Clearing the Junk Might Save You Money At the Gas Pump

Photograph by runron

Most of us know, at least theoretically, that less weight in the vehicle means it will take less gas to fuel our drive. Most of us probably also figure that we don't have more than a few pounds of extra stuff in our cars. I read a Dollar Stretcher article in their free Dollar Stretcher Tips e-newsletter this morning, however, where one such person was really carrying around an extra one hundred and twenty (120) pounds worth of stuff in her trunk! This included expired safety items (which aren't that safe when expired), a collapsible kennel for a dog who passed away years ago and "spare" clothing she could no longer fit into.

Now, some things are worth keeping (jumper cables, safety kit with current items etc.) but it might be worth taking a few minutes to go through your vehicle today and see if you can lighten your load, which could translate to saving money on gas too. As a bonus, using less gas is also better for our planet (as many thrifty strategies are). Wishing you happy and frugal travels!