The cost of gasoline is in such a state of disarray right now, that it's really affecting many American families to the point of desperation. Sales on bigger cars and SUV's are down, while sales on smaller compact cars, hybrids and motorcycles are higher than ever, in a consumer effort to alleviate gas price impact on their quality of life.



Is there anything we can do to soften the blow to our wallets? There are, in fact, some things you can do to help mitigate the high cost of gasoline right now as it relates to your financial "health". Read on for six gas savings tips that can at least minimize this rough patch for you, and help you stretch your gas dollars to the max.

Here is the list of actions you can take to reduce the impact of high gas costs :

1. When driving, try not to fluctuate a lot in your pressure on the gas pedal. Studies have shown that drivers that tend to give a good gassing on the pedal, then let up, then gas hard again waste more gas vs. drivers who are more constant on the gas pedal. So, try to be mindful of driving smoothly, and applying a more consistent pressure to your gas pedal. Not only will it make for a smoother ride, you'll also be saving on gas!

2. Many cities and suburban areas have opened up courtesy websites to show you where the lowest gas prices in town are. They are usually updated very frequently, actually several times a day, and will show you where the best prices are. This can many times mean a difference of up to twenty cents a gallon!

3. Look into getting a credit card backed by a specific gas company. For example, a Sunoco credit card may offer you a significant savings on gas for using their card, and also sometimes even have very low APR rates. If you pay it off every month, you don't even have to worry about finance charges.

4. If you're a household with two or more vehicles, always take the smaller car out, especially on longer trips or whenever it's possible to save on gas expenditure.

5. Use a high quality fuel system cleaner about once every 3,000 miles. You can even coincide the fuel system treatments with your oil changes if that's easier. Fuel system cleaners are found at any store that sells auto products, and range in price from four dollars to about eight dollars. They restore the integrity of your fuel system by cleaning deposits and gunk that may be affecting your fuel economy. They also help your car to run more smoothly.

6. Go easy on the A/C. Air conditioning usage will have a fairly significant impact on your fuel usage, as it takes additional energy to run air conditioning, and therefore more fuel. Only problem is, some people do say that rolling your windows down is actually worse for your fuel consumption than A/C because of aerodynamic compensation. Try it both ways, and see which one uses less gas for your particular car.