There are many things you can do to save on your gas bill, and one thing that may be overlooked is increasing your gas mileage through your tires. Yes, proper inflation will help slightly, gives a more comfortable and safer ride, but have you ever considered inflating your tires with nitrogen?

The newest ingenuity in automobile tires is nitrogen inflation. Automotive racers (such as NASCAR) use nitrogen instead of air in their tires because of the many advantageous, the least of which is improved gas mileage. You can increase you gas mileage by 5 to 15% simply by filling your tires with Nitrogen, which can be done at a nominal cost of $3 to $5, and you won't have to worry nearly as much about properly inflated tires.

Our air is made up of nitrogen, oxygen and other gases, but by filling your tires with nitrogen you eliminate the troubles oxygen has with our tires. Air corrodes aluminum and steel wheels, causing leaks through valve stems, wheel flanges and around the tire beads. Air also migrates through rubber. Air actually escapes through the rubber whether there is a leak or not. Plus, there is humidity in the air, which accelerates rust and corrosion. If you have ever wondered how one tire could ?look low? this is why. You could be losing 2 psi a month with air, compared to taking 6 months with nitrogen. By maintaining better air pressures, you improve rolling resistance, have better tread wear and lower your fuel consumption.

Nitrogen tires will also run cooler then tires inflated with air, which keeps tire pressures more constant (won't increase or decrease with rising or lowering temperature). You are better able to keep your tire pressures at the recommended pressure, which will also improve tire life and gas mileage.

But how much can you really save? Let's say you add nitrogen to the tires on your full size, regular cab pick-up. You were getting approximately 15mpg average, and now you are getting a 16mpg average. Doesn't seem like much, but over time can add to substantial savings. It cost you $3 per tire, or $12 to fill your tires with nitrogen to get a 6 2/3% increase in your gas mileage, which equals a 6 2/3% savings on each gallon of gas you buy. If you are buying gas at $3 per gallon, you save nearly $.20 per gallon. You will save $3 with each 15 gallon fill or recoup your expenses after 4 fill-ups. And then you can begin counting the profits from you quick and easy investment in nitrogen filled tires.

If you want to save money on gas, just start driving less. If you can't do that, improve your gas mileage, and one of the easiest ways you can do that is ride on nitrogen.

Learn how to save more in our age of rising fuel prices at

Justin P. Ertelt is the author of Saving Your Way to SuccessHelping others reach financial success