Surviving High Gas Prices

How to do it? Well, there are car-maintenance tips (such as keeping your tires inflated and taking out anything that might be adding excess weight, like junk that's been hanging out in your trunk). There are Web sites such as GasBuddy.com that let you use the power of the Internet to search for the cheapest gas nearby. You could go green and drive a hybrid, bike, walk or take mass transit. Of course, you could invest in, say, Exxon or BP and try to recoup some of your money as a shareholder.

My latest strategy? Stopping the pump once it hits $25. And reducing how far and how much I drive, by walking when I can, not driving one or two days a week, or running errands while already on my way to or from work so that I try to accomplish more in fewer trips.

So far, I've been able to spend only $50 bucks total on gas this month, but with a trip to the exurbs in my immediate future and half a month still to go, we'll see how this strategy works out in the end. The fact that local gas stations are all within easy shooting distance of charging $4 a gallon for regular is going to prove to be a challenge.