Mileage and Fuel Cost per Mile Summary

I stopped for gas yesterday despite the fact I wanted to wait a little longer. You get a more accurate mileage number when you use as much of what is in your tank as possible. I hadn't factored in yesterday's trip when I left the bigger cheaper town on Monday because I thought I would be using a different vehicle. Now I didn't know if I would make it back to big cheap town without the anxiety of that needle getting lower and lower. By keeping track of my mileage, the fact that gas gauges cannot be trusted is easier to deal with but this car doesn't give me much lee-way or warning when it get very low and truth be told, I've run out on more than a few occasions.

This morning I figured my mileage to be 29.295! That is so cool and interesting. This was cheapo Giant gas. My mileage had been going down the last few months which was depressing. Here is what I did differently:

I cleaned 25 pounds of un-needed junk out of my car.

I have been experimenting with putting the car in neutral. This requires less fuel when you can do it and gets you a little farther because the gears aren't holding you back, though I do like to use the gears to slow me down because this car eats brakes. So depending on where I am and the traffic, I think shifting to neutral will be a big help.

And of course "driving without brakes" is great to save on gas and brakes. This is what I do when lights change to red, I'm going down an incline or the speed limit is reduce. I stay as close to the speed limit. When a light changes or I know I am going to stop or turn, no more gas, or "no more speed, I'm almost there" (love that song). This is not recommended in traffic but I have noticed more and more drivers not following as closely. Maybe they are doing this as well, but if someone is right on my rear I may step it up if I get below the speed limit.

For more info check out this post on my mileage. Go here to view my mileage and cost spreadsheet. I don't know what happened to my initial formulas so if you want to use the spreadsheet delete rows 2-6.