Gas got your tounge?
In these times when everything from apples to zucchini is going up, and you need a small loan to fill up the tank, we’re all looking for money saving tips. Here are a few to get you started:
Consolidate your travel
If you service your own listings, set aside a day of the week for exactly that task. My day is on Sunday, this keeps me from sitting long periods in traffic.
Order office supplies online to be picked up at the store. This forces you to create a great list of needed items and gives you a shot at grabbing any forgotten items there at the store in one trip.
If you have an appointment to show property, try to schedule other tasks in the same area of town for the same day.Â
Narrow your daily hours of operation. Your day in the home office should begin during normal business times, but leaving the house should not happen until after morning rush hour and you should be home before the afternoon rush hour. All driving tasks should be scheduled between these times.
Have lunch during off peak times- avoid the lines and the traffic.
Do your banking on Saturday morning. Avoid the long evening lines, and by all means avoid the drive-thru. Time saving is not always a money saving.
Fit shopping and errands into your round trip. If you are off to an appointment, allot time to make stops on the way to and from to make necessary stops.Â
Avoid rush hour at your destinations, and it is always a good idea to call ahead to ask when is peak and off peak times for regular stops.
Take the tollway whenever possible, but avoid driving at top speed. Drive 5 miles an hour under the speed limit to reduce the amount of wear on your vehicle and improve your overall gas mileage.
Optimize your vehicle
Once a month make sure you evaluate the pressure in your tires, this is one of the most commonly overlooked areas in which to assure you’re getting the best gas mileage.
Quarterly maintenance is crucial. Have your wheels checked for proper balance and alignment, as well as changing your oil regularly. Never wait until the sticker expires in your window, make it routine.
Drive with the windows up but the air temperature at a higher setting. This will reduce the amount of compressor usage, and reduce wind resistance on your vehicle.
Remove unnecessary weight from your car. The golf clubs, or the extra signs are not items you should drag around in your trunk. They weigh your vehicle down creating drag that decreases fuel economy.
 Avoid the Pumps
Many folks allow the tank to run dry and then fill completely up, but we suggest keeping your car at 1/2 full at all times. By reducing the weight of the fuel carried, you’re reducing not only wear on your vehicle but reducing drag on your car, thus burning less fuel. Also, staying at 1/2 full all the time keeps cash in your pocket by avoiding price spikes and spending large amounts of cash at fill up. You’re also doing right by the environment by not filling up and leaving gas at the pump equating to less demand overall- there’s a million of us nationwide, and as a group we can make a huge difference in demand.
We can appreciate the need for higher income agents to drive a vehicle deserving of their income and status, but is it really necessary? It is totally chic to go economy and lose the Texas sized Caddy or the Mothership Mercedes. There are many luxury hybrids or more fuel efficient vehicles on the market right now that will not only help the environment, reduce oil dependence, but will also gain you a respect from your clients and peers on a much deeper level because you’re leading by example.
Who would have thought a Green Agent was really just an Agent with common sense? Altough many agents around the country see gasoline as a cost of doing business, and can afford it, many consumers cannot. Agentgenius.com is asking all agents to lead by example because it is the right thing to do- Encourage your peers, write about it on your site, offer tips to your readers, and by all means share your ideas to reduce fuel usage in your own business.
