How I save lots of money on gas.

[billygoatjohnson]

Ethanol E50 update! My cousin and I have been using E50 in our non-flex, non turbo vehicles for well over 600,000 miles for the last 19 years. I notice 0 difference in MPG. I currently have a 2018 focus hatch I paid $15k for brand new. I get 32mpg in the winter, 36-40+ in the summer. I drive 60mph. I never never paid over $3 a gallon when gas was over $4 here in Minnesota.

Currently gas (87 octane) is $3.22 a gallon. E50 is $2.52 a gallon. Let's run some math

At 15,000 miles a year. With an avg mpg of 35mpg. It's a savings of $25 a month.

$25 a month invested, 7.2% interest, over 40 years. Is $69,400 of free money. And, when I step on it, I notice a large increase of power (over 87 octane), due to the high octane of E50.

[billygoatjohnson]

And for road trips, this makes 0 reduction on mpg. Also interchangeable to other vehicles.

[Just Joe]

Is E50 offered at gas stations? I don't think I've ever seen it anywhere.

600K miles? You like to explore don't you? ;)

[billygoatjohnson]

Is E50 offered at gas stations? I don't think I've ever seen it anywhere.

600K miles? You like to explore don't you? ;)

that is total with my cousin and I over many years. The most we have had on one engine was 140k then traded it in.

Yeah, ethanol seems to be a Midwest thing.

[Chris Pascale]

We have E85 here on Long Island.

This article says it's okay to use: https://eflexfuel.com/us/blog/does-e85-damage-engines---or-injectors-or-fuel-lines
The Honda site says not to use it: https://engines.honda.com/support-and-service/fuel-recommendations#problems

I'm open to hearing what people know because I'd be happy to use more plants and less fossil fuel.

[nereo]

I’ve found there to be even greater savings through carpooling (50% reduction with just one other participant) and cycling. And driving a PHEV has cut fuel consumption of driven miles by (~86%). When we pay full residential rates for charging it’s about half the cost per mile of gasoline. Most of our charging is free.

In my view focusing on E50 / E85 isn’t an efficient strategy.

[billygoatjohnson]

We have E85 here on Long Island.

This article says it's okay to use: https://eflexfuel.com/us/blog/does-e85-damage-engines---or-injectors-or-fuel-lines
The Honda site says not to use it: https://engines.honda.com/support-and-service/fuel-recommendations#problems

I'm open to hearing what people know because I'd be happy to use more plants and less fossil fuel.

I would not do E85 as when you go that high you do have noticeable difference in MPG. The savings does not out weigh loss. I don't know the science behind it but 30%-50% seems to be the sweet spot without a noticeable difference (at least in a car). It's not as simple as looking at the BTUs. E85 also only works on flex fuel models which is far and few. But 30%-50% works in most non turbo engines. So far we've used 30%-50% on NON-Flex vehicles such as Kia Spectra, Kia Sportage, Jeep Wrangler, Subaru Impreza, Ford Focus, and Dodge Avenger. There is more but I can't remember off the top of my head. My car starts right up when it's -30F as well. Never left me stranded.

If you only have access to E85. You'd have to blend it yourself as the pumps to get correct percent. Which is annoying because your not sure how many gallons it will take to get full. Here with our blender pumps we can choose what %. Also, I have noticed some places that only have E85 and not blender pumps, mark up the E85 so it's not much cheaper than regular. Which in this care, it's not worth the hassle.

To anyone interested, and has access to blender pumps, or blending it yourself and there is a large savings, start with 20% for a tank or two, then 30%, then 50%. Some vehicles are more fussy and will throw a check engine light at 50%. I don't know of any vehicle that will throw a light at 30% (non turbo). I once put E85 in my new jeep wrangler because it said it was Flex fuel in 1 spot in the manual, but non-flex in another spot. So I decided to try it. The first tank worked fine. The second tank it was colder in the morning and when I hit the highway it sounded like the engine fell out of my jeep then ran fine. I decided it was NON flex after all haha.

[billygoatjohnson]

I’ve found there to be even greater savings through carpooling (50% reduction with just one other participant) and cycling. And driving a PHEV has cut fuel consumption of driven miles by (~86%). When we pay full residential rates for charging it’s about half the cost per mile of gasoline. Most of our charging is free.

In my view focusing on E50 / E85 isn’t an efficient strategy.

