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It’s summer, and for a lot of us that means a lot of driving. Whether you’re going to the beach, to a party, to work, or to a movie, you’re probably cranking up the AC to stay cool and barreling down the road to your destination. Memorial Day ranks just behind Thanksgiving as the biggest travel day of the year, the roads are swamped. And along with the rest of the driving population, you’re probably getting hit pretty hard by gas prices. As of last Friday, oil hit a record high of $126 per barrel, resulting in gas prices going up and up and up… and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get better any time soon. On the news and on the streets, people are saying that it won’t be long before we’re paying $4 a gallon to fuel up in Southwest Florida. It’s intimidating.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t make the best of things. Getting better gas mileage is as easy as following a few savvy tricks on the road and making better decisions on what we “need” in a form of transportation. Whether you’re looking into buying a new car or you’re stuck with your old one, saving money it’s not as hard as you may think. To save you the trouble, let me break some things down for you.

For example, SUV’s are the usual culprits of gasoline-induced woes. Now, I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with driving an SUV, but unless you have a few kids and a dog, all that extra bulk is probably unnecessary. And besides, SUV’s are notorious for emitting heaps of noxious gases into the atmosphere. But not only that, keeping up with an incessantly draining gas tank can leave your wallet, and your head, feeling a little light.

Larger truck breeds face the same problems, however, they prove more useful when actually put to use. Having a big truck is great for hauling, pulling, moving, etc. But, if you choose to drive one when you don’t use it for what it was intended, why waste your money? If you’re looking into buying a fuel-efficient car, there’s plenty of them out there. It seems like every car company is coming out with a hybrid line these days. But, with the economy the way it is now, nobody is going to be mad at you if you can’t afford a shiny new car that saves on gas and spares the environment from emissions.

Some good ideas to save on gas are carpooling and taking public transportation. The money you’ll save really adds up over time. Another method would be taking a bike to make short trips, which will not only save you gas and money, but it benefits your heath and your hamstrings. Another tip would be to go inside a fast food restaurant, rather than wait in the drive-thru. This seemingly small action in truth saves an amazing amount of gas.

There are also some things you can do while behind the wheel that could save you on gas. For example, things like aggressive driving, including speeding, rapid acceleration and hasty braking, can lower your gas mileage by nearly 33%. So, take your time and drive sensibly. Try and drive as if there’s an egg between your foot and the pedal – this way you’ll get the most out of your gas mileage, and you won’t cause anyone driving around you to have a nervous breakdown.

Slimming down your cargo has its rewards as well. Naturally affecting smaller cars more than larger ones, an extra 100 lbs could potentially cut back your gas mileage by up to 2%. Cruise control will also help you tremendously, not only because on long trips it comes in handy as a convenience to have, but also because it saves on gas by maintaining a constant speed.

Finally, using overdrive gears at opportune times will also help out by reducing your car’s engine speed. This does indeed save gas, and an added perk is that it also dilutes engine wear n’ tear.

Doing any of the above techniques will have an overall tremendous impact. You’ll be helping to minimize the Greenhouse effect by emitting less carbon dioxide into the air, preserving the environment and it’s resources, and putting less of a strain on your money. So, maybe we can’t control gas prices - but we don’t have to lay victim to them, either.