Fuel prices are on the rise and the situation in the Middle East is not helping the situation in any way. On top of auto news everywhere, car manufacturers have come up with hybrid cars, vehicles designed to burn less or zero fossil fuels.  One fine example of these hybrid cars is the Toyota Prius, which comes in many fuel consumption combinations. Mercedes Benz, Volvo, and other high end car makers are also coming up with their own hybrid versions.
However, hybrid cars are amazingly expensive as expected because of all the research and novel technology put into their production. Nevertheless, if you are still stuck with your traditional car, you can still save a large amount of cash and gas at the same time. Here are a few tips on how to do that.
Always make sure that your car gets its scheduled regular tune up. A poorly conditioned car eats up more gas by as much as 30% compared to properly tuned up ones.
Plan your daily trips as well as your long trips. As much as possible, practice car pooling and map out your route so you do not have to double back because you missed out dropping off or picking up something or someone. Adjust your driving start time by as much as an hour especially if the route that you are going to take is notoriously tight in traffic.
Use your car air conditioning system wisely. Turn it on until such time that the inside of the car gets cool enough and then switch it to low cool to maintain temperature. Avoid using the air conditioner while the windows are open.
When driving at high speeds, make sure that all your windows are tightly closed. When there are open spots in the car, drag is produced which lowers down the distance that you can cover with the same amount of gas. Using your air conditioner is more cost effective at high speeds than open windows.
This you should never forget. Never forget to check your tire pressure before traveling especially when you intend to drive long distance. Over and under-inflated tires can dramatically reduce your fuel efficiency so make sure that you have the right amount of air inside your tires.
Take the time out to inspect the items inside your car and remove unnecessary items such as snow chains when its summertime.