With the price of oil skyrocketing, a number of friends have recently asked me what we can do about the high price of gasoline. Unfortunately, there may not be much we can do about high gas prices, but we can all change a few small items that, added together, save us a significant amount of gas.

First of all, I’m not going to talk about doing things like buying a hybrid vehicle because I don’t think most of us have an extra $17,000 to $23,000 in cash waiting to be invested in a new, more fuel-efficient vehicle. So here are some realistic low- or no-cost things you can do to save money on gas and make your trips to the pump less frequent, no matter what type of vehicle you drive:

1. Pay for gas with a cash-back credit card. Chase, Discover, and American Express all have cards that give you cash back on your gas purchases (and you can earn up to 5% cash back depending on the card you use). Other cards like Citi give you cash back on every purchase, but you’ll get a smaller percentage back.

2. Use synthetic motor oil. This can save you up to 5% on gas.

3. Keep your vehicle’s tires properly inflated. Check tire pressure every time you fill up with gas. Doing so is safer and gives you better control of your vehicle, saves wear on your tires so they last longer, and saves you about 3% on gas. Keep in mind that even the best tubeless tires on the market today lose 2-5% of their air pressure each month due to air naturally migrating through the rubber.

4. Locate a cheap gas station that is on your daily commute route or close to where you live and refuel there. Where I live in Phoenix, Arizona, prices vary by up to 5% between discount gas stations and name brand stations. Better yet, buy gas at stores like Costco or Sam’s Club. This will typically save you 2-3% on gas at discount stations.

5. Remove items from your vehicle that you do not need to have with you. Carrying that extra weight costs more gas.

6. Drive more moderately: reduce rapid acceleration and braking. This will also prevent wear on your brakes, so they will last longer and you won’t have to replace your brake shoes and pads as often.

7. Whenever possible, drive off-peak when there is less traffic. You’ll save money on gas and your commute to work will also take less time.

8. If your job allows, telecommute to work one day a week or more. More and more companies allow telecommuting, and telecommuters are often more productive than office workers. Telecommuting costs less for employers, and when work is done from home, managers judge effort by the end result and not by how the work was done or how it was perceived to be done (have you ever had coworkers who they seemed busy but weren’t?) really that productive?). Here is an informative article on telecommuting as a true workplace alternative. Telecommuting just one day a week could save you 20% on gas.

9. Give your car a tune-up if necessary. A tuned engine uses less gasoline.

10. Whenever possible, plan your drive to be efficient and run multiple errands at once.

11. Avoid drive-thrus and wasting gas while your car is idling. Park your car outside and go inside for bank transactions, fast food restaurants, etc. An added benefit is the exercise you’ll get (assuming, of course, that it’s not pouring with rain and you don’t have to hike through 3-foot snowdrifts to do this).

12. Walk, bike or carpool whenever you can, or take public transportation. If you have public transportation available, taking the local bus is not only inexpensive, but also less stressful because you don’t have to navigate through rush hour traffic. During the trip, you can just hang out and relax and listen to music on your MP3 player, call or text anyone very safely, read a newspaper or book, or turn on your laptop and work on the road.

In short, what can we do about high gas prices? We can be frugal and smart about how much gas we use, change some of our habits, and make sure we get the most out of our hard-earned money! The average American uses 500 gallons of gasoline each year. Implement the tips in this article and you could save 16-36% on your gas costs. At $3.50 per gallon, that’s an annual savings of at least $280 and up to $630!