Carpooling is definitely great but not viable for many people. I live in the country with a roommate. We do carpool on occasion when going to get grocery's 20 miles away. The E50 savings is for people who currently have ICE vehicles. If I needed a new car today, I can get a good ICE car for 17K brand new. 21k if I wanted to splurge and sleep in comfort. When buying the next vehicle I plan on doing the math and compare ICE, hybrid, phev, etc. There's many factors as far as convince, opportunity cost in up front costs (17k ice vs 30k prius), price of gas, miles driven a year, idleing time, etc.

[billygoatjohnson]

We have E85 here on Long Island.

This article says it's okay to use: https://eflexfuel.com/us/blog/does-e85-damage-engines---or-injectors-or-fuel-lines
The Honda site says not to use it: https://engines.honda.com/support-and-service/fuel-recommendations#problems

I'm open to hearing what people know because I'd be happy to use more plants and less fossil fuel.

On more note. Yes your car is using less fossil fuel when burning E50, or E85. So that sounds great and all but unless we can make Ethanol from algae and get thousands of gallons per acre with minimal fertilizer I don't see it as a long term solution or much "greener" than fossil fuels. Right now most of it comes from monocrops which are sprayed heavy with chemicals and lots of fertilizer. Even though I'm a farmer. I'm a realist. Same as how electric vehicles have batteries and most of our electricity is not green. Unless i'm walking or biking there is nothing green about any of it. The only long term solution is to have a world population of say 500,000,000. It would also help when an epic earth changing event happens. We could more easily be prepared for survival and independent.

[Chris Pascale]

We have E85 here on Long Island.

This article says it's okay to use: https://eflexfuel.com/us/blog/does-e85-damage-engines---or-injectors-or-fuel-lines
The Honda site says not to use it: https://engines.honda.com/support-and-service/fuel-recommendations#problems

I'm open to hearing what people know because I'd be happy to use more plants and less fossil fuel.

On more note. Yes your car is using less fossil fuel when burning E50, or E85. So that sounds great and all but unless we can make Ethanol from algae and get thousands of gallons per acre with minimal fertilizer I don't see it as a long term solution or much "greener" than fossil fuels. Right now most of it comes from monocrops which are sprayed heavy with chemicals and lots of fertilizer. Even though I'm a farmer. I'm a realist. Same as how electric vehicles have batteries and most of our electricity is not green. Unless i'm walking or biking there is nothing green about any of it. The only long term solution is to have a world population of say 500,000,000. It would also help when an epic earth changing event happens. We could more easily be prepared for survival and independent.

Thanks for both replies.

[jnw]

Here's how I saved a good amount on gas today. I found out Sam's club sells premium unleaded for $3.18 per gallon.. much cheaper than the other discount gas station we go to which is at $3.48 / gallon.

I just got a Discover It Cashback card and it has 5% cash back quarterly rotating categories.  Starting today, this quarter is Wholsale clubs.   So at Sams Club today, I bought a Sam's gift card with several hundred on it, to get 5% cash back on it.  (Actually double cash rewards the first year so it's 10% back).  I then bought the gas with the Sam's club gift card.   I also bought $60 or so of groceries from Walmart on this same Sam's Club gift card -- both Sams Club and Walmart gift cards work at each of the stores.

So I am ultimately only paying 90% of $3.18 per gallon which will be $2.86 per gallon compared to $3.48 per gallon at the old gas station.

[billygoatjohnson]

Here's how I saved a good amount on gas today. I found out Sam's club sells premium unleaded for $3.18 per gallon.. much cheaper than the other discount gas station we go to which is at $3.48 / gallon.

I just got a Discover It Cashback card and it has 5% cash back quarterly rotating categories.  Starting today, this quarter is Wholsale clubs.   So at Sams Club today, I bought a Sam's gift card with several hundred on it, to get 5% cash back on it.  (Actually double cash rewards the first year so it's 10% back).  I then bought the gas with the Sam's club gift card.   I also bought $60 or so of groceries from Walmart on this same Sam's Club gift card -- both Sams Club and Walmart gift cards work at each of the stores.

So I am ultimately only paying 90% of $3.18 per gallon which will be $2.86 per gallon compared to $3.48 per gallon at the old gas station.

Noice! Good strategy!

[jnw]

Noice! Good strategy!

Thanks, also I get 0% APR on purchases for 15 months.  So instead of paying down the card I'll be throwing that money in the Federal Money Market currently earning 4.75%.   Then a couple weeks before the 15 month promotion ends, I'll withdraw all the principle from the money market and pay off the card in its entirety :)