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High Gas Prices

Today's gas prices have reached almost historical highs--and that means you're spending more than ever to fuel up your vehicle and travel down the road. Fortunately, there are some tricks and tips you can use to beat those high gas prices. One of the best things to do is simply drive smarter and make your car more fuel efficient.

Before you even leave your house, map out your route whether you're going to work or running errands. Try to chose the shortest route possible, and pick highways when you can.

Don't pull out of your driveway without dumping extra weight--whether it's the kids' sporting equipment in the trunk or the extra bags of kitty litter or sand leftover from winter. Extra weight in your car makes the engine work harder, which sucks up fuel.

Remove any items you might have on the outside of your car, too, such as a ski rack or bike rack. All of these things create "drag" as you drive, which lowers your gas mileage.

When you start your car, pull out slowly and smoothly. Jack rabbit starts and quick stops use up more gas than you need to. Follow the speed limit as you travel, since driving too fast will burn through fuel. Most experts recommend about 55 to 65 miles per hour as the optimum speed for fuel efficiency. In general, using cruise control on highways can help improve your gas mileage.

If you stop off at the bank or a fast food restaurant, it's generally a good idea to turn off your engine if you plan to sit for longer than a minute. Excessive idling unnecessarily wastes fuel.

Make sure you properly maintain your car: clean the air filter, change the oil and properly inflate the tires. These little maintenance tricks can help keep your car running smoothly, which improves fuel efficiency.