With Christmas right around the corner, many of us will be scrambling into our cars to make last-minute dashes to the shops for presents we've forgotten to buy, or loading up our boots with enough food shopping to see us through the week between Christmas and New Year.
But all that driving will be using up precious fuel, and while the cost of petrol and diesel may not be at an all-time high right now, it's still pricey. With December seeing most of us spend more cash than usual, it's still a good time to try and keep costs down as much as possible.
Thankfully though, motoring experts have devised some clever hacks that could save drivers both fuel and money this winter - and one of them will see you drive everywhere with a bowl of water on your passenger seat.
According to experts at ChooseMyCar.com, the bizarre trick works by acting as a deterrent for drivers who might be tempted to accelerate or brake unnecessarily, as this can cause you to use more fuel than others on the road.
The experts said: "Keeping an open bowl of water on your passenger seat is a great deterrent for unnecessary acceleration and braking.
"It sounds a bit strange, but it is a simple and brilliant reminder to drive gently. If you hit the accelerator too hard, you'll see water pour out the sides. Likewise, if you're driving too fast and braking hard you'll notice water on the seat. The best bowls to use for this are small cereal bowls, with water about an inch from the top."
And it's not just bowls of water that could save you fuel this winter, Yorkshire Live reports, as you could also save yourself a few pennies just by changing the way you park your car.
The experts claim that parking facing the morning sun could help reduce the time you spend running your car in the morning to defrost your windscreen, while reversing into a parking space saves more fuel than reversing out of it.
On parking facing the morning sun, they explained: "You might have to buy a compass - but this simple fuel-saving hack will save you money. During winter months, if you've parked facing the morning sun, you'll spend less time running the car to warm it up or to demist your windscreen."
And about reverse parking, they added: "Did you know that by reversing into a parking space (or ensuring you are facing forward when you park) you will save fuel? Your car uses less fuel with a warm engine, so reverse parking when you arrive saves fuel, compared to reversing out with a cold engine when you leave."
Other fuel-saving tips included making use of your garage if you have one (as your car will stay warmer and won't need de-icing) and emptying your boot regularly so you're not carrying around excess weight.
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