With gas prices as high as they are, every time we get in are car we fill the heavy burden it has on your wallets. The cost of groceries at the supermarket is not longer the hundred dollars we hand over to the cashier. We also have to calculate in the amount we spend on the pricey gas we use to get to the store. Road trips across country are no longer appealing as a cheap vacation, and Commuting to work might not justify living so far away from a job.

There are many things you can do to save gas. Taking care of your car is important including checking and changing your oil, changing your air filter, keeping your tires properly inflated, and simply driving so that you aren’t damaging your engine, breaks, etc. You can also save on gas by driving more efficiently. Instead of revving the engine, accelerating quickly, or breaking often, we can reduce these gas guzzling practices to conserve gas.

Even though these are great ways to save gas, these won’t save nearly as much gas as the BEST way to save gas. The best way to save gas is to stop driving. I know, for most people that’s impossible, and I understand that. Unless you live in a place where walking or biking everywhere wouldn’t take up a lot of time or be extremely tiring, not driving is impossible. I have to drive almost everyday. What I am asking you to do is to reduce your driving. For every trip you don’t take, you will save money. Here are some easy ways to save trips in your car.

Take less trips. If you go to the grocery store a few times a week, try going just once a week. Go to a bulk store and try shopping just once a month to save money on food and gas simultaneously.

Even if your supermarket is only 3 to 6 miles away, if you are taking that trip twice a week, at 2 round-trips to the supermarket a week, that is traveling 12 to 24 miles a week, which for many people would transfer to an extra 4 or 5 gallons a month. If you are paying $3.50 per gallon for gas, you could save $14 to $17.50 a month, or $168 to $210 a year just from cutting back your grocery store trips.

Cut all your trips down wherever you can. Don’t go to the mall every weekend, try to just go once a month or less. You’ll probably also spend less at the mall if you go less often. Run all your errands on your way to the mall, setting them up so that it is one continuous line. There is no need to drive more places out of the way than necessary.

You can save a lot of gas by carpooling. The farther you go, the more you’ll save, and the more people you carpool with, the more you’ll save. Ask around your work to see if anyone you work with lives near you and is willing to drive. Then ask neighbors you know well and see if anyone works near you. You could carpool with them as well.

Another finally way to drive less is to cut back on entertainment that is far away from home. Don’t go out to eat as often, cook at home. Instead of going to the movies, rent a DVD. Invite friends to come over to your house and then you don’t have to drive anywhere. You wouldn’t believe how much you could save with these tips. They really add up fast!