Driving tips to reducing gas usage

When the economy is tight, loading up a tank of gas at the pump each week only exacerbates an already fiscally difficult time by requiring us to spend cash for car purchases we sorely need. This article is about some simple tips that will help you manage and minimize your gas usage: with a little planning and some simple techniques, you can be cruising around with a fuller tank without an emptier wallet.
First, you have to make sure that your car is in good shape. Performance affects miles per gallon, and any number of small issues related to the engine, oil, exhaust, spark plugs, carburetor, and air filters can result in reduced gas mileage. You don't have to understand any of that, but you should take your car to a trusted mechanic or automotive repair shop and get a thorough check-up. Make sure they replace your air filters, top off your fluids, and check your tires.
Speaking of tires, they are the single most important piece of the car when it comes to gas mileage. Tires are literally connected to the road, and any inefficiency in the tires results in a direct loss of efficiency on the asphalt. Tires, simply, lose energy from the engine when they are too soft. Hard tires make for an uncomfortable ride, but a properly inflated tire will strike the right balance between cushion and mileage. A little tougher on your seat might be easier on your bank account.
Now that you've fixed up the car and tires, consider your driving technique. Engines use up the most gas per distance when accelerating quickly. This means that all of the 'fun' parts of screeching out of a parking lot take a heavy load on efficiency. Try to maintain a constant pace while driving so you don't have to accelerate frequently. The easiest way to do this is to look where you're going and modulate your pace so that you won't have to break unnecessarily.
Braking is a good thing, obviously, but braking when it could have been avoided by simply leaving distance between cars or coasting through turns at a lower speed is a waste of gas. Also, try to roll to a stop and coast down hills. If you see a stop light ahead, reduce your speed just by laying off the gas. Alternately, for downhill, don't push the gas, since you'll pick up too much speed by the time you're at the bottom.
Finally, consider getting a more gas efficient car. Although a major purchase, a smaller, 4-cylinder sedan, coupe or hybrid can be just as functional and save a lot of money over time. Keep these tips in mind and you can save gas while getting where you need to go.