SAN ANTONIO — Half of all Americans say they'll travel this spring, with the majority over Easter weekend. We took a look at ways for you to save money on gas if you are hitting the highways.
According to AAA, 75 percent of adults say they would change their driving habits if the cost of gasoline hits $5 a gallon. So with gas prices below that, many are driving to their Easter weekend celebrations.
"I think people are starting to feel a little bit more comfortable getting together last Easter, and I think we're continuing to see that this year so we can expect a bit more in the way of traveling," said Brian Martucci, a science editor from Money Crashers.
There are many possible myths about gas that we want to bust to help save you money. First, it is said that cruise control saves gas. Not always! An alert driver can press down on the gas pedal more gently than cruise control may react.
'Topping off the tank gets you more mileage.' Maybe, but it could hurt your evaporative emissions system by topping off your tank.
Next, 'no A/C and rolled down windows gets you more gas mileage.' Nope! By rolling down the windows it creates more drag making the car work harder.
'Premium gas is better for your car.' High octane fuel is actually only meant for high-performance cars, not your average sedan. Follow your owners manual.
Finally, 'off-brand gas will hurt your car.' Nah. All gas has to meet the same standards. Just find the cheapest and fill up. So where do you find it?
"In my travels to the more rural areas, even my mother and Kerrville, complain the gas prices there were higher than that in San Antonio," Economist and Professor Dr. Thomas Tunstall from UTSA said. "So I think where there's less stations, less competition, you're likely to to see at least somewhat higher prices."
One more tip, don't leave your car idling for very long, like in a drive through.
"Anything really over 30 seconds shut the car off and that's why a lot of your modern vehicles today have the auto stop start system is because even if you're sitting at a red light for 30 seconds, it saves fuel by shutting down and turning it back on," said Patrick DeHaan, the head of petroleum analysis from Gas Buddy.
Experts also recommend getting a free gas app like GasBuddy so you can find the cheapest gas in and out of town.