Gas Savings Show Up On Bottom Line

The cost of gas has a very strong impact on the profits you make when mystery shopping. You need to know what this cost is and how to maximize your profits despite the cost of imported oil.You need to tightly figure your gas cost-per-mile and refigure it frequently. Gallon price divided by miles per gallon gives you your gas cost per mile. When gas was selling for $3.89 my gas was costing me $0.12 at $2.00 per gallon I am down to $0.08. That’s a 33% drop in my main expense.

When deciding to select a shop you need to know how much gas you will use before you commit to the assignment. Enter the address into Google Maps and check the directions from your home. Google will give you the exact mileage. Now double it for the return trip.

Multiply the total by your gas cost per mile and subtract this figure from the fee being paid. If you can live with it, go for it.Could you increase the number of shops you do if you could save 20%, 30%, even 50% or more on gasoline?

You can save on gas many ways, but the most effective is to change your driving habits. Chances are they cost you real money and there are ways to make changes that will get you better mileage.

When Possible, Avoid Quick Stops-- Is perhaps the most important change you can make in your driving. When you come to an intersection with a traffic light that is red, take your foot of the gas pedal well ahead of the need to stop. Plan ahead, if you decelerate slowly approaching the stop, you may be able to make it through as the light turns green. It takes more gas to start from a dead stop than from a rolling stop.
Don’t Stomp On The Gas--When the light turns green is your speedometer reading 40 mph before you are across the intersection? This not only ruins tires, it also wastes gas. If you are coasting to a stop, just gradually increase your speed until you reach the speed limit.

Keep Tires at the Correct Pressure--If you are driving on soft tires you are using more fuel. Soft tires increase friction and can add 10% to your gasoline consumption. If you check the owner’s manual, you’ll find the correct tire pressure. Check it once a month.
Stay Out Of The Drive Through-- Avoid idling the car unnecessarily. That means parking and going in to the bank and other places instead of using the drive through lane. (Of course, if you are doing a mystery shop of a drive through restaurant, you will have to use the drive through lane.)

Get Your Car Up To Temperature—During winter months when your engine is cold it is less efficient. Do not warm up the engine by idling it before you leave. Instead, drive to your farthest destination first, then work your way back. The longer drive will warm up the engine making the stopping and starting less stressful on the engine. Follow the two-minute rule. Don’t leave the engine running longer than two minutes or you are wasting gas.

Don’t run the air conditioner and other accessories--They cause you to use more fuel. The exception is that using your air conditioner at freeway speeds uses less fuel than driving with the windows open.

What are you doing to lower your expenses? Here are some related tips that can help you lower the gas portion:

Get Your Engine Tuned Up—Out of tune cars can use an extra 10-20 percent in gasoline than a car that is correctly tuned.

Smaller Cars Use Less Gas—If you are a multiple car family drive the smallest for your mystery shopping rounds.
Don’t Top Off Your Tank—Some gas stations use recirculation pumps to capture gas fumes and recycle them to the station’s tanks (not yours). Gas from the station’s underground tanks is a lot cooler. As it warms in your topped off gas tank it expands and needs the extra room in your tank to contain it. Otherwise it splashes out as you drive.

These are money saving tips and though they won’t cut your gas consumption, they will show up in a smaller figure for your gasoline expense.

• No-Name Gas Stations—Try the unbranded stations in your area. They use the exact same gasoline as the branded stations. Gasoline refineries (and there are only a few) must follow federal and state production guidelines. You can save a buck or two on every fill-up.
• Fill Up In The Morning—Take advantage of gasoline expansion. Fill your tank in the morning when gas is cooler than normal. You will get more than you will when the gas warms up. Just remember it expands so don’t top off your tank.
• Get Off The High Octane Buzz—It is a myth that high octane gasoline will increase your car’s power. The Octane number has nothing to do with engine power or gasoline quality. It is a measure of the anti-knock component of the gasoline. Using the higher cost premium levels of gas will have no effect on your car’s performance. It will reduce or eliminate engine knock or ping.
• Fuel Line Devices (heaters or coolers)--These devices heat the fuel before it enters the carburetor. Usually the fuel is heated by engine coolant, by the exhaust or an electrical system.
• Replace Your Oil Filter—According to www.fueleconomy.gov you can save an amount equal to 32 cents a gallon by keeping the air filter clean.

You will find even the moderate gas prices of today make it harder to profit from your mystery shopping so mixing a few of these techniques for buying fuel and then getting the most from your energy investment will help reduce your gas expense and the bite it takes out of your shopping fee. Remember that every dollar you save on expenses goes straight to your bottom line, increasing your profits.