Easing the Pain at the Pump

When I used to tell people about my 80-mile round-trip commute to work and back, the typical response was that the traffic must drive me crazy (it does.) More recently, though, comments have turned to gas prices. While I can happily report that my little compact gets an average of 37 mpg, allowing me to fill up less frequently than some folks I know who live in town, it still hurts to go to the pump.

But no matter what—or how much—you drive, skyrocketing gas prices are affecting us all. And since it's not feasible for all of us to ditch our cars for bikes, today's Tools and Tips article on NFIB.com offers some hints on how to get the most out of your gas tank, including:

• Check your tires. Over- or under-inflating can greatly reduce your gas mileage and the life of your tires.


• Clean out the trunk. The FTC says that even an extra 100 pounds can drag your gas mileage down by 2 percent.


• Park in the shade. Some estimates say that running the air conditioner at full blast just to cool a heated car uses as much at 40 cents out of a gallon of gas.


• Watch your speed and accelerate with care. Be mindful of the gas you use when you put the pedal to the metal a little too hard. Even using your cruise control to help keep your speed constant while driving on the highway will keep your engine from needless revving.