12 Tricks to Improving Gas Usage and Mileage

Tricks to Improving Gas Usage and Mileage

BY LISA S.T. DOSS

’Tis the season of hustle and bustle, grabbing the car keys and zooming away to the next holiday festivity. It’s the perfect time to consider how to improve your fuel economy. While carpooling may not be a realistic expectation for everyone, there are other feasible ways to improve your gas efficiency and decrease the monthly fuel expense.

1. SLOW DOWN: Wind back your arrival timeline to every destination by 15 minutes, whether it’s work or picking up your child from school. Speeding and applying frequent pressure on the brake pedal is a waste of fuel; instead, begin the habit of accelerating moderately to the speed limit and maintaining a steady speed.

2. COMBINE ERRANDS: Rather than backtracking to the grocery store, start the habit of running all your weekly errands in one day. You’ll be saving more than fuel.

Planning meals in advance will provide added savings and eliminate the question, “What’s for dinner tonight?”

3. MORNING FILL-UP: Saving ten dollars weekly can offer significant savings. With extra minutes to spare, capitalize on cold mornings and the dense state of fuel to fill up. As the day warms, petrol expands, and customers may not receive the actual volume of a gallon.

4. COMPARISON SHOP: Use your computer savvy by reaching out to local friends on social media to find a better price for gasoline or diesel. Internet-enabled mobile devices often provide the cheapest fuels within a given location. In addition, take advantage of gas station discounts, a reprieve for loyal customers from paying the full price!

5. ADD A FUEL INJECTOR: The additive is a purposedesigned cleaning solution to loosen and dislodge carbon deposits from your fuel injectors. The result offers an ideal fuel-air mixture in your engine and significantly improves gas mileage.

6. USE CRUISE CONTROL: Fourteen percent is an impressive number, especially in conditions when you can set the speed and allow a computer to take you to a destination!

7. CARRY THE MINIMAL: Start cleaning out your trunk and removing the additional weight, including roof racks and storage accessories. Did you know that every 100 pounds in a large vehicle, such as an SUV, can reduce gas mileage by two percent? Total weight immediately correlates with an increased engine workload. Remember, every penny and pound matters!

8. READ THE OWNER’S MANUAL: The proper operation of, and maintenance on, your car ensure efficiency. Check to see if you are using the recommended motor oil, weight limit, and size of tires. As you read, take notes!

9. CHECK TIRE PRESSURE: A tire can lose roughly two pounds per square inch (psi) each month. Underinflated tires reaching ten psi below a vehicle’s recommended level can reduce fuel economy by 3.3%; therefore, all four tires could amount to a substantial loss. If the computer does not flash an informational warning, consider buying a tire gauge!

10. CHECK TREAD: Misaligned tires result in a drag, impacting the tread, the tire, and even causing vibrations. Rather than experience the added cost of buying one new tire or a pair, ensure that you rotate your tires after two oil changes.

Learn the “quarter trick” to assess whether your tread is worn or adequate.

11. REPLACE THE ENGINE’S AIR FILTER: Most vehicle air filters are a second thought. Remembering to change it after 30,000 or 40,000 miles (depending on the model) or the seventh oil change, presents a challenge. The power of suction is vital. When a filter reaches its capacity to strain particles of dust and debris, it’s essentially choking an engine’s airflow and causing it to work harder! Save up to 15% and replace it!

12. NEED NEW SPARK PLUGS? Do you keep a notebook of your car’s maintenance updates? It’s a great idea to know when air filters, tire rotations, and even part replacements are necessary. For instance, bad spark plugs will impact your mileage. If it drops severely, say by 30%, that may be due to a misfiring spark plug.

How often do you sail through city blocks, watching every light change to green without a need to brake? Did you know starting from a stop increases your miles per gallon average? So, begin slowing down at intersections showing a red light. Every trick makes a difference on your wallet!

THE Fancy Fork

BY LAUREN SEPHTON

This gorgeous Apricot-Poppyseed Winter Salad is loaded with sweet honeycrisp apples, juicy pomegranate seeds, roasted pecans for a nutty crunch and shaved Brussels sprouts for a delicious Christmas salad, for a dinner party or as part of your regular weeknight meals!

December’s harvest has an abundance of hearty vegetables such as cauliflower, celery, potatoes, winter squashes, parsnips, rutabagas, leafy greens, boy choy, broccoli, cabbage, avocados, cranberries and a variety of citrus. And, while the apple orchards are still blossoming with delicious recipe possibilities, we’re focusing on two other key ingredients in this salad: Brussels sprouts and pomegranates.

The edible seeds in pomegranates have an impressive nutrient profile with one single cup of arils providing 7g fiber, 3g protein, 30% of the RDI for Vitamin C and 36% of the RDI for Vitamin K. They also contain two important plant compounds, Punicalagins and Punicic Acid. Punicalagins is an extremely potent antioxidant, while Punicic Acid (most often found in pomegranate seed oil) is a type of conjugated linoleic acid with potent biological effects.

