1. Optimize Vehicle Maintenance and Usage

Take your car in for a tune-up. Some basic repairs can drastically improve your gas mileage. For instance, fixing a faulty oxygen sensor can boost your milage by 40 percent! Changing clogged air filters can boost 10 percent. And keeping your tires properly inflated can boost you up around 3 percent versus under-inflated tires actually costing you more gas milage (check the recommended PSI on the tires themselves).

While on the road, drive slower (for most vehicles, faster than 60 MPH decreases fuel efficiency). In fact, according to www.fueleconomy.gov, each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.20 per gallon for gas. Avoid rapid acceleration, remove excess cargo, and turn off car-powered luxuries like air conditioning, DVD players, and iPod and cell phone chargers. If you have overdrive, use it. And if you have cruise control and can safely turn it on, use it.

2. Telecommute

Ask your employer if you can start telecommuting one or two days per week. If you start telecommuting, you will very quickly see how much less you are pumping gas. Our advanced world of technology opens doors to working from home: remote network connections, e-mail and voicemail access, file sharing, and even virtual face-to-face web-based meetings. Eventually, if all of your coworkers were to punch in from home, your boss could even save big by not having to pay for the office itself. Try using that to convince him to let you work in your jammies.

3. Seek Alternative Transportation

Investigate local routes and schedules for buses, trains, subways, rickshaws, trollies, or monorails. Visit publictransportation.org to search for options in your state. Or carpool. Web sites like www.erideshare.com and www.carpoolconnect.com offer services for carpoolers to find or offer a ride almost anywhere in the US and Canada.

Or, consider using alternative transportation to your car, truck, van or SUV. While the initial investment doesn’t actually save you money today, purchasing a scooter, moped or motorcycle can ultimately reveal great gas savings (interesting note: most states do not require a special license to operate a moped or scooter). These vehicles have better gas mileage than virtually any car out today, including hybrids. Mopeds can get up to 100 miles per gallon and motorcycles range from around 40-80.

You can always ditch the car altogether and walk, jog, bike, rollerblade, or skateboard around town. Manual power can also help avoid wasting gas while sitting in traffic or at stoplights, as well as help avoid paying for parking and those dreaded parking tickets.

4. Plan and Consolidate Trips

Stop driving to the grocery store just for milk at six in the morning. Make sure you have a running list of other goods you need and get them all at once. Make better use of the gas you do need to consume by taking a moment prior to leaving to plan an efficient use of your time and driving. If you know you will be going out tomorrow anyway, don’t make a separate trip tonight. And if you absolutely have to drive, avoid (if possible) rush hour traffic so you are not wasting gas (and time) sitting in a traffic jam.

5. Lose Weight

Of course, if you weren’t spending so much time in your car, losing extra weight wouldn't be a real issue, now would it? The reality is that Americans can save almost one billion dollars annually if we would lose an average of 24 pounds a piece. Think about it: if you weighed less, then your car wouldn't have to work as hard to carry you around. An