Tips on how to avoid the petrol price pinch

The retail price of both grades of petrol will increase by up to 11 cents per litre at midnight tonight, while diesel will go up by up to 42c/l, the department of energy announced this week.

Let’s do the Math – the average car – uses, say, 45 litres for a tank. That works out to around a R5 increase for petrol and around R19 for diesel.

Times are tough, budgets are tight. Where are we going to find that extra R5 a week for petrol?

Never fear, here are ways that you can save for that R5.

Darren suggests:

1. Leave supersize to superheroes. Don’t up size your fast food meals. Drink a big glass of water before you feast on fast food and save money... and lose weight.

2. Just like meat free Monday. You can have toilet paper free Tuesday. Or wiener free Wednesday. Or just be thirsty Thursday. Or French fries free Friday. Or Oros October could become a thing.

3. Don't hire that movie from Netflix, read the book. It lasts longer and is always better. And you can keep it.

4. Add a grated carrot to your mince meat. It goes further, it's healthier, and it's cheaper.

5. Add someone to your bath. An extra person displaces more water so you save. It's also more sociable - and leads to activities resulting in a good cardio workout. 

6. Sky thought it would be a great idea to get to know your neighbours, especially the girls in your hood. You might have to drop your standards depending on where you stay, though. That way you can find a girlfriend who doesn't live far away and you can still afford to buy her R5 airtime.

And here is what Rory will be doing:

8. I try my best to reverse as much as I drive forwards on any given day, thereby putting back at least some of the petrol used going forwards.

9. Just as we’re told to put a brick in our cisterns to use less water when flushing, I had a brick fitted into my petrol tank. I save at least R200 every time I fill up.

Try these tips and let us know how much you have managed to save.

It's OK, you can thank us later.