Exchanging memories of lower prices with friend John Vandervelde of Fuller Brush, including gas, I recalled 1955 when our family moved to Sarasota, Florida. When my father stopped to get gas the attendant washed the windows, offered to check the oil, then pumped fuel at a loss-leader price of 15.9¢ a gallon.  Plus filling the tank with a certain amount earned a free drinking glass!

Those days are long gone, never to return.  But you CAN cut your gas cost by up to half.  In other words, if gas costs $4 a gallon, how would you like to pay $2?  Or $1.50 instead of $3?  Would this help your budget?

Do the same thing easily by following these guidelines to raise your miles per gallon.

1.   Did you ride bicycle as a kid?  Remember the feeling of low tires, or trying to cycle in sand or powdery soil?  Lots of work, right?  The same thing happens if your tires are under-inflated.  Only a pound too little of pressure can lose you gas mileage of almost 1.5%  Check tires often to be keep at  manufacturer's recommended setting.  Keep your tires aligned and balanced, too.

2.  Avoid quick stops and starts, hurky-jerky driving.  Coast up to red lights and stop signs.  Accelerate and decelerate smoothly.  Poor driving habits burn a lot of gas!

3.  When your car needs a tune-up or oil change, do it promptly!  Keep your air filter clean; change before it gets clogged to increase engine efficiency.

4.   Your car probably operates more efficiently at 40 to 55 miles per gallon.  Try to keep within this range as much as possible.

5.   Unload the car!  Clean out all that stuff you may be carrying.  Stick to your spare tire, emergency supplies and tools, perhaps a foam cooler to carry cold stuff home from the grocery.  Every pound you eliminate makes for lower gas mileage.

6.   Don't automatically turn on the air conditioning; only use if you become uncomfortable. It's a costly accessory.

 When I was small, my grandpa had an ancient coupe with an oscillating  fan on the dashboard.  This fascinated me, and I have long wished modern cars had such a useful amenity.  You can have one now, for those times  when the air conditioning is off.

7.  Turn off the engine (and air conditioning) whenever the car is stopped for a minute or more.  Roll down the windows if needed.  A stopped car with motor running is burning gas at the rate of 0 miles per gallon!

8.   Roof racks, bicycle racks and carriers increase drag and therefore gas use.  Put them on only when needed and remove promptly after use.  A little extra work can save bucks at the gas pump and increase your miles per gallon.  Open windows or sunroofs increase drag as well.

9.  Refuel your car during times of less traffic.  This cuts idling and stopping time and is easier on your patience too.

10.   Plan trips for lower traffic times when possible.  By delaying a shopping trip a half hour, you may be able to significantly reduce the trips' gas usage.  Why?  Less stop and start driving, better air quality, less idle time.  Easier on your temper as well. 

11.  Using a pull-in parking spot rather than jockey into parallel parking whenever possible.  It's usually safer and uses less gas.  Likewise, park on the outskirts of large, busy parking lots to avoid driving around and stopping-starting behind other drivers looking for a good spot.  The walk to your destination will do you good!

12.  Only for a lucky few, but...   If you can, shift your work hours.  Four ten-hour days instead of five of eight hours.  Work from home a day a week.  Take half an hour for lunch instead of an hour and leave a half hour earlier to beat the rush.  Or shift your times to an hour later or earlier; less traffic, better gas mileage and easier on the psyche.

13.  Use the phone, fax and internet whenever possible.  Many trips just aren't necessary.  Those that are can often be "fine-tuned" by phone; is your order or prescription really ready?  Will the person you need to see actually be there?  Does the store truly have the item you are making a special trip for?

14.  Here's the most important hint.  I do it now with a computer program I wrote, but previously for years as sales agents and managers, I did it by hand.  My husband and I benefited greatly both in vehicle costs and time saved.  Keep lists of every place you frequently go - stores, dry cleaners, doctor's offices, school or work, etc.  You'll need from four to eight lists according to compass points or traffic patterns in your area.  Include all stops that are on the way in each list, even if duplicated.

Whenever you must do errands, pick the furthest destination and check that list for any other things that need to be done in that compass point.  If you work on the road, include business or deliveries that need to be done, as we have done for years with our profitable Fuller Brush business.  Include every possible errand whenever you make a trip to cut your mileage (and time) significantly.

Drivers that follow these suggestions can indeed cut their gas bills in half - or more!  Try it and see.