Guest Author - Cate Brizzell

It's no secret that gas prices are higher than ever, and continuing to rise.

Chances are that your home finance budget has been hit hard by rising oil prices, because not only are charges at the pump nearly double what they were a year ago, food and commodities prices are on the rise as well.

So what can you do today that will generate savings and have an immediate impact on your gas budget?

1. Drive less. Evaluate every trip you take that isn't work-related. Need to run errands? Plan them. Can you shop or do your banking on your way to or from work? Can you do all your errands on one day? You may have to use different stores or switch branches, but avoiding any trips outside your commute will drastically reduce your fuel costs.

2. Car pool whenever possible. Don't just think commuting, although that's a viable way to save on gas. What about kids' activities? Can parents take turns driving? If you drive your kids to dance class or after-school clubs on a weekly basis, think how much you'd save if you only had to drive once a month instead of once a week!

3. Use public transportation. Is there a "park and ride" or train option available where you live? What about a bus system? It may be less convenient than having your vehicle at your disposal, but chances are you'll get used to the schedule pretty quickly, and may find you enjoy the increase in leisure time you recoup when someone else does the driving.

4. Shop around for gas. Check out www.gasbuddy.com. Search for your local area. You'll find your local gas stations with the lowest prices listed by regular, mid-grade or premium. The listings clearly show the latest date and time the prices were updated. You can participate as a "price watcher" by signing up for a free account. Just one caveat: don't go out of your way to get gas savings! Find the cheapest station on your regular route and routinely buy gas there.

5. Drive your most fuel-efficient car more often. As long as your family can fit comfortably, take the sedan more often than the minivan or SUV. You might just find you don't really need the extra room or storage space as much as you thought you did. Even if you want to keep those vehicles for the occasional trip to Home Depot or beach vacation, you'll save by keeping your gas-guzzler in the driveway.

6. Drive the speed limit. Okay, I hear you, this one's hard for me as well! I do two things to help stay within the law: ask my kids to hold me accountable, and flip on the cruise control. The kids really enjoy letting me know when I'm over the speed limit, and the cruise control keeps me at the speed limit with zero effort on my part. I'm finding it's not as hard as I thought it would be. Saving on speeding tickets and higher car insurance rates is an added bonus.

7. Shop your car insurance. Routinely shop around for car insurance. If you find a new policy with significant savings, that will help offset your increased gas expense.

Implement all these tips, and you can definitely keep higher gas prices from putting you in home finance "crisis mode". But what about longer-term?

8. Consider selling inefficient vehicles and buying newer, used fuel-efficient vehicles. Switch to smaller cars or trucks and sedans. Do your research to find a car that meets your needs but uses gas more efficiently. The best place to start looking is www.consumerreports.org. You may have to pay to do a day's research, but it's less than $5 and well worth the price to find reliable advice. I recommend buying a late-model used car, preferably from a reputable private seller. New cars are rarely a good value.

9. Make sure you keep your vehicle in tip-top shape. Change the oil every three months or 3,000 miles, whichever comes sooner. Make sure your tires are inflated properly and change your air filter regularly. Not sure how to do those things? Have your mechanic show you.

10. Vacation closer to home. If you drive long distances for your annual family vacation (as we do), consider locations closer to home. At the very least, compensate for the higher transportation cost by vacationing off-season, renting a hotel or home with a full kitchen and eating in, and avoiding souvenirs and expensive attractions.

Try employing some (or all) of these strategies to take the sting out of high gas prices. No matter how high prices go, you'll be able to keep on truckin'!