by Sheryl Spencer

Created on: August 27, 2008

There are certain steps you can take that will save you money on gas and with the price of gas nowadays, every little bit helps. One of the most obvious ways to save on gas is, well, taking steps to do it. That is, in walking more.

Walking -

Safety should always come first in choosing when and where to walk. With the crime rate rising just as fast as gas prices are, caution and common sense should always be considered. Circumstances such as walking in remote areas, especially alone and at night, or across busy intersections during rush hour times, are very bad ideas. However, if you need to do some shopping in a shopping district and if some of the stores are in nearby locations, consider parking in a central spot and walking to the individual stores.

Planning your shopping trips -

You can also save money on gas by planning your trips accordingly. I remember one time in particular, when I was with a friend on her shopping trip. I was simply the passenger along for the ride, and what a ride it was. I watched in quiet amazement at how many times she backtracked along the way, simply because she followed her "to do" list and didn't bother to map out her destinations. She could have saved a couple gallons of gasoline, not to mention a couple of hours, if she would have planned her trip by locations.

When you're on a shopping trip, try to imagine your destinations as a picture of "connect the dots" and try not to overlap any "dots."

Routes -

Taking the roads less traveled can help on gas mileage, as well as trying to avoid stop lights. No, this does not mean running red lights, but if you know the neighborhood in which you're driving, try to take routes with the least amount of stop lights/signs. Even though a street may have lower speed limits, if you'll be doing less stopping, it's well worth it.

Timing -

Getting caught in rush hour traffic can be hazardous to the nerves, as well as your fuel economy. Stop and go traffic is one of the worst gas consumers and if you can avoid driving during these times, your fuel economy will be better off and so will your nerves.

Modes of transportation -

How you choose to travel makes a difference as well. You can opt to commute with friends, co-workers, ect., or you can ride a bike, take the bus, or even be a kid again and get some roller skates/blades. Hey, why not? It's great exercise too!

If you have the finances to start looking at different vehicles, you should also consider types that gets better gas mileage. There is a wide variety

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