It's no secret that while in college one of the biggest expenses can be the gas you put in your car. To help college students everywhere, we've done some research and talked to experts in the petroleum industry. These are the tips they gave us for saving the most bucks at the pump:

• Buy Only In The Morning - We know it can be tough getting out of bed, but experts had this to say to justify the early morning purchase: in the wee hours of the morning the ground temperature is still cold. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline is, once the temperature starts to rise gasoline expands, so your gallon is not exactly a gallon anymore.


• Don't Put The Trigger Nozzle On High - Yes we all have things to do and important places to be, but putting the trigger on the high setting can have a really bad effect on your wallet. There are 3 settings: low, medium, and high. Experts say having the trigger set to low is crucial because it minimizes the vapors and the vapor return while pumping. Without getting too technical, the faster you pump the more vapors you're creating and therefore getting less fuel for your dollar.


• Fill Up When Your Gas Tank Is Half Full - I'm not going to lie, this could be the hardest rule to follow since my tank is always flirting with E! You've probably noticed that when your gas tank gets below 3/4 full, it seems like you lose gas quicker. That's because you are! The experts explained that the more gas you have in your tank, the less air you have occupying its empty space. Gas evaporates faster than you can believe, so the less air that's in there the better.
  


• If A Gas Truck Is Refueling A Station, Don't Go There - You never know when a refueling truck could be there, so this is a tough rule that's a little out of your control. Nevertheless, it's still highly relevant to you saving the most dollars at the pump. The reasoning behind this is the gas that's being put into the reserve tanks below ground is stirring up all the fuel that was already in there, causing dirt and other materials to go into the pumps and into your tank!

To get the most out of your gas money, remember to keep these 4 tips in mind!

The CSA Team