The cheapskate's guide to saving fuel

Before I begin, let me say how lucky I am that high gas prices are my biggest problem. I've been reading the stories of Katrina victims and it really puts things in perspective. That said, gas at $3/gallon puts a serious squeeze on my family's budget, so I've gone into full guerilla fuel-saving mode. My ride for the next couple of weeks will be my 1989 Honda CRX (affectionately nicknamed the Red Scare). With 190,000 miles' worth of scrapes and scars, Red may not look like much (I have to be careful not to park her on the street on trash day), but she's got the key ingredients for a fuel-efficient car: Small size and light weight. I'm also going to apply what I call my cheapskate's guide to saving fuel. Old as she may be, I'm confident she can match the economy of newer fuel-sippers like the Scion xA and xB. Of course, I doubt she'll be able to match the 46 MPG I achieved in a turbodiesel-powered Volkswagen Jetta, but at today's gas prices I'll take what I can get. -- Aaron Gold