TicosLand.com wants to help save you money.

The price of gasoline is not only unfathomable, it is also unconscionable.

Who would have thought it possible we’d be paying over 700 colones per liter of gasoline, with talk of even higher prices every two weeks down the road? That’s exactly what RECOPE recommended this morning in La Nacion. We have seen the price of gasoline more than double in the last four years, while salaries have remained stagnant and even lag behind the inflation rate. We have had inflation average over 10% the last four years, gasoline prices have doubled, food prices have skyrocketed, and there is no end in sight. Many wonder when this will end because these price increases without a real increase in salaries are unsustainable. Some people get angry while others just suck it up and pay the price, figuring that if you close your eyes, it will go away. It won’t! But what can you do about the high price of gasoline?

After dismissing the thought of looking for lower gas prices from the competition (thanks to another monopoly, there is none), or boycotting your local gas stations – a pleasant thought even though we know that the white elephant of RECOPE will not go away, but a move that won’t get you to work or get you to the beach on the weekend– you’re faced with thinking over some real options. We think of these, too … and here are some that come to mind. None of these involve dumping your car and getting a new one.  Of course, if you have the money to buy a new one, then you would not be so worried about skyrocketing gas prices anyway.  But we know that’s not always possible, especially if you’re in the middle of a car payment with nowhere to go. Plus, if your vehicle is a larger model like an SUV that gets low fuel mileage, its present sale or trade-in value probably leaves a lot to be desired. So, if you need to keep driving your everyday ride but just have to do something about the high gas costs that are completely obliterating your budget, then give these tips recommended by AAA in the USA a shot:

1. Start by driving less. Most Costa Ricans are doing it anyway. Really, this isn’t as painful as it sounds. We’ve grown accustomed to our cars providing mobility on demand, which is a good thing when it isn’t hurting our wallets or contributing to growing oil dependency. It’s not so good when the reverse is true, which is the situation today. So plan ahead. Consolidating your day’s errands into sequential trips one after another is a great strategy that will save gas. It will also cut exhaust emissions by eliminating unnecessary cold-starts when your car’s emissions control system is least effective.

2. Ease off on the pedal, Speed Racer. Okay, maybe you’re not really “hot rodding” your way down the street, but chances are pretty good you’re not thinking about taking it easy from one traffic light to the next. Light accelerator pressure and a conscious effort to avoid quick starts and stops do make a difference in fuel economy, sometimes a pretty big one. Give it a try. While you’re at it, smooth out your pedal pressure at highway speeds as well by using your cruise control, if your automobile has it, whenever appropriate. It’s hard to do in Costa Rica, we know, but it is a good fuel economy practice anyway.

3. Feeling the need for speed? Let it go, watch NASCAR and daydream. It’s easy to creep past posted speed limits without thinking about it, especially on urban highways where traffic often tends to move well beyond the posted speed limits. The problem is that fuel efficiency diminishes rapidly above 90 kph. In fact, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) in the USA says that each 8 kph driven above that speed has the net effect of costing you about 20 cents more per gallon of gas, which with the colon being where it is in relation to the dollar would save you over 100 colones per gallon of gasoline.  That’s something to think about next time you feel the need to imitate Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

4. If you’re filling up on mid-grade or premium fuel, check to see if you really need to do this. Some high-compression engines do require higher octane fuel to run properly and, in fact, serious engine damage could result from using a lower grade fuel than is specified in your owner’s manual.  But if you don’t need premium fuel you shouldn’t be filling up with it. If you visit the gas station regularly, you know that premium fuel costs more per liter but doesn’t provide better performance in engines designed to run on regular … so you’re essentially pumping cash out your tailpipe, which is not a pleasant thought, is it?

5. Check your tire pressure weekly and keep your tires aired up to the recommended psi. This is so simple you’d assume everyone does this regularly. Not so. And that’s too bad since tires with low pressure create greater rolling resistance that can cost you up to 3 percent in fuel efficiency. Tires heat up while you drive and checking them while hot will give an artificially high reading. Make a habit of checking tire pressure before driving when your tires are cold. You might also consider buying low rolling resistance tires the next time your car is ready for new treads.

Those are the five essential tips recommended by AAA. Since most automobiles in Costa Rica have manual transmissions, TicosLand also recommends going downhill in 5^th gear. If you coast in neutral, you are actually using more fuel than if you use the correct gear. So try to keep these things in mind if gas prices have squeezed your pocket to the point where you just can’t squeeze out another “centimo.”