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Tips for saving Money on Gas | 1. Make Like UPS, Avoid Left Turns
Route planning technology used by UPS saves the company's delivery trucks millions of gallons in gas annually. Routes are optimized for efficiency, and that means eliminating left turns wherever possible. A UPS truck can idle for minutes while waiting to turn left, and the gas mileage of an idling engine is zero miles per hour. By making fewer left turns, drivers idle less and save more -- gas. This idea can be easily adopted for personal driving without the need for an enterprise-grade logistical app.
| 2. Stop Getting Lost
An idling engine isn't the only thing working against you. Missed exits and wrong turns can add miles to a car trip. Besides, who has time for impromptu re-enactments of Lost? Even if you firmly believe your innate sense of direction is sound, you can save time -- and gas money -- by using a personal navigation device (PND), more commonly known as a GPS. Get one and learn to use it. Especially if you believe your inner compass will guide your path. (You know who you are.)
| 3. Get A Gas Rebate
Use online tools to find the lowest gas prices near you. Check GasBuddy.com before you hit the road, or from the road using your mobile device. Some credit cards pay rebates on gas purchases. At $4 per gallon, a 5% price break is 20 cents per a gallon back in your pocket. CardRating.com rounds up several deals and compares them.
| 4. Know Your Mileage
By the way, how many miles per gallon does your car get? Are you sure? The quickest way to find out is by using a downloadable calculator. Here's an Apple widget for OSX, and one for PCs. Both are free. For a really detailed record of how far you've travelled, and at what speeds, over an extended period, check out a GPS tracker like TrackStick. Once you know your true mileage, you can start making adjustments.
| 5. Let Them Buy The Gas
If you drive 10,000 miles per year or less, look into ditching your car and becoming a member of Zipcar, or i-Go, or another car-sharing service. You pay to use a car when you need it, and the fee includes gas and insurance costs. Zipcar says its members report saving "over $435 a month."
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Tracking the best airfare has its tricks | Traveling this summer doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg. Surely, you've heard that buying tickets on Wednesday after midnight gets you the best rates, but the guys over at Wired wanted a more logical explanation, so they went straight to Oren Etzioni, founder of Farecast, to get his expert advice. So what are the best times to travel or buy your tickets? Here are a few suggestions proposed by Etzioni:
| 1. Buying tickets in advanced doesn't always save you money. Instead, book your flight two to eight weeks in advanced to lock in the lowest prices during non-peak seasons. Sorry guys, this rule doesn't apply to peak season (summer, Christmas) so continue to book your holiday flights in advanced.
| 2. Best time to buy tickets is early in the week, so hold off until Tuesday or Wednesday to make your move. I guess the Wednesday theory was right after all.
| 3. If you want to save money, avoid flying on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, especially during spring break and summer. Flying during the week not only saves you money, but it helps you avoid the airport crowd.
| 4. If you find a great price online, don't hesitate to book your flight. Etzioni says 50 percent of reductions are gone in two days. On the other hand, if the price is too high, wait until the airline decides to slash prices in order to boost sales.
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Tips for choosing Camp Tents | Camping outdoors can be a miserable tale if you do not have the right camping tent. Here are some guidelines to choose the best tent according to your needs. Your camping needs helps you make the first choice
Consider the below things before making a choice
How many people does it need to hold? How often will you use the tent?
Under what conditions will you be using the tent, backpacking, biking, colder weather or family camping in August? Once you have the answers for the above, choosing the best tent will be an easier tas | Tent capacity ratings
The first to consider is the number of people who will be using it. This will generally determine the suitable size of the tent. If it is a family of four members with two adults and two kids, go for a tent that can accommodate five people. This will help you to keep all your packed in stuffs for the trip within the tent like your clothes, cot, food, backpack etc. Don't think that a small kid is less than an adult! They may not be that big, but all the gear that you need to keep them happy takes up all the rest of the room
| Different styles of tents
I would suggest to go for a tent that has a dome style that is round in shape as it offers wind resistance aside from it being small and simple to set-up. If the camping holds for a large number of people like 5-9, buy a family camping tents. Many prefer the umbrella style too as it offers roomy head room for many people and more over it is well-ventilated. Another style that can house many people is screen houses. Compared to the previous style, this offers first-rate ventilation.
If your planning for a seasoned camp, then go for the A-frame style tent and backpacking tent as it is lightweight and simple to set-up. The latter comes in varying sizes for 2 to 4 people. Make sure to choose a tent that is lower and wider, as the tents that are higher than its width will have more problems in windy days, especially monsoon. If you are camping in the rainy season ensure the tent has waterproof rainfly that clips to poles and requires only minimal additional stakes.
| Choosing according to durability
Another factor to consider is the sort of conditions the tent will have to cope with. This will in turn lead to choosing according to durability. For those on a budget the two-season tent is one of the cheapest in the market. However make sure you choose it only if you are going to fairly good campgrounds.
According to a research, the three-season tent is the most popular pick because it is sufficiently durable to deal with rain throughout the seasons except winter. The four-season tent is recommended for extreme weather conditions. It is intended for heavier winds and snow compared to the previous style for this kind of tent is comprised of a higher class of fabrics and added poles for increased strength.
| Features To Avoid Metal zippers of any kind.
# Discount stores and cheap tents rely on cheap fiberglass poles. Avoid choosing one with them as these poles break, shatter and disintegrate with alarming frequency.
# Avoid tents that require fully staking out to set up if you are planning on camping on terrain that is rocky, icy, or sandy, unless you are very skilled at making alternative anchors for your tent.
# Too large a tent footprint with sharply angled walls inward may offer strength but require a large lot to set up in while offering minimal use able interior space.
# Never buy a tent that is so small that you feel as if you're the filling in a nylon burrito.
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