Save Gas by Slowing Down, Shopping

• When renting a car, ask for a model that gets better fuel economy.

• If you're buying a new or used car, pay attention to the mileage the vehicle gets. Check out the DOE's Web site, www.fueleconomy.gov, to find the most gas-efficient vehicles.

The Texas Department of Transportation and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality suggest you:

• Keep your tires properly inflated and balanced. This prevents excess drag on your engine and can improve your fuel economy by up to a mile per gallon. Depending on the size of your gas tank, you could get an extra 20 miles per tank.

• Stop pumping when you hear the "click." Don't top off your tank. Spilled gasoline pollutes the air when it evaporates. Not to mention that wasted gas is wasted money.

• Avoid aggressive driving and quick starts and stops. At highway speeds, you'll lower your gas mileage by about 33 percent. By maintaining a constant speed and driving sensibly, you could save as much as 50 cents a gallon.

• At fast-food restaurants or at the bank, get out of your car instead of using the drive-through. You will get some exercise and save. Idling in a drive-through burns more gas than restarting the engine. But if you must use a drive-through and are stuck in a long line, turn off the engine.

• Travel light. Okay, this is a hard one for me. Whenever I go on vacation, I always pack too much stuff. I can never decide what to take, so I take it all. It drives my husband crazy. But carrying an extra 100 pounds in your car makes the engine work harder, and that means more gas is being used. A loaded roof rack can decrease your fuel economy by up to 5 percent.

In some ways, rising gas prices can be a good thing. They're a wake-up call to all of us to drive more slowly and conserve energy. And maybe it will spare the backs of all those poor men (sorry, honey) who have to load and unload overstuffed suitcases while on vacation.

Michelle Singletary discusses personal finance Tuesdays on NPR's "Day to Day" program or online at www.npr.org. Readers can write to her at The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071 or send e-mail to singletarym@washpost.com.