No matter how high gas prices go, you are still in control of how much you spend, or SAVE, on gas. There are a number of things we can do to keep our vehicles running in top shape and get the best mileage we can. Here are a few tips to help you:

• Keep your car properly maintained and tuned. A poorly tuned car can use as much as 20% more gas.
• Use steel-belted radial tires, they increase gas mileage up to 10%.
• Don't use high octane gas unless your car is pinging and knocking or you have a high performance engine and the manufacturer recommends premium gas.
• Check your tire pressure weekly. For every pound of under inflation, you can lose up to six percent in gas mileage, so if your tires are five pounds under inflated, you'll use up to 30% more gas.
• Don't top off your tank when pumping gas. On a warm day, gasoline expands and can overflow.
• Don't warm your car up by letting it idle. Idling wastes about a quart of gas every 15 minutes.
• Always accelerate gently.
• Watch traffic ahead of you so you can anticipate slow-downs and avoid stops.
• Coast up to traffic jams by lifting your foot off the gas pedal instead of approaching at full speed and slamming on the brakes. It takes 20% more gas to accelerate to normal speed from a full stop than it does from four or fives miles per hour.
• Don't drive too fast or too slow. It takes about 20% to 30% more gas to drive at 70 mph than 50 mph.
• Maintain a steady speed on the highway. Avoid getting stuck behind cars where you have to slow down to their pace and then speed up to pass.
• Use overdrive gears; they improve the fuel economy of your car during highway driving.
• Using cruise control on highway trips can help you maintain a constant speed and, in most cases, reduce your fuel consumption.
• Remove excess weight from the trunk. An extra 100 pounds in the trunk reduces a typical car's fuel economy by one to two percent.
• Change your oil at the recommended intervals. Clean oil reduces wear caused by friction between moving parts and removes harmful substances from the engine.
• Check and replace filters regularly. Clogged filters can cause up to a 10% increase in fuel consumption.
• Drive a fuel efficient vehicle. The difference between 20 MPG and 30 MPG amounts to $1500 over 5 years.