Like others in the cruciferous vegetable family, Brussels sprouts are high in fiber, Vitamin C, antioxidants that help promote iron absorption, may improve tissue repair and provide healthy immune function. Some studies have found that they could protect against carcinogens and other cancer-causing agents, as well as prevent oxidative damage to cells.

Apricot-Poppyseed Winter Salad

PREP TIME: 5 MINN | TOTAL TIME: 5 MIN | SERVINGS: 6-8

INGREDIENTS • 1/4 cup Apricot Fruit Spread • 2 T Apple Cider Vinegar • 1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil • 2 tsp. Dijon Mustard • 1/2 tsp. Poppyseed • Salt & Black Pepper, to taste FOR SERVING • Lacinato Kale, chopped • Arugula • Avocado, sliced • Parmesan Cheese, grated • Pomegranates • Honeycrisp Apples, sliced • Brussels Sprouts, shaved • Pecans, crushed

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. To make the salad dressing, simply whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water to desired thickness.

2. Toss the kale, arugula and shaved Brussels sprouts together in a large serving bowl. Add the salad dressing to toss once more, then top with remaining salad ingredients. Season with salt and black pepper to taste before serving.

Now that you’ve mastered the art of tossing together a delicious winter salad fit for a crowd, it’s time to grab our forks and enjoy the seasonal comforts of the winter harvest!

What If?

Presents the Space Blanket

BY LISA S.T. DOSS

“What if,” the worrisome words, arrive in the conscious spinning In the Outdoors topics from safety and financial security to loved ones and pet WAKE FOREST BASKETBALL WAKE FOREST BASKETBALL WAKE FOREST BASKETBALL WAKE FOREST BASKETBALL WAKE FOREST BASKETBALL 1. Apply the material next to your body in conditions of rain or cold temperatures. For optimal protection, take off your coat, hood or hat. If you become too hot, undo your jacket and allow the heat to escape, or uncover from your head for a minute or two. Just remember, Mylar cannot breathe! health. Asking, “What can I do?” leads to a proactive decision to invest time in the ultimate insurance policy – valuable life skills comprising security, shelter, food, water and medical care! In any emergency, from extreme weather to a personal disaster, you have the power to take charge of your fate by making plans and taking action! 2. Cut up the material to line your boots and gloves. Fingers and toes are susceptible to frostbite! 3. If in need of water, use the sheet to create a collection site. 4. Duct tape several together to use as an outdoor groundsheet or sunshade covering.

Fabrics, such as wool and fleece, usually connect to the definition of bodily warmth; yet, if you ever watch a marathon runner preparing or finishing a race, they are often wrapped in a windproof and waterproof, reflective plastic called a space blanket. It goes by other names, too! Perhaps you heard of the Mylar, emergency or the first-aid blanket? Designed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center for the United States space program in 1964, the goal was to create a lightweight, heat-reflective plastic sheeting to control heat loss in a person’s body. By reflecting 97% of radiation, the sheet has a metalized polyethylene terephthalate, MPET, or metallic coating. In planning for an emergency, the space blanket is the perfect addition for a vehicle’s emergency kit, outdoor enthusiast and, of course, homeowners! 5. Campers can contain warmth by placing a blanket behind the campfire and on the tent’s back wall.

No worries concerning a fire threat; Mylar melts at temperatures over 489 degrees.

6. Fish love shiny surfaces; try cutting small strips to make lures!

A list of ways to use the extraordinary blanket!

Home Uses

7. Use Mylar as a means to call for help, either by marking your location or creating an arrow to indicate your direction of travel.

1. Apply to windows to prevent heat loss.

2. Place behind your woodstove to direct heat away from the wall.

3. During power outages, position the blanket behind lanterns and candles to produce a more significant light into a room. 4. Electrical outages, place a Mylar blanket inside your duvet cover to prevent heat loss during the night.

5. Wildlife, especially birds, do not like reflective objects.

Consider cutting strips and place them in your garden to deter animals from your crops.

6. The space blanket is the ideal sunshade for vegetable beds.

While protecting plants from wilting, it also reduces moisture loss due to evaporation! 8. Strong and durable, cut long strips and tie together to make an emergency cord; perhaps not applicable for repelling. The texture is not well-suited for the activity.

9. First Aid to the rescue! Cut wide and lengthy strips to fashion a sling in an emergency; thin strips work well for a makeshift tourniquet. Where would an emergency happen? Perhaps while driving, walking to a destination or in the home! Space blankets are a lightweight and fractionally small means of security. Toss it in your emergency kits, glove box and purse! Although it makes a crinkling sound, the Mylar sheet is practically perfect, ensuring the user’s survival during any hazardous situation! Consider buying in bulk; each one is roughly $1.

7. Attach it to your vehicle’s sunshade. During the winter, the reflective powers will prevent ice from forming on the glass. NEXT MONTH: The Many Uses of Duct Tape