Think Ahead to Cut Fuel Costs on Your Summer Vacation

Spring is in swing and that means many of us are already actively engaged in planning summer holidays, trips that have taken on additional importance and urgency as the nation emerges from two years of pandemic restrictions. The bad news, of course, is that this summer’s road trips will be complicated by sky-high gas prices and the highest inflation rate in 40 years. It’s enough to harsh your hot-weather mellow.

Given those conditions, it is more important than ever this summer for vacationers to squeeze every cent from their travel dollars in general and fuel costs in particular. Here are a few tips for saving money while still enjoying yourself on the road this summer.

Rethink Your Destination: Suffice it to say, this is probably not the summer to take that gas-guzzler cross country. It’s a safe bet there a plenty of fine and fun destinations you can travel to without needing to take a second out on the house. In addition, this is an ideal time to visit cities in which the major attractions are clustered in one area and/or readily accessible via mass transit or, better yet, on foot. The less driving the better when it comes to summer 2022 vacations.

Tune-Up Time: If this one sounds like common sense, that’s because it is, but there is no more crucial time to make sure your vehicle is properly maintained. Data reveals that properly tuned cars can increase your mileage by an average of 4%, with correctly aligned and inflated tires adding 3% on top of that. And
don’t forget to check and when needed change that oil before heading out for parts unknown. These are no-brainers, to be sure, but they are also the nagging details too many of us overlook for too long.

At the Pump: The skyrocketing costs of recent months – which have come before the increases that usually accompany the summer driving season – has spurred the popularity of apps and websites to help motorists find the lowest-priced gas. Valuable as these are when you’re tooling around town, they can have an even greater impact when you’re navigating the streets of an unknown city. It also can’t hurt to research the many credit cards offering cash back on gas. Rebates usually run 2% to 5% — not a huge sum, perhaps, but better than nothing.

(Money-Saving) Rules of the Road: Not surprisingly, you’ll find plenty of cost-cutting strategies behind the wheel. Chief among these is avoid speeding, as research confirms fuel economy (to say nothing of motorist safety) drops precipitously after you move beyond 55 m.p.h. (The things Sammy Hagar never told us!). Likewise, run the air conditioner only when absolutely necessary, as it dramatically reduces fuel economy. Most cars’ AC units have an “economy” setting for circulating un-chilled air and that might just be enough to enable you to travel in comfort.

At Harmony Communities, we feel strongly that each resident has a sense of home. That they come home from work and feel pride in their environment and in their place in the greater community. That families are comfortable raising children in our neighborhoods, and that couples and singles know that they belong to something bigger than their four walls. In other words, we seek to create harmony within each community, making our communities not just passable, but peaceful, safe, functional, and beautiful