Use websites to compare gas prices – Websites like gasbuddy.com and others allow you to search for the cheapest gas prices in your area.  Simply hop on the site, pop in your zip code and see where the cheapest gas station is in your area.

Gas credit cards – Did you know that gas credit cards can save you up to 10% on your next fill-up?  Credit card companies like Marathon and BP will give you a discount if you use their credit card at the pump.  Make sure that you pay them off on time though!

The shortest route – Are you taking the shortest route when you go to work?  The best way to find out is to either pull out a map or do a quick mapquest online.  Sometimes you may find that alternate routes may be quicker.

Take the highways – This one is a no brainer obviously.  Every time you have the chance to take the highway, make sure you do it.  A car will always get better mileage on the highway because you won’t have to stop at lights, etc.

Check tire pressure – If you don’t have the proper tire pressure in your tires, this may affect your MPG.  Make sure that you know how much pressure your tires should have and check them weekly.  It will only take a few minutes of your time and it can save you a few bucks alone!

Use cruise control – If you find yourself on the highway, make sure that you use cruise control every time you have the chance.  When you use cruise control, you will keep a nice consistent speed.

Stop the Idling – If you’re going to have your car idling for more than 30 seconds, most will tell you to stop the engine.  A car will generally burn more gas running than re-starting it again.

Get a GPS – A GPS system is a great way to find the shortest route and some GPS systems today will even show you where the cheapest gas is in your area.  If you’re looking to get one, you may make your money back in gas savings in the next few years alone.

Change the filters – A healthy car is a gas saving car.   Make sure that you always check to see if your air filters are clean.  Air filters usually only costs you a few bucks at your local auto store.

Check the fluids – When I say fluids, I mean just about anything especially your oil.  If you don’t change or maintain your oil, this will lead to engine and other failures.  Always make sure that you keep your car up to date.

Watch the loads – The more weight you pop in the car, the more you’re going to have to risk in losing MPG.   Watch what you carry when it comes to loads and such.

Test your luck – These is more of luck when it comes to saving on gas but check out your local newscast, newspaper, etc and see if they are offering a gas raffle.  It never hurts to pop your name in the drawing!

Avoid the highways – If you’re looking to fill-up, try and avoid the gas stations on the highway.  Gas stations off the highway generally charge more because people have easy on and off access to the pumps.  Try and find a gas station a few miles away from the highway.

Carpools – If you know of a friend or someone that can either take you to work or other places, carpooling is a great way to save on gas.  If you don’t know of someone, check your local state department for carpooling.

Limit your trips – If you plan on going to the grocery store, getting your haircut, etc, try and make sure that you combine your trips.  The less you drive, the more you save on gas, it’s that simple.

Buy a smaller car – Are you currently driving a SUV?  If so, it’s probably the best idea that you cash it in and get a smaller car that gets better MPG.

Drive slower – Instead of being in a hurry to every place you go, you should obey the speed limit and take it easy.  The faster you go, the more you burn.  Learn how traffic patterns work and take advantage of them.

Avoid rush hour – If you know when rush hour is, try and avoid this time.  The constant stop and go traffic can kill your gas.  The best thing to do is either avoid the area and take back roads or try and schedule things around it.

Public transportation – The next time you need to go somewhere, try and hop on the bus or take the taxi.  Most people are generally surprised when they see how much a fare really costs.  Public transportation is always cheaper than driving.

Stop the air – If you love to run the air conditioning, try and keep it to a minimum.  Every time you run your air, you’re burning gas.  Experts say that the best time to run your air is when you’re on the highway.

Check the gas cap – Did you know that if you don’t tighten your gas cap that gas can evaporate?  The next time you fill up; make sure that you tighten your gas cap as tight as possible.

Tune ups – Make sure that you always keep your car healthy.  This means that you should be getting oil changes on time, changing your filters, spark plugs, and everything else under the sun.  A healthy car is a happy one.

Watch your habits – Write a journal and calculate your MPG.  If you tend to drive the same route every day, make sure that you watch your habits and try to learn from them.  You’ll find that each time you drive and fill up; you’ll have a different number. 

The wholesalers – Stores like Costco and Sam’s Club offer gas at a discount.  So if you have a membership to these places, you might want to fill up there as much as possible seeing that they usually have the cheaper gas prices.

The grocery store – Some grocery stores will offer fuel incentives when you buy groceries.  Check out the stores in your area to see if they offer something like this.  Not only can you save on gas, you could save on your groceries as well.

Check the PDA – If you’re the proud owner of a PDA such as a Blackberry, Microsoft has a great program called Live Search where you can check out the gas prices in your area.  This is a great way to find the cheapest gas in your area if you have a PDA.

AAA discounts – If you have an AAA membership, check out their terms and conditions when it comes down to getting gas discounts.  You’ll be surprised what kind of deals you can find through AAA.

Motor oil grade – When you change your car’s oil, make sure that you use the grade that the manufacture recommends.

Find the shade - Parking in the shade not only will keep your car a little bit cooler when you come back to it but it will also avoid the chance of having fuel evaporating.   

Use your overdrive – If your car has overdrive, be sure to use it when you reach the recommended speed located in your owner’s manual.  This alone will reduce fuel consumption.

Check for deductions – Remember, if you’re using your car for business / work related purposes, you’ll be able to write off your mileage.  Check with the IRS or your accountant for more details.

Busy stations are your friend – If you know of a busy gas station, go to it.  You’ll want to go here because gas stations that are generally slow have their gas sitting underground longer leading the gas to become contaminated which isn’t that great for your mileage.

Drain the nozzle – When you’re finished pumping your gas next time, spin the nozzle upside down and slightly tap it three times to get the remaining gas in your tank.  It doesn’t sound like a lot but it all adds up in the long run!

Avoid the top off – If you’re a fan of topping your tank off, I would highly advise you don’t because those last couple pumps generally don’t pump a full pump of gas in.  It usually takes a full charge to pump a burst of gas into your tank.

Don’t get too low – Experts say it’s always best to keep your tank about a quarter filled at all times.  The reason is that when your tank gets too low, your car will use up more gas as you accelerate and decelerate since your tank isn’t filled properly.

Check the alignment – Make sure that you check the alignment of your car every once in awhile.  If your car isn’t properly aligned, it may cause engine drag which will affect your gas mileage.

Rotate the tires – Make sure that you keep your eyes on your tires.  If you find that your tires are starting to bald a little bit, make sure that you set an appointment to get new ones.  Tires play a big factor when it comes to getting better gas mileage.

Avoid rough patches – If you know of particular roads that are very bumpy or you know of dirt roads, see if there’s a way around it.  Rough roads not only beat up your car, it can also affect your gas mileage as well.

Be smart – If you own more than one car, make sure that you’re always driving the one that gets better MPG.  It may sound simple but some people drive the gas guzzler not realizing it.

Accelerate slowly – Every time that light turns green, don’t hit the pedal to the medal.  Instead, you’ll want to take it nice and slow like there’s no rush.  The harder you hit the gas, the more gasoline you’ll be burning.

Don’t stop hard – If you’re a fan of stopping really hard at the last second, try and avoid this.  The next time you hop in the car, remember you’ll have to take nice and easy stops.  A slower stop saves gas!

Watch the weather – If you’re going to go out to the grocery store, etc, turn on the weather report and see what the weather will be like.  If it’s going to rain or snow, try and avoid this because it will lead to more stop and go.

The hills – Every time you approach a hill, try and accelerate before you actually hit it.  The reason you’ll want to do this is because you’ll use less gas as you gradually go up.  Remember, when you go down the hill, let off the gas since you’ll have momentum going down.

Brake the habit – If you like to use your break a lot, it either means you’re stopping at a lot of lights or you love to tailgate.  Keep the person ahead of you some space and let off the break.  Just think that every time you hit your break, you’re wasting gas.

Gas saving devices – There are some gas saving devices out there that actually work.  Before you buy one, make sure you do your research and see if they actually produce results.

Watch the parking brake – If you use your parking break with a manual car a lot or even an automatic, make sure that the break is fully released before you start driving.

Avoid the revving – If you’re young and you love to rev that engine, you should stop if you want to save gas.  If you typically do it on purpose to warm a car up, etc, make sure that you avoid this since it does involve gas when you rev the car.

Make the kids walk – If you find that your kids are making you drive them everywhere, explain that they should get their exercise.  Either make them walk or ride their bike to the next event.  If you do choose this path, make sure the paths and roads are safe.

Tires for the season – When the weather changes, you may want to look into getting snow tires.  A difference in tires can change your driving abilities in the snow, etc.

Avoid the warm-ups – If you’re a big fan of warming up your car in the morning during the winters, don’t!  This alone will waste a lot of gas.  Instead, simply come up and bear the cold for a few minutes and just think of the money you’re saving while you’re warming up.