Because gas prices fluctuate nearly every day, it’s important to find ways to optimize your mileage. And one of the best ways to do so is by adjusting your driving habits, which can significantly impact your fuel efficiency—for better or for worse. Here are a few tweaks you can make while behind the wheel to help you save more money in the long run.

Maintain your vehicle

Regular vehicle maintenance plays a big role in getting better gas mileage. Simple tasks like checking and maintaining tire pressure, using the correct engine oil, and ensuring a clean fuel system can greatly improve fuel efficiency. Don’t neglect these maintenance tasks, and take your car in on time to your local auto shop for routine ones like getting your oil changed, rotating your tires, and replacing your air filter. And, of course, always get your vehicle checked out if you notice a drop in its overall performance.

Drive sensibly

To help your vehicle’s fuel efficiency, avoid rapid acceleration and harsh braking since these practices cause your car to consume more fuel. Instead, you want to gradually increase your speed and maintain a consistent pace on highways. Further, you can greatly benefit from reducing your speed in general because efficiency decreases at speeds over 50 mph, with each additional 5 mph costing you an extra $0.31 per gallon. According to the US Department of Energy, you can improve your fuel economy by 7 to 14 percent when you reduce your speed by just 5 to 10 mph.

Use cruise control

Try to engage your vehicle’s cruise control any time you’re driving on a long stretch of relatively flat terrain, such as a highway or interstate. This will help you maintain a consistent speed, which, as noted previously, counteracts the negative effects of constant acceleration and deceleration. By using this feature, you can ultimately improve your fuel economy by up to 14 percent, saving you around $0.43 per gallon of gas.

Plan your routes

Efficient route planning can help save you both time and fuel. If you have several different errands to run, choose the route that has the least amount of stops and minimizes backtracking. This can reduce the number of miles driven, thus reducing the amount of gas used. Utilizing a navigation app can also ensure you’re on the most direct and traffic-free routes. By avoiding congestion, such as from construction, you minimize your need to start and stop as well as how much time you spend idling, which can help conserve gas and improve your fuel efficiency.

Minimize weight and drag

Every one hundred pounds in your car reduces your mileage efficiency by 1 percent. This is because the heavier your car, the more fuel it needs to move forward. Be sure to remove any unnecessary items from your vehicle to reduce weight. Additionally, avoid carrying bulky items on the roof or using roof racks since they increase wind resistance and drag.

These small changes in your habits can have a big