Position your car properly to keep it cool when parked, and reduce your gas bill.

Five Frugal Car Cooling Tips

Common sense tips that we often don't think about. How often do we automatically put on the car's AC?

Another great article, Jilly. I'm a firm believer in rolling down the window and enjoying the breeze when I can. Air conditioning eats up a lot gas.

Great tips, Jilly. That will indeed keep a car cooler.

Air conditioning does eat up a lot of gas, but studies done with car windows open instead does show gas loss as well. When the windows are down it reduces the car's aerodynamic quality, increasing drag on the car and thus wasting gas as the car needs more fuel to move forward. The savings when keeping windows open instead of using the air conditioning is not all that much.

When it is hot and humid I will opt for the air conditioning, because hot air blowing around inside my car from the outside does nothing to cool me off, and where I live the summers can be very uncomfortable.

Thank you, Dianne. There are days when it's really acceptable to use fresh air and we seem to automatically go for the AC button.

Debbie, I have heard that about using the AC vs keeping the windows open. I am not sure what is more gas consumptive - using the AC or having a lot of drag in the car from open windows.

There are sources arguing both positions: when to use the AC or have open windows in a car.

One site on hybrid vehicles poses these responses: "If you�re driving around town, or in city traffic, then you�re better off leaving your windows open. For highway driving, roll the windows up and turn the air conditioning on. It�s advisable to roll the windows down for city driving, because speeds lower than 30 - 40 mph vehicles consume less fuel, then using the A/C at those speeds. Using the A/C at highway speed has no appreciable effect on fuel economy compared to rolling down the windows." -- go-hybrid.info/air-conditioning.htm

Most sources agree that for errands, in-town and city driving, open windows are the better answer. For highway speeds and long drives, flipping the AC switch is best.

I would posit that keeping the car as cool as possible when parked is at least a great place to start! And doing errands at night!

I have been getting into a hot car lately . I do park in the shade, but it's really just dappled light. So I decided to follow my own advice and put up my car shade. I am trying to remember to make this a habit!

Cracking the windows to make a cross-breeze has been helping, too.

Great tips, Jilly.

Thanks, Debbie! I have been working on keeping the windows open for around-town trips, or using the AC when my speeds are reliably over 40 mph.

It's also at the point where the best spots in any parking lot are those in the shade.

Still not so great at remembering to put up the dash shade each night. I really think keeping the car cool in the first place is the best way to decrease the perpetual need for AC.