Gas prices are skyrocketing in 2011, and things don't appear to be ready to slow down any time soon. Is it possible that in 2011 we could see $5+ per gallon gasoline? Please, no! But I doubt any of us would be surprised to see that come to fruition by mid-summer. <strong>
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The best way the average person can combat rising gasoline prices is by cutting back on driving. Makes sense, but sometimes that is easier said than done. The majority of Americans work, and unfortunately, in most areas, the public transportation option is, well, basically not an option. Obviously you can cut back on diving to a vacation destination. A vacation is a want, but going to work, well, that is a need...a major need. However, on your commute to work you can drive defensively, which will help you by reducing the need to fill up as often. If you keep the speed between 62 and 67 miles per hour you can save 1-2 miles per gallon, which can really add up, especially if you have a long commute.

Another tip is to leave all the extra junk crowding your trunk or the back of your van to lighten the weight of your vehicle. Makes sense right? A lighter vehicle will require less force to keep rolling, which requires less gas. No storing your golf clubs in your trunk any longer!

Also, use your cruise control! I am a huge offender of this rule. When you have an hour commute to work and you are in rush hour traffic, you encounter a LOT of stop and go traffic. So if you are like me, cruise control might not be a viable option all of the time. However, if you on a leisurely ride to grandma's house in the country on a Sunday afternoon, flip that cruise control on. Every little bit helps!

Of course you surely realize this by now, but not long ago gas stations started offering discounts for customer who pay using cash instead of credit and debit cards. There are a few gas stations that will give you the cash price for using the debit card, but not many, so watch out. The discount can sometimes be as much as $.10 per gallon. When you are putting 16 gallons of gas in your Ford Taurus, $.10 per gallon savings sounds pretty good.

The last tip for the day, avoid filling up your tank on the weekend. It seems gas stations start jacking up their prices on Friday, so instead of waiting until Friday after work, or Saturday morning while running errands, fill up on Thursday. That is probably the easiest thing you can do to save some pocket change. Just change the day of the week in which you fill up your car.

Be sure to check out <a href="http://www.gasbuddy.com/">GasBuddy.com</a> to scout out the cheapest prices in your area! You don't want to drive 10 miles out of your way just to save a few pennies per gallon, but if it is a matter of a few blocks it would be worth the extra drive.

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What exactly is causing this seemingly rapid increase in prices?