Plan trips well to avoid unnecessary driving.

When you run your air conditioner you get much worse gas mileage. Use your air conditioner sparingly. If you have a lower setting, use it. Turn it on until the car gets cool, then turn it off and let the fan circulate the cool air. Never run your air conditioner with your windows open!

Keep your windows closed when traveling at high speeds. Open windows cause additional drag and lower your gas mileage. At high speeds, an open window can use more gas than many air conditioners (especially if they are on a low setting).

Check your tire pressure. Over-inflated tires can actually reduce your fuel efficiency, so don't overfill.

Take unneeded items out of the car. You don't need to carry snow chains around with you in the summertime. Just make sure to put them back in when winter comes around.

Try not to idle your engine for long periods of time. If you are stuck in traffic and you don't think you are going to go anywhere in the next five minutes, you may want to turn your car off.

You no longer need to warm your car up for long periods of time, especially new cars. New cars are made to run when cold. (Unless you have a diesel.)

Don't travel at fast speeds in low gears unless you need the compression to slow down.

Try to drive the speed limit.

Try to accelerate slowly when leaving the stop light. It's not a competition with the driver in the lane next to you. The fastest person through the intersection just gets to spend more on gas.

No need to buy the highest priced gasoline. Most cars are built to run on regular unleaded. Check you owners manual or consult a mechanic. I have had many tell me that the more expensive gas is a waste of money.

Revving the engine needlessly wastes gas. There is no need to rev before you turn your vehicle off.

If at all possible, try to arrange car pools with co-workers to share the cost of commuting to work.

Walk, bike or run to your intended location whenever possible.

When the price is sky high, don't fill up. Wait for the price to go down before you fill up your tank. Filling up your tank when the price is peaking lets gas companies know that you are willing to pay ridiculous prices for gasoline. The extra weight also will cost you in extra usage.

Roof racks and carriers provide additional cargo space and may allow you to meet your space needs with a smaller car. But, a loaded roof rack can decrease your fuel economy by as much as 5%. Therefore, to reduce the aerodynamic drag of these space savers and improve your fuel economy, place items inside the trunk whenever possible.

When you use your car's overdrive gears you can still drive at highway speeds, but your car's engine speed decreases. Overdrive gears reduce both the car's fuel consumption and engine wear.

If you are planning a long road trip and you own an older, inefficient car, you may want to look into renting a more fuel-efficient car for your trip. Rental car agencies often have special week-long rates and the increased fuel efficiency could make up the cost of the rental in fuel savings.

Consider getting steel-belted radial tires, since they can pay for themselves over time. They can increase gas mileage up to 10%.

You might want to buy your gas at the wholesale clubs, like Costco and some Sam's Clubs. You can often save over 10 cents a gallon. Or, if you don't like the wholesale clubs, get a gas credit card. You'll get a 1% to 5% discount when you buy that brand of gas.

If you take inflation into account, today's gas prices are about the same as they were in 1986. According to the U.S. Dept. of Energy 'real' gas prices are much lower than they were at their peak in 1981. The $1.40 that we paid in 1980 would be $3.18 today if adjusted for inflation.