not when you fill it up...
Very wise words. It should qualify for the "Here's your sign" award, so I can hand it out to a few choice acquaintances of mine.
Everytime.
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: oilyriser
Let's calculate how much extra gas it takes to carry around an extra 40 lbs of gas in the tank by keeping it above 1/2 full vs keeping it below 1/2 full.
and is any savings worth the extra 5 minutes buying gas twice as often?
For me, going to a gas station is not just a waste of time, it's also extra gas burned as there are no stations on my way to work. Even if there was a station along my commute route, I'd still consider it a waste of time. The whole "shock at the pump" doesn't bother me. I guess I'm used to seeing much higher gas bills in Europe.
It's been almost 18 years since I've lived in Europe, so I'm not as comfortable with the higher prices.
I've just never liked to be low on fuel. It's the Boy Scout in me, not wanting to run short. Too much shortage growing up, and I don't want to live that way if I don't have to.
Not that my way is the only way. It's simply the one that works for me. oilBabe has no problem seeing how far she can go when the low fuel light goes on.
The only time I tried it, I had a 5 gallon can of gas in the trunk, full, in case I didn't make it the station before I ran out of gas.
Originally Posted By: oilyriser
Let's calculate how much extra gas it takes to carry around an extra 40 lbs of gas in the tank by keeping it above 1/2 full vs keeping it below 1/2 full.
and is any savings worth the extra 5 minutes buying gas twice as often?
For me, going to a gas station is not just a waste of time, it's also extra gas burned as there are no stations on my way to work. Even if there was a station along my commute route, I'd still consider it a waste of time. The whole "shock at the pump" doesn't bother me. I guess I'm used to seeing much higher gas bills in Europe.
It's been almost 18 years since I've lived in Europe, so I'm not as comfortable with the higher prices.
I've just never liked to be low on fuel. It's the Boy Scout in me, not wanting to run short. Too much shortage growing up, and I don't want to live that way if I don't have to.
Not that my way is the only way. It's simply the one that works for me. oilBabe has no problem seeing how far she can go when the low fuel light goes on.
The only time I tried it, I had a 5 gallon can of gas in the trunk, full, in case I didn't make it the station before I ran out of gas.
Oh, I'm not talking about ridinig with the gas light on either. I'm just saying, I wouldn't go to a gas station to fill the tank to half level.
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