With gasoline prices continuing to rise, nothing is more important than learning how to make your gas last longer and how to find the lowest prices. Here are some handy tips that might help take some of the sting out of your next visit to the pump.

For even more gas savers, go to your Credit Union’s website, click on the AutoSMART link, then on the Tips and Advice section.

• Buy gas from busy stations - Gas station pumps that are refilled regularly are more likely to have fuel that is fresh. Fresh gas has more power than gas that has been sitting in a station’s pump.
• Avoid gas stations near freeways - Research shows that prices are often higher there. Head into town.
• Fill up at night - Believe it or not, pumps deliver more gas when temperatures are lower.
• Fill up on weekdays - Prices usually rise on the weekend, so the best times to buy gas are typically Tuesday afternoons or Wednesday mornings.
• Park in the shade - This will minimize fuel evaporation as well as help keep your car cool in the summer.
• Don’t upgrade - Unless your owner’s manual suggests using a higher grade, buy regular unleaded gasoline. Costlier high-octane gas does not improve the performance of your vehicle.
• Look for discount gas cards - Many companies have rebate programs that offer as much as 5 to 10 percent off the gas you buy!
• Avoid running on empty - When your car is on empty you’re actually using more gas because your vehicle is running less efficiently. Fill your gas tank when you have half a tank or a little less.
• Avoid idling - Shut off the engine if you have to sit in your car for more than one minute.
• Check your tire pressure - Under-inflated tires require more energy to roll. More energy means more gas.
• Slow down - Each 5 mph over 60 mph is like paying an additional 10 cents per gallon. Use cruise control to maintain your speed.
• Avoid topping off - When you top off your tank, the pump doesn’t have enough time to really activate, resulting in short bursts of fuel that may short change you from the amount of gas that you are purchasing.
• Tighten gas cap - Tightening the gas cap on your car will prevent gas from evaporating and escaping into the air.
• Combine trips - Several short trips taken from a "cold start" can use twice as much fuel as one trip covering the same distance when the engine is warm.
• Avoid sudden stops and starts - Erratic acceleration and braking can waste up to 50 cents a gallon.
Get a tune-up - A simple tune-up on your car can improve your gas mileage by an average of more than 4 percent!
• Check your oil - Use the recommended grade of motor oil, preferably one with "energy conserving" on the label. Gas mileage could improve 1 to 2 percent.

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