Save Gas Money In Eight Simple Steps

With gas prices skyrocketing and living wages stagnating, it's only logical that we would try to stretch every dollar a little further. That includes certain habits to get the most out of each tank of gas when we fill up. But have you heard about these lesser-known yet expert tips to help maximize each tank for longer periods of time? Check out these eight steps below:

Step 1. It's ok, enjoy your air conditioner on the highway. Consumer Reports says that AC's gas-guzzling reputation is undeserved. And, at higher speeds, opening the windows or sunroof can hurt on gas miles by increasing drag.

Step 2. Don't fill up your tank until you're practically on empty; the less fuel you're toting, the lighter your car, and the more you will save on gas.

Step 3. After filling up your car, turn the nozzle upside down before you remove it from your tank. You'll get another half a cup of gas that's stuck in the hose that will save on gas.

Step 4. Tighten your gas cap after filling up so you don't let any precious fuel evaporate. Try to park in the shade. This will also help save on gas by preventing evaporation.

Step 5. Put your car in overdrive for highway driving. It lowers your RPM, or revolutions per minute, which saves you gas money. Check your owner's manual for the recommended speed at which you may use overdrive. If you're due for new tires, get radials; they improve gas miles by two or three percent saving you gas money.

Step 6. Stay in one lane as much as possible; weaving uses up more gas miles.

Step 7. Use cruise control when you're on a flat highway, where it can increase gas miles by 7%. But don't use it on uneven roads, where it's not efficient.

Step 8. Turn off all electronics and climate controls before you cut the engine. With the extras off, your engine won't have to strain so hard to restart, leading to better gas miles.

Healthy and Energizing Drinks for Morning Commutes

Chai Tea instead of Coffee

Drinking a hot drink in the morning helps your body wake up, but caffeine is not necessarily very healthy because it will dehydrate you and cause you to “crash” once the effects go away. Get a Chai Tea with natural ingredients, like ginger root. That will be healthy and a great sickness fighting drink.




Protein Smoothie

Nothing beats a good refreshing protein smoothie. You can always make that with Almond Milk as opposed to be using traditional milk. If you work out this will definitely work to your advantage and you will not be disappointed. Make sure you consult a trainer if you’re interested in buying the right protein powder.



Herbal Hot Tea

Very simple to make, this is one of the best morning drink to start off the day right. Make sure you buy quality Tea and stay away from the cheap stuff, it makes a difference. We suggest Hibiscus or Green Tea, and if you have a sweet tooth, add a little honey to it.




Vegetable Juice

It’s not for everyone in the sense that you need to like bypassing the sweets in the morning. If you can handle it, that’s the best way to go. A great vegetable juice with some orange juice or even a banana to sweeten it a little bit, will provide you with the best nutrients for the day.




Almond Milk
For all the lactose intolerant people out there, be sure to give this a try, you can now find it at most grocery stores. It has become very popular and it is very healthy. You can even warm it up and use it as Hot Cocoa material! Don’t hesitate to give this a try.




Honey Ginger Lemonade

This will help you stay refreshed and help your tummy pains! It’s simply honey and fresh, peeled ginger added to fresh squeezed lemon juice and water on top of ice. You can add a little mint to freshen it up more.

Terrifying commutes from around the world

Tired of rush-hour traffic? Exhausted from hour-long drives to work? These people's commutes will make yours look like a walk in the park!

1. Anyone who has to drive along the North Yungas Road in Bolivia. Where's that horse and buggy when you need it?

2. Anyone hoping to get on this train in Beijing. Claustrophobia is a valid excuse for being late to work... we hope.

 
3. Anyone who constantly has to risk their life by driving under the Devil’s Nose. Must be quite a sight when it rains.

4. Anyone who has no choice but using a zip line to get to town in Colombia. For a handful of families living there, zip lines are the only way to cross a river and not a source of recreational amusement.

5. Anyone who has to cross the Hussaini Bridge in Kashmir. The bridge divides a village in two - on one side are houses, on the other are farms. What was that old saying about a house divided?

Millennials skip showroom, use social media for car-buying

When 20- and 30-somethings go car shopping, they’re likely to ask their friends for help – their Facebook friends, that is. The youngest generation of car buyers is far more likely to turn to social media for advice than head for the showroom, according to an eBay Motors study.

More than nine of 10 so-called millennials -- "Generation Y" babies born between 1980 and 2000 -- turn to the Internet when shopping for a new car or truck, according to the eBay research.

They aren’t alone. A separate study found that the majority of buyers now go online to begin the car buying process – and more than half will be strongly influenced by what their friends have to say on Facebook.

94 percent of millennial car buyers gather information online;

More than a third use mobile devices to do that research, compared to 19 percent of older car shoppers;

Only 13 percent of millennials view visiting a dealership as their preferred method of shopping, while 25 percent of older buyers prefer to go to a showroom.

The study, based on responses from over 1,000 U.S. adults, also found that millennials are more comfortable using portable devices than older drivers when researching a possible purchase. One of five of these young motorists reported that they would be open to going through the entire purchase on a mobile device, according to eBay Motors.

Millennials aren’t alone. The survey found that two of three older motorists say technology is changing how they shop for a car.

That’s supported by the Automotive Social Media and Reputation Trend Study which finds 81 percent of buyers read reviews to narrow down the right car or truck, a figure that has grown substantially in the past six months. The study, by research firm Digital Air Strike, named Cars.com, Edmunds.com and Yahoo! among the most influential sources of reviews. It also noted social media outlets Facebook, Yelp and Google Plus.

Twenty-four percent of those surveyed indicated online reviews are the single “most helpful” factor in the final choice of a vehicle. According to the study by Digital Air Strike, “There is a 59 percent probability that a consumer will trust a review from a Facebook friend more than reviews on other sites.”

Meanwhile, the survey of 2,000 shoppers found that 43 percent said they would use Facebook to search for a local dealership.

While there has been a lot of debate about the effectiveness of Facebook advertising, the Automotive Social Media study found that clicks on dealership ads jumped to 39 percent from 16 percent between October 2012 and April of this year.

Copyright © 2009-2013, The Detroit Bureau

2014 Buick LaCrosse Sedan Earns Five Stars for Safety!

The 2014 Buick LaCrosse four-door sedan has received the 5-Star overall safety score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), as part of the agency’s New Car Assessment Program.

The new sedan earned full 5-star ratings in the frontal and side crash tests and four stars in the rollover try-out. Driver and passenger safety in both the frontal and side crash were given the top 5-star score as well, while the “risk of rollover” was rated at 11.8 percent.

For video coverage and more details on the 2014 Buick LaCrosse's safety features, check out the full article on Autoevolution.

Interesting Facts and the Science Behind Snow

1. The world’s largest snowflake: It was reported to be 15 inches across and 8 inches thick. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, this beast of a snowflake was found at Fort Keogh, Montana on January 28, 1887.

 Disclaimer: Not the largest snowflake in the world, but it sure is pretty!

2. Snow is not white: It is actually clear and colorless. As the National Snow and Ice Data Center so eloquently put it,

“The complex structure of snow crystals results in countless tiny surfaces from which visible light is efficiently reflected. What little sunlight is absorbed by snow is absorbed uniformly over the wavelengths of visible light thus giving snow its white appearance.”

3. World record snowfall: Mt. Baker ski area in Washington State has the world record for snowfall at 1,140 inches of snow in the 1998/1999 winter season.

You could've leaped out of an airplane and landed unharmed! Don't try that at home... 

4. Six sides or bust: All snowflakes must have 6 sides otherwise they are not considered snowflakes. In a nutshell,

"The laws of electronegativity and molecular bonding between oxygen and hydrogen atoms dictate that the formation of positive and negative dipoles causes H2O to have a V-shape. Intermolecular forces between the oppositely charged ends of different particles cause them to join together in a very specific three-dimensional pattern with a six-sided symmetry."

L.A. Auto Show Witnesses Debut of 2015 GMC Yukon and Yukon XL

The middle child of General Motors' trio of truck-based SUVs, the GMC Yukon and long-wheelbase Yukon XL, received their auto show debut at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show. Showing off a bigger, bolder look, particularly on its Denali trim, the Yukon sports prominent chrome grille instantly identifies GMC's new top-end SUV.

The Yukon is will come to market with a pair of engines. The base 5.3-liter V8 pumps out 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque, while the higher-end models benefit from the same direct-injected, 6.2-liter V8 as the Escalade. That engine makes 420 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque, with fuel economy seeing a likely boost thanks to an active fuel management system. Like the Tahoe, Suburban and Escalade, the Yukon takes advantage of a six-speed, column-mounted automatic transmission.

The cabin has seen significant upgrades in terms of materials and technology, with an eight-inch touchscreen display and IntelliLink standard in both Yukon and Yukon Denali. Fold-flat second and third-row seats come standard, while a power option is available, as well. Other techy features include active noise cancellation and standard Bose stereos.

You'll be the envy of everyone else on the road in one of these beastly rides!