1. Don’t Forget Your Safety Gear

Just because you might only have a 50- or 125cc engine thrumming away underneath you, it’s still dangerous riding a scooter. You’re exposed to the elements and cars or larger vehicles are still big chunks of metal. Therefore, it’s important to wear padded safety clothing, reflective gear to be more visible, gloves, a helmet and keep your wits about you.

Scooters and mopeds might be popular with young people but they can still cause damage if you fall off.

2. Practice, Practice, Practice

Even when you’ve passed your driving test it’s important to always be open to learning. If you can take additional courses and lessons from advanced riders then you will become a better and safer rider.

Extra training adds more confidence to your riding style and this can be the difference between staying safe and not.

3. Always Monitor Road Conditions

As you’re out in the open, remember that changeable road and weather conditions can have a dramatic effect on the handling of the bike. When it’s too hot the tyres might not grip as much in the same way as if you get caught in the rain, your tyres will not offer the same handling as they do in good conditions. It pays to keep a keen eye for manhole covers, potholes, gravel, stones and other road debris that can knock you off course or affect your braking and corner capabilities.

4. Be Aware of Everyone Around You

Other road users often follow too closely behind scooters and this can not only be unnerving but in many cases they might miss your brake lights. Let faster motorists passed or pull over until it’s safer to commence your journey. It pays to be extra cautious rather than risk being knocked off your scooter.

5. Be a Visible Rider

It’s a sad fact that motorists do not seem to take motorcyclists seriously. They drive too close, do not look carefully when pulling out of junctions and often mistake scooters for bicycles. If you wear high-visibility clothing and use your lights, this will help visibility massively.

6. Obey the Rules of the Road

Staying alert is very important but riding in a sensible manner is too. Do not make unnecessary or dangerous movements and keep in mind that car drivers might not know what you’re going to do next.

7. Have a Defensive Riding Style

Riding with the mind-set that pedestrians are going to walk out in front of you, drivers won’t see you and the road isn’t as grippy as it looks is a good way to ride. If you brake early, slow down when it’s busy and keep your eyes on other motorists you’re more likely to stay on two wheels.

Barry Johnson has been riding motorcycles for more than 15 years to be able to get around London more easily, but now rides 50cc mopeds to save money on insurance, fuel and tax.

Social Media from the Driver’s Seat:

Facebook and Twitter are used by both individuals and businesses as a source of entertainment and communication. Some would say it has even grown to be an addiction. With so many users online updating their status, it was only a matter of time before you can do it from your car. Mercedes is releasing an in-car version of Facebook that you will be able to use from behind the wheel.

With the in-car version of Facebook you will be able to automatically post your destination and estimated time of arrival if you have entered it into the GPS navigation system. Along the route the system will also alert you of places like shops, restaurants, etc. that your friends have “Liked” on Facebook. For safety reasons the new version of Facebook won’t allow you to type out long status updates, but will include prewritten updates that you can post with just a touch of the finger.

Integrated Smartphones:

Many drivers have been waiting for more options when plugging their smartphones into their cars. The future of integrating your smartphone with your automobile is coming soon. Many manufacturers are developing systems that will port music and games from your smartphone to your car. This will give drivers access to their phone’s music collection and of course be able to play Angry Birds, hopefully while you are parked and not driving.

Conversational Cars:

Many iPhone users are enjoying Siri, the interactive data system that acts as your personal assistant. This technology has sparked inspiration for car manufacturers to create in-car systems that will not only cancel your appointments, but also read your selected news articles, emails and more. A new highly evolved voice recognition software will make your car capable of simple conversations.

Semi-autonomous Cars:

With everything becoming hands free, what if you could drive that way? Manufacturers are looking into the possibility of taking away your steering wheel, knobs, and buttons. The car of the future will be using sensors to determine braking and steering input needed to navigate corners. This will eliminate the need for a steering wheel and drivers will only need to motion with their hands as to which direction they want to turn.

With cars already able to determine distance, braking, and sensors detecting obstructions in the road, autonomous cars are a real possibility. They are expected to be more precise than human drivers, and will reduce accidents, speeding, and human error.

In-car technology has always been a subject that both car lovers and techies have been looking forward to. With the tech of today seemingly in fast forward when it comes to innovations, the next car models rolling off the assembly line will be smarter, intuitive, and more entertaining.

Sandy Landsford is as writer who blogs for carinsurance.org.uk, where you can find multiple quotes for low cost car insurance!

Trim Your Transportation Costs

Bike riding provides both direct and indirect savings when it comes to keeping your monthly transportation costs under control. The direct cost is easy to identify, based on the reduction in fuel consumption. Think about how long that tank of gas lasts when you have a ten mile round trip to work each day. There’s a good chance that rather than filling the tank every week, twice a month will suffice. This means using the bike instead of the car effectively cuts your fuel costs in half.
The savings don’t stop there. Reduced wear and tear on your car means savings on maintenance costs. You may also find that it is possible to lock in better auto insurance rates since the car is not being used for the daily commute.

Reduce Stress

Whatever type of work you do, there is some stress involved. If you’re not careful, that stress will spill out of the workplace and into other areas of your life. One way to help avoid that spillover is to come up with some activity that helps put the day behind you and approach the evening with a better attitude. This is where bike commuting comes in.
No matter how mad you are with the boss or one of your coworkers, pedaling your way home will help to work off some of that angst. Even if you only live a couple miles from work, that is still long enough to put things in perspective and pull your mind away from the sorry events of the day. Better stress management also means the chances of developing high blood pressure and having a stroke are kept to a minimum.

Get in Shape

Bike commuting also allows people to do something that most of us don’t do often enough: exercise. Even a short commute is good for your cardiovascular system. The pumping action involved with pedaling will also help to strengthen the lower body and even help tone up the abdominal area to some extent. Rather than wasting money on a gym membership that is never used, bike to work each day and notice how you slowly begin to look and feel better.
Over time, you’ll also notice that your lung capacity improves and that you don’t seem quite as tired at work. This is because exercise helps to release endorphins into the bloodstream. You’ll arrive at work feeling more energized, alert, and basically ready to take on whatever the day has to offer. The combination of feeling stronger and having a more positive attitude might even make it easier to overlook some of the workplace shenanigans that normally get under the skin and make your day difficult.

Enjoy the Sunshine

While the sun is not always out every time you set off to work, there’s something about being in the open air and feeling the sunshine on your face that can help undermine even the worst mood. If you’ve been feeling on edge lately, making your way on two wheels may be just the mood breaker necessary to restore some equilibrium to the nerves. Along with the exercise, exposure to sunlight is known to help promote a more positive mindset.

Before embarking on a full-fledged bike commute, take a few preparatory steps. Have a checkup and make sure you are healthy enough for the type of commute you have in mind. Consider driving about halfway to work, then using the bike for the rest of the trip. This will allow you to gradually get into the habit and also start the process of realizing some of the benefits. In a week or so, try using the bike for a full commute to and from work. Once you get into the habit and notice all the benefits kicking in, chances are you’ll never want to go back.

If after reading this article, you are still not convinced that taking the bike to work is a better alternative, then you should at least compare car insurance rates online to save as much money as possible when driving. Comparing rates online at Kanetix, an online quote comparison website, could save you hundreds of dollars every year. Apply online today to compare rates from top insurers in Canada.

Scooters are often times cheaper than other vehicles or motorcycles, which is another reason why they are popular, especially due to today’s economy. They have also started becoming more popular and cost effective recently due to the way gas prices have been rising constantly because they don’t use as much gas as other vehicles.

Vespa Scooters:

Vespa is one of the most trusted scooter manufacturers, so this would be a good brand for you to consider when deciding on which scooter you want to purchase. Their scooters have a few factors that vary based on the model. For example, the highest speed varies from 39 miles per hour to 80 miles per hour.

The gas mileage varies due to the vehicle’s highest speed. So, if you get a scooter that only reaches a speed of 39 miles per hour, you will get more miles to the gallon.  Below are a few of the models that Vespa makes.

Vespa LX’s:

The “Vespa LX 50 4V” scooter has a maximum speed of 39 miles per hour, but it also gets about 85 to 90 miles per gallon. This would be a good option if you are trying to save money on gas. However, if you wish to have a scooter that has the ability to move a little bit faster, one of the models you should look at is the “Vespa LX 150 I.E.”.

The “Vespa LX 150 I.E.” has a maximum speed of 59 miles per hour and gets about 70 to 75 miles per gallon. Now, if you really want to have fun on a scooter you should check out the ones that have a maximum speed of 80 miles per hour. For example, the “Vespa GTS 300” has a maximum speed of 80 miles per hour and gets about 65 to 70 miles to the gallon, which is still very cost effective with today’s gas prices.

There are other models with these specs as well, but these are just a few of them. They all have different details included with each scooter and the price will vary based on all the different specifications.

Honda Scooters:

Honda is a very popular motor vehicle manufacturer that not only makes cars, scooters, and motorcycles, but they also make jet skis, motocross bikes, all-terrain vehicles (ATV’s), and more.

Honda is a very dependable brand as well because as long as you keep the maintenance up on your motor vehicle, it should last for a quite a long time. Below are three of the scooter models made by Honda.

Honda 2010:

The “Honda 2010 SH150i” has a liquid-cooled single-cylinder, four-stroke engine. It gets about 91 miles per gallon and weighs about 302 pounds, which is very light compared to a normal size motor vehicle, such as a car or a truck. The price of this model starts at about $4,500, but that price may vary based on other specifications included on the scooter.

The “Honda 2010 Elite” scooter also has a liquid-cooled single-cylinder, four-stroke engine. However, this scooter gets about 107 miles per gallon and only weighs about 254 pounds. This scooter is also significantly cheaper in price compared to the “2010 SH150i”, as the price of this scooter starts at just under $3,000.

Honda 2009:

Last, but not least, is the “Honda 2009 Metropolitan” scooter. Now, this scooter, just like the other two, has a liquid-cooled single-cylinder, four-stroke engine, but this scooter’s engine is much smaller than the other two. This one is only 49cc’s, whereas the “2010 SH150i” has a 153cc engine and the “2010 Elite” has a 108cc engine.

The “Honda 2009 Metropolitan” scooter receives the highest gas mileage out of these three scooters, with about 114 miles per gallon. It also weighs much less, as it only weighs about 176 pounds. The price of this scooter starts at about $2,050 and may vary based on the specifications you wish to have included or added onto the scooter.

Other Brands:

Vespa and Honda are two of the many scooter brands, and may be considered to be some of the best scooter manufacturers. However, some of the other popular brands you could check out are Yamaha, Suzuki, Aprilia, and Piaggio. Always remember to do your research when buying a scooter.

It is always important to find out the maximum speed, gas mileage, price, engine size and type, size of the gas tank, specifications, and so on. You will need to use this information when you begin to compare your scooter options in order to choose the one that is best for you, as well as the most cost effective scooter.

Author Sandy Landsford is an accountant and blogs for carinsurance.org.uk, where you can get a quote for cheap car insurance!

Past Summers Of High Gas Prices

Many people remember the summer of 2004 and 2005 as having extremely high gas prices. This was largely due to the many natural disasters, including Hurricane Katrina, which happened during this time period. July 17, 2008 holds the record for the highest national average price per gallon; that day weighed in at $4.11 per gallon. With adjusted inflation, the gas shortage of the 1970s holds the record for the highest price paid at the pump. It averaged out at around $4.70 per gallon. To add insult to injury, consumers had to wait quite a while in the line and they were limited to how many gallons could be pumped. The gas prices during the summer of 2012 are set to beat that record; in most parts of the country gas could be over $5.00 per gallon.

What The Current Gas Prices Are Now

In New York, gas prices sit right at $3.91 per gallon. Other areas of the country, such as California, are at slightly over $4.00 per gallon. The United States national average is at $3.85 per gallon. Prices have been steadily rising over the past several weeks; prices have been known to jump as much as ten cents in a single day. At the beginning of 2012, prices were around $2.75 per gallon.

What Price Gasoline Is Set To Rise To During This Summer

In most parts of the country, gasoline is set to reach record highs of over $5.00 per gallon. Optimistically these high prices are only a temporary spike. Many people remember all too well the over $4.00 a gallon gas prices after Hurricane Katrina destroyed multiple oil rigs. High gas prices plagued the country for most of the summer. What is forgotten is that by the end of the year, the average gas price was sitting right around $2.00 per gallon. If gas prices do continue to rise drastically this year, it may not be a permanent dilemma.

Why Is The Gas Prices So High?

From inflation to conspiracy theories, everyone has their own opinion on why the price of gasoline is so high. There are several aspects that affect the price of a barrel of oil. Inflation does play a large role in the price of gas going up. With gas going up, so do all other items. Disasters, both natural and manmade, contribute to high prices. Other countries in both South America and Asia have a rising demand for gasoline. Middle East currently provides the majority of the world’s supply of oil. Tensions between Iran and both the United States and the European Union are mounting; Iran is threatening to close a major artery that is crucial to the efficient production of oil.

Cutting Down On Gas

There are simple tips that can be utilized to ensure less gasoline is wasted. Planning trips, ideally at least three stops at a time can help save both gas and time. Think about the most efficient way to travel to a location. A route with more right turns will help reduce the amount of gas burned at red lights. Finally a car that is regularly maintained will save the most on gasoline costs. Getting a tune up will save gas and help reduce fumes emitted into the atmosphere.

Another way to cut down on your automobile costs is to compare car insurance quotes at Kanetix.ca to see which insurance provider in Canada is most suitable for you. Apply online at www.kanetix.ca/auto-insurance to do a quote comparison and save hundreds of dollars on your car insurance.

Zoom zoom

Mazda 2. Mazda has long been known as a maker of smaller cars that “zoom zoom,” and the Mazda 2 is the latest in a long series of fun to drive compacts. Winner of the 2011 Car and Driver Editor’s Choice Award, the Mazda 2 gets an impressive 35 mpg on the highway, yet still includes a five speed manual transmission and 100 horsepower engine for a fun driving experience. Add in modern paint colour choices, keyless remote entry, MP3 ready sound system, and ABS brakes and you have a fully loaded car that mixes value and fun.

Dinkily Desirable

Fiat 500. Walk past one of these in the supermarket parking lot and you are bound to take a second look. Long a popular brand in Europe, Fiat is finally making inroads with the American market with the stylish and affordable 500, a reboot of the original Fiat 500 from the 1960’s. The Fiat 500 comes in three models: the Pop- a basic five speed, the Sport with an improved suspension and exhaust for more responsive handling, and the Lounge with plush features such as leather seats and steering wheel. All three are stylish, peppy, fun to drive and get exceptional gas mileage.

Eastern Promise

Maruti Alto. You have probably never heard of this Indian-made small car, but it deserves a place on this list simply for one staggering statistic: the Maruti Alto is the best selling small car in the world. In 2011 more than 300,000 Altos were sold, the only car make to top the 300,000 mark. A product of Suzuki India, the Alto is a top seller both for its base price of $6,000 U.S. and its features such as power steering and standard A/C.

Wheely Good

Mini Cooper. This car set the standard for a small car that is also cool to drive. While other automakers have jumped on the small car bandwagon, the Mini is still a top compact car worldwide. With a base price higher than that of other subcompacts, the Mini is still a great value with higher resale values that other cars in its class. Most importantly with a five speed transmission and a ton of pick up, the Mini is simply fun to drive.

Charlie D. works for a car leasing company – which has given him the opportunity to get up close and personal with plenty of cars over the years

It’s supposed to be like finding a few bucks laying on the ground every time you put gas in the tank.    Sweet and worthy of doing a happy dance every time you pull up to the pump!

There’s just one problem…

The Credit Card Companies Love To Use All Kinds Of Shenanigans,  Weasel Clauses, and Fine Print To Prevent You From Getting The Gas Rewards and Cash Back You Rightfully Earned

So I just spent the entire day (and part of last night) reading all that gobbledygook, lawyer speak, and fine print of virtually every rewards card on the planet.

You owe me!  Big time.    :)

However, I’ve cracked the code and figured out which gas cards suck (most of them) and which are pretty decent (not many).  I’ve listed my overall favorite card right at the top but if all you care about is gas rewards and think that every other kind of cash reward can go suck an egg, then scroll to the very bottom of this page to find the one and only gas card still gives you a full 5% cash back on gas without any limits.

Best Gas Credit Cards

American Express Blue Cash

Pros

• Up to 3% cash back on Gas (No Limit)
• Up to 6% cash back on Groceries (No Limit)
• Get Paid Up To $75 For Each Friend You Refer
• 0% Introductory Rate for 12 months
• 1% cash back on everything else
• Up to $150 cash back after spending $1000 in the first 3 months (just buy all your groceries and gas with this card for the first three months and you’ll get the cash)

Cons

• To get maximum cash back, you’ll have to get the “Preferred Card” which comes with a $75 annual fee.  It’s easy to make back if you pay for all your gas and groceries with this card but if not, it won’t be worth the annual fee… in that case just get the “Everyday Card“

Weasel Clauses

Gas purchased must be from a stand-alone gas station.  For example, buying gas from a club like Costco wouldn’t apply, you’d just get your regular 1% in that case.

Bottom Line

The best all around rewards card for cash back.  Yes, it is possible to get more cash back on gas alone (see the PenFed card below) but when you add in the potential to get 6% cash back on groceries, this card came out the winner.

Click Here To Apply For The American Express Blue Cash Card

Chase Freedom

Pros

• Get $200 cash back when you spend $500 in the first 3 months.  (heck, you could just get the card, get the $200 and get rid of the card if you wanted to)
• 5% cash back on rotating categories, including gas for first $1500 spent in qualifying categories.
• No Annual Fee
• 1% cash back on everything else (no limit)

Cons

• Categories rotate every quarter which means sometimes you’ll get 5% cash back on gas and sometimes you’ll get
• No 0% introductory rate

Weasel Clauses

You have to go online to activate your 5% cash back every quarter.    If you don’t activate your account for the 5% bonus before their deadline, you don’t get the 5% and instead only get 1%.

Bottom Line

To be honest, I’d recommend applying for this card in addition to the blue cash card (above) or the PenFed card (below) and using one of them as your main gas rewards card and for this one, just use it enough to get the $200 bonus and run.  Remember it’ll take 6-8 weeks for your $200 bonus to post to your account so don’t cancel too quickly.

Click Here To Apply For the Chase Freedom Card

Discover Open Road

Pros

• 2% cash back on gas and restaurants ($250/month)

Cons

• 2% cash back on gas and restaurants only applies to first $250 combined.

Weasel Clauses

You only get .25% cash back on purchases made warehouse clubs, wholesale distributors, discount stores and their affiliates.    In fact, you don’t even earn a 1% cash back bonus until you spend $3,000 for the year.  Before that (except for gas and restaurants), you only get .25%.

Bottom Line

I think you can tell it’s hard to find a really good gas card when this card makes the list of the “best gas cards.”  It’s merely okay as a gas card but the 0% interest rate for 15 months on purchases & balance transfers is nice.

Click Here To Apply For The Discover Open Road Card

Other Gas Cards Worth Considering

TrueEarnings Card from Costco and American Express

Pros

• 3% cash back on gas – up to $3000 a year ($250 a month) (1% thereafter)
• 2% cash back at restaurants and on travel.
• 1% cash back on everything else you buy, including what you buy at Costco.
• You can get you picture put on the card.  (the added security is nice)
• 0% Interest for 6 months.

Cons

• Must be a Costco Member.  The card may have no annual fee but Costco membership isn’t free.   (minimum membership level is $50 a year)
• Cash back reward is only issued once a year.
• Cash back must be redeemed at Costco.  You can redeem it for Costco merchandise or just get cash at the service counter… you just have to do it at Costco.

Weasel Clauses

You only get your 3% gas rebate if you purchase less than 75 gallons of gas at a time.   Gas must be purchased at Costco or a domestic stand-alone gas station (excluding superstores, supermarkets, convenience stores, and warehouse clubs other than Costco).  I’m not sure what counts as a convenience store and what qualifies as a stand-alone gas station.

Bottom Line

This card “rocks the casbah” if you live near Costco.  Costco has pretty darn good prices and is actually a good place to buy high priced electronics like computers and HDTVs because they automatically double the standard 1 year manufacturers warranty to 2 years.  However, if there is no Coscto near you, it’d be silly to get this card.

Click Here To Apply For The TrueEarnings Card from Coscto and American Express

PenFed Visa Platinum Cash Rewards Card

When it comes to finding the best gas card, this little known gem is probably it.  It gives the highest gas rebate with no limit – it rocks.   So you’re probably wondering why it’s sitting way down here and not right at the top of this page?

The answer is simple – it’s a pain to get.  Sure, anyone can technically get one, but there are more hoops than normal to jump through.  It’s also good for one thing and one thing only.  Unlike other gas cards that give you a bunch of different ways to earn rewards, this one is for getting cash back on your gas and that’s really it.

However, if you don’t mind a few extra steps this card could save you $.20 on every gallon of gas you buy (assuming gas is $4 a gallon) and there’s no limit on how much gas you get rewarded on each month.

Pros

• 5% cash back on gas – NO LIMIT
• You get your cash rewards EVERY MONTH.  You don’t have to wait a year to get them.
• No Annual Fee

Cons

• .25% cash back rewards on everything else you buy  - this card is only awesome as a gas card.
• While anyone can get the card, there are a few hoops to jump through.
• No introductory 0% interest rate. (current rate is a nice 9.99% though)
• If you’re not in the military (of part of a qualified organization), it’ll run you $20 a year to qualify (though the money does go to a good cause and is probably tax deductible – just don’t hold me to that as I’m not a tax professional, I’m a blogger and not an expert on everything).

Weasel Clauses

You have to pay at the pump so if the card reader at the pump is out of order or you plan on paying inside you can kiss that 5% cash back goodbye.    Also, fuel for airplanes and boats don’t qualify – you only get .25% cash back for those purchases.

Bottom Line

This is the best gas credit card available right now if you don’t mind jumping through a few hoops to get started.  I’d only recommend using this card for gas, however, as the rewards for everything else are abysmal.

Click Here To Apply For The PenFed Visa Platinum Cash Rewards Card

Basically, they try to think of ways they can bend you over without you squealing too much and getting Big Brother involved.

And they’re exceedingly efficient at it.  Here are the top 3 gotcha you’ll find – most gas cards have at least one of these nasty things while there are many that have more than one.

Reward Caps & Limited Intro Rewards

The first thing you gotta watch out for from these scoundrels is caps on how much money you can earn in a certain period.

For example, the otherwise decent Discover Open Road card limits your gas rewards to the first $250 spent on gas each month and then it drops down to 1%.

I took a look – I’m one person and I spend about $280 a month on gas.  So already I can tell this card really doesn’t make sense for me.

If you and your spouse both want to use the same card, then you’d probably easy burn up more than the $250 rewards cap rather quickly and it really wouldn’t be worth it.

Rotating Rewards

How’s this for nasty?  The rewards card tells you that you get 5% rewards on gas right now but then they’re fine print says that next quarter it drops down to 1%.  But then they bring it back for some other quarter in the future and at least once a year?

Please note that the above paragraph is confusing and hard to read and yet’s its far easier to understand than how the credit card companies put it.

You practically need to hire your own lawyer just to keep up with all of it!  (Please note that I provide sensationalism free of charge  – just one of those extra perks you get for visiting my site)

Seriously, they really come up with this stuff.  Chase does it all the time with the Chase Freedom Card (a rewards card that used to be great but has recently been neutered by the greedy suits in charge)

Gas Station Specific

If you always use the same gas station, then getting that gas stations branded gas card might make sense.  For example, the BP card will give you 5% cash back on $500 worth of gas from their gas stations each month.  However, if you go to another gas station, you only get 1%.

I don’t know about you but I’m not committed to just one gas station.  Sure, there is one I use most of the time but I like the freedom of being able to use any gas station that’s convenient.

The Least Evil Gas Card We* Could Find

In my quest to find a gas card that gave a decent reward on unlimited gas purchases, didn’t rotate the reward percentage and applied to only one gas station, my search yielded precisely one card.

The American Express Blue Cash Everyday Card.

Go figure – the best gas card of the bunch isn’t even marketed as a gas card! 

What I Like

• No Annual Fee (Which Is Rare For American Express)
• It Really Is Unlimited  – You Get 2% Cash Back No Matter How Much Gas You Buy
• It Works At Any Gas Station That Offers Pay At The Pump

What Still Sucks

• The interest rate after the intro period is pretty high. (0% for a year, but over 17% after that)  (If you’re smart, this won’t matter because you won’t carry a balance… and you’re smart, right?)

It Gets Even Better?

Sort of.  If you don’t mind paying an annual fee ($75 or something like that), AMEX will knock that rewards percentage up to 3% on gas and 6% on purchases from supermarkets.  Unlimited style – yeah baby!

Oh yeah, and they’ll give you $75 bounty for every friend you con refer to their evil empire program, but only if you’re a “preferred” member. As they say, selling out Referring has its rewards…  (They pay me even more than that, though – mostly because I’m special… that, and I have dirt on the CEO**)

Should you get it?  Let’s do some math to see if it makes sense.  Okay, I’ll do the math and you just have to take my word for it that I did my math right.

The average driver drives 12,000 miles a year.   And the average vehicle gets 21.5 miles to the gallon.

That comes out to the average driver using 729 gallons a year. [1]

The average price of gasoline as of the time of this writing (Feb 20, 2012) is $3.60.  [2] “They” keep saying it’s going to go above $4 a gallon this spring and might hit $5 this summer.  I have no idea if that’s just fear mongering or not so let’s just take current real world numbers.

That means the average driver is going to spend $2624 on gas this year.

If you got the Blue Cash Everyday card, you’ll get 2% cash back and save $52 on gas.

If you opt instead for the Blue Cash Preferred card with its 3% cash back, you’ll save $78 on gas.

Total Additional Savings With Blue Cash Preferred – $26

But since Preferred has a $75 annual fee, you end up $49 in the hole.

You do get 6% cash back on groceries instead of just 3% but this website is all gas all the time (and hot air, I’m full of it) so if you just want a credit card for buying gas, stick with Blue Cash Everyday.

Bottom Line, if you drive a lot and use the card for groceries – the Preferred Card is worth it.  If not, forget it and stick with the Everyday Card.

Income Disclosure & Tiny Little Fine Print:  American Express didn’t pay me to say all those nice things about them.  But if you apply for their card by clicking on a link from this page and get approved, they will. Oh yes, they will pay and I’ll probably blow all the cash by filling a bathtub full of champagne and inviting a bunch of porn stars to join me because I want to be like Charlie Sheen.
*I have no idea why I keep using the term “we.”  One guy run this whole website.  He just uses we to make himself feel bigger and
more important… and he refers to himself in the 3rd person. He’s weird.

**That's a lie – a complete fabrication.  I don't even know the dude's name because I'm so lazy I couldn't even go to their Wikipedia page to look it up.

[1]  Holy crap, real research!  You betcha because you're worth it!  Who loves you?  That's right, I do.  I love you enough to look up real stats that someone else compiled and then do real math (using a calculator) with it.  Source:  Answers.com

[2] Yep, more real research!  Source: ABC Money

I know it’s not the greatest quality, but the tips are what you should focus on in this video – enjoy.

The idea behind this video is to make it simple and not to require you to spend more money just to save money because that can be rather counterproductive.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKYqcoFeCPE