I was listening to NPR yesterday on my way to work and the topic of hypermiling came on. Hypermiling is changing your driving behavior (to the extreme) to save gas, in so many words. We all are feeling the huge pinch from the gas pump now that gas is $4.00/gallon on average. If you’re anything like me, I’ve been thinking about useful and PRACTICAL ways I can save gas which in turn will help save me money.

There are several different sites you can visit to learn how to “hypermile” and conserve your gas usage. There are also a ton of myths out there. If you’re interested in knowing what those myths are, please check out Lifehacker’s Gas Saving Tips And Myths article.

Kent Johnson, a self-proclaimed hypermiler, was interviewed by NPR for their hypermiling article. He has some great tips on how we can all save gas by changing our behavior in how we drive to and from a destination. Whether it’s driving without your shoe on so you can better feel the pressure on the gas pedal or coasting in neutral when you’re driving down hills, these small tips begin to add up.

Some other tips that NPR covered were: cease stop-and-go driving, too much braking and liberal use of the A/C. Two of the most useful hypermiling tips that hit me over the head were (1) Use cruise control as much as possible when driving as it evens out your gas usage and (2) Drive the speed limit! The faster you drive, the more gas you consume (dang it)!

Now, we all don’t have to be extreme hypermilers to save gas and therefore save money. Lifehacker suggests you do your research by checking GasBuddy.com (tells you which stations have cheapest gas in your area) and keeping your car in great shape by tuneups and oil changes.

So, my gas saving readers, what are your thoughts? What do you do in order to save gas and therefore save money? Leave a comment below!

Anyone with an IQ of 20 or more knows that global warming actually does exist and it’s actually doing a lot of harm to our environment. Something I’ve never been able to understand is how politicians, world leaders, my parents’ generation, and a few others refuse to believe that all of our carbon dioxide emissions are ruining this planet.

So, I came across a wonderful environmental site that I wanted to blog about. They have some really great advice and tips for the average person so that we all can do our part in saving our Earth. After all, we only live once. Here are a few tips that I found worthy of listing…

(Source: SEQL.org )

In Your Home – Conserve Energy

1. Clean or replace air filters on your air conditioning unit at least once a month.
2. If you have central air conditioning, do not close vents in unused rooms.
3. Lower the thermostat on your water heater to 120.
4. Turn off unneeded lights even when leaving a room for a short time.
5. When using an oven, minimize door opening while it is in use; it reduces oven temperature by 25 to 30 every time you open the door.
6. Unplug seldom used appliances.
7. Wash clothes with warm or cold water instead of hot.
8. Keep your thermostat at 68 in winter and 78 in summer.
9. Wash and dry only full loads of dishes.
10. Use ceramic coffee mugs (at work too) instead of disposable Styrofoam cups.

So, there you have it… these are very simple steps that ALL of us can do to help protect our world. It’s definitely going to be a resolution for me in 2008. Happy New Year!