Squeezing Washington, Part 1

Since I can't load pictures right now (grrrr), I thought I would start a series on how to save some cash. Everyone can use that, right?
My Daddy says about my Mom that she could squeeze a dollar so much that Washington's eyes would pop out. Let's see if we can do it too.
Let's start with the gas for your car. It always helps to cut that cost a little.
I actually started thinking about this after watching a NASCAR race. I figured if they were racing 190 mph, and can save enough gas to avoid a pit stop and finish the race, why can't I do that? And what do you know, there is actually a name for it. It's called hyper-miling.
We can't control the gas prices, but we can control the way we drive. And hyper-miling is all about science-using inertia, gravity and centrifugal force to your advantage. As an added bonus for home school families, it can be turned into a cool science lesson.
Since highway miles are at a nearly constant speed, these tips won't help much on the highway. Driving in town, it's like gold.
Your car uses the most fuel going up through the gear box-especially taking off from a complete stop. My friends, you must be gentle with the accelerator. As un-cool as this is, it will save you some cash.
Next is the law of inertia. Once the vehicle is moving at your required speed, take your foot of the throttle. See how long you can coast without losing speed. It may surprise you.
Now for gravity. Most places are not completely flat (isn't God good to us?). Even a slight change in elevation can help you pick up speed without using the gas pedal.
Centrifugal force can be used in curves to pick up speed as well. You have to use some common sense here. The idea is to save gas, not to throw people and objects across the roadway.
Another cool science tidbit-applying the brake pedal causes friction, which will reduce the force of inertia on your vehicle. Don't use the brakes needlessly, but by all means, use them when necessary.
If you have a gauge that shows your mileage in real-time, this is helpful in hyper-miling. However, if you spend all your time looking at the gauge, you will have more problems than just gas mileage.
I have increased my average gas mileage by at least 5 mpg. Not a lot, but I'm still working on it, and every little bit helps.
Locals-see if you can beat me. Turn from Granbury onto Wardville. Get to 30 mph before Pizza Hut. I can coast at 30 all the way to Main St. If you can catch the green light, maybe you can go farther! Let me know.