Times are tight, and everybody is looking for ways to save a penny when and where they can. And driving your automobile is one of the most consistent money-drains we all deal with on a daily basis. So if you are a road warrior, here are a few simple ways to save on your overall gas consumption. First and foremost, on a hot day it is better to turn on your car’s AC, rather than to roll down your windows. OK, not always, but while you’re driving fast at least. This fact seems counterintuitive, however, rolling down your windows increases drag on your car at high speeds. Use the A/C on the highways and then open the windows in stop-and-go situations.

Always do your best to keep the RPMs low. You may have come to ignore it, but watching your tachometer and keeping it below 3,000 RPM will up your gas economy.

Gas economy worsens when you go past 55 miles per hour. So if you can help it, drive a little slower. But don’t be that guy who drives under the speed limit. Nobody likes that guy.

Always make sure your tires are properly inflated. Deflated tires can negatively affect your gas mileage too. You need to keep your tires optimally inflated in order to get the best mileage.

Change your air filter regularly. If you don’t your engine can start to work in overdrive and waste precious amounts of energy, burning gas.

Don’t idle your car for too long. If you’re waiting outside for a friend and you suspect you’ll be waiting for longer than three minutes, just shut your car off. I know, you’re thinking “but doesn’t it spend more gas to turn your car back on again?” The rule is if you suspect you’ll be more than 3 minutes, shut the car off.

Make sure to change your oil regularly. A clean engine will give you better gas mileage, and when you get your oil changed, that’s exactly what happens. Ladies, I’m looking your direction on this one.

Not tailgating other drivers is not only fiscally sound judgement, it’s also a good way to protect you and other driver’s health on the roads. Maintaining a safe distance allows you to drive your car more smoothly, thus giving you better gas mileage. There is less abrupt breaking and accelerating. And again, you don’t die, which is always a nice perk.

Use cruise control when you can because you don’t have to accelerate or decelerate manually while in the setting, and thus you can optimize your mileage.

If you are able to time a green light so that you don’t come to a complete stop, you will be saving yourself some serious dough. Breaking guzzles gas, and starting from a complete stop is probably the worst thing for your gas efficiency. Therefore, if you can possibly predict when a light is going to turn green — even if that means slowing down a bit, it will be well worth your while