Settle an argument putting fuel in the car

[BoredZelda]

What is the correct way to fill the car up?

1 - fill it til it clicks, or you get bored.

OR

2 - fill it til the £ is a round number. Go to the next round number of you go over.

I fill it up unless I'm short of money and can only afford a certain amount

If we are going away or in a long drive then I fill it until it clicks. If I’m just topping up for going to and from work then I generally go for £40 ish but try to get the £40.00 exactly. It makes me smile when I manage it and DH always comments when he sees it in the credit card statement 😊

Im not on a budget but put £20 in per week as thats what I use. I will go to £25 if i go over the pennies . No idea why I do this though as could just fill it up once a fortnight but just habit I guess! Do it with the weekly food shop.

I usually do around £30 as it's local driving only but if I miss the exact number I'm not bothered.

Had a routine Starting
At each click point the nozzle in a different direction loosely following a Union Jack pattern.
Back then (30years ago) my tank would hold £40 -£45 so I used that as a benchmark, mind, fuel was much cheaper.
I also used the same Union pattern to shave my pits, managed to stop that easily enough so I'm going to put a stop to my clicking about!

@PivotPivotPivottt

I'm on a budget so the most I've ever done is £30. I didn't know there was such thing as a click

This

I fill it up to the first click when it's empty because otherwise you have to go to the petrol station more often and why would you bother with that?

I pay for everything on credit card which is then paid off each month, which generally breaks the link between having a certain amount of money and how much petrol you can buy, unless you change your driving habits buying less at any given time doesn't make it cost any less.

@BarbaraofSeville

I fill it up to the first click when it's empty because otherwise you have to go to the petrol station more often and why would you bother with that?

I pay for everything on credit card which is then paid off each month, which generally breaks the link between having a certain amount of money and how much petrol you can buy, unless you change your driving habits buying less at any given time doesn't make it cost any less.

Lots of peoples income is weekly/fortnightly and many people cannot get a credit card. It's great that this system works for you but it isnt for everyone.

Until just before the contactless limit if it's the scary lady who shouts at you for being in her shop. Otherwise, until it clicks at the start of the month, as little as possible at the end of the month 😂

Usually 20 or 30 pounds

Til it clicks, to minimise visits to the petrol station.

@BikeRunSki

Til it clicks, to minimise visits to the petrol station.

That's my reasoning as well. I do understand that not everyone can do this though.

Till it clicks.

Living where I do the idea of running out of petrol is my worst nightmare

I play a game where before I fill up I try to estimate the cost. Then I fill until it clicks.

Your username is apt …

It was a very dull, hot car journey. This topic took up about half the conversation.

Interesting replies, glad to see some more anally retentive than me in here. I always have to go for a round number. I wondered why until I realised that for my first 20 years of driving I would be paying by cash. I loved the fact they had a penny pot if you went over. Do these still exist anywhere?

Couldn't care less about the numbers in the winter I'll fill until my fingers hurt in the summer I just fill up.

Penny pots survived even during COVID restrictions here, OP.

Round number

1 unless I am skint then it's 2.

Depends how close to pay day it is!!

@OldTinHat

I can't afford to fill my car so put in £20 every other month and hope for the best.

£20 every other month? Really? I spend £100 a month and thought that was fairly low use 🙈

Till it clicks, but rural living means I spend a good £300 a month on petrol. Lockdown my fuel spends went down to £25 a month. Saved a shitload which is now all spent on fun stuff

I've never filled it until it clicks. It's not about money, I just worry that I'll overfill it and break it or something. £20 regularly on the way out of the supermarket works for me.

I just worry that I'll overfill it and break it or something.

You won't. If I only spent £20 every time I filled my car I would be at the petrol station far too often.

I don't ever fill up past three quarter point at the absolute most, as the weight of all that fuel, reduces the fuel economy.
Imagine if you have a 50 litre tank - that's the weight of 25 x 2 litre bottles of coke (minus the relatively light weight of the actual bottles of course). That's like carrying an extra child round with you. 50 litres of fuel weighs roughly 36kgs in weight...

Yes the difference may be minimal but over time you'll notice a difference. I used to fill right up to the clicks and couldn't understand why that first half of the tank kept going so much faster than the second half....!