Does Changing Your Air Filter Really Help Fuel Economy

I change my air filter at the intervals specified in my owners' manual.

Whenever I'm getting my oil changed, the mechanic always tries to upsell me on an airfilter.  First of all, he charges $25 for an air filter I can buy at Sears or Autozone for $7.  I can get it for as low as $4.50 on Amazon.   It takes two minutes to change.

Secondly, he claims that changing your air filter helps your fuel economy.  I've been hearing this for years from people of all walks of life--mechanics, automotive insiders, clergymen--you name it.

A recent study at fueleconomy.gov suggests that for vehicles with engines built after ~1980, an unclogged air filter really does not help with fuel economy, but can help with acceleration time.  Tests suggest that replacing a clogged air filter on an older car with a carbureted engine may improve fuel economy 2 to 6 percent under normal replacement conditions or up to 14 percent if the filter is so clogged that it significantly affects drivability.

Typicacally, city drivers are supposed to replace their air filter every 15,000 miles (more frequently if you're frequently on dirt roads).  If you get your oil changed every 3000 miles, this means every fifth oil change--not every other oil change as the pushy mechanic suggests,

If you drive 1000 miles a month, that's once every 15 months, and again, replace it yourself according to the instuctions in the owners' manual.

If your mechanic is as pushy as mine, and you drive 1000 miles a month, you could save as much as $44 per year.

Sincerely,

The Frugal Maestro

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Thermostat

In colder climates, every year, we're faced with jaw dropping heating bills.  Everyone has a different situation: different living space, different climate, different night-time lows outside, and different home efficiency.

Let's take the case of a family of four, who lives in the Midwest, where it gets mighty cold  from mid November to Mid-March.  Let's say their bill for last January was $400, with the November, December, February and March bills slightly less.  Let's say they keep their house at a comfortable 68F in the winter months, 24 hours a day.

First step: buy a programmable thermostat.  They sell these at Lowes, Home Depot, Sears, etc.  You can also buy one at Amazon, for anywhere between $25 and $100.  The programmable thermostat allows you to lower the temp at night and when everyone is at work.

A common figure that energy experts use is 2.5 percent energy savings per degree.  So in the case of a family who is gone for eight hours during the day, and sleeps eight hours at night, the savings could be as follows:

1) Lower the temp from 70F to 68F when everyone is home.
2) Lower temp from 70F to 64F when everyone is asleep or at work/school.

You could save as much as $175/year by following this type of plan.

Sincerely,

The Frugal Maestro

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Batteries - Where to Buy

Every year, we run into the problem of toys that need batteries.  Some toys need a lot of batteries.  It's been my experience that the smaller your kid, the bigger the batteries.  I remember with toddlers, everything took those enormous D batteries.  Once the kids get older, their Wii remotes, RC cars, etc. take AA batteries, and plenty of them.

I hate buying batteries because I always feel like I'm getting ripped off.  I find that the generic batteries, while much cheaper, don't last nearly as long. 

First tip: Buy the big (20 battery) pack instead of the small (4 battery) pack.  They tend to charge about $1/battery in the small pack.  $0.50/battery seems to be the going rate for a AA Duracell or Energizer in a 20 pack.

Second tip:  I find, places like Home Depot and Lowes generally have better deals on batteries than would a store like Toys R Us (unless there's some kind of sale).

There are a number of online sites that have Duracell and Energizer batteries in bulk for cheaper.  The problem is, unless you go together with your neighbors and cousins, that's a lot of batteries.  http://www.medicbatteries.com/wholesale-aa-aa-battery-wholesale-aa-battery-duracell has 48 batteries Duracell for $0.30/battery.

At times, Amazon has sales going, with free shipping if you buy $25 or more in qualifying merchandise.  You can get them for as little as $0.46 a battery, sometimes better. 

You just saved as much as $14.00.

Sincerely,

The Frugal Maestro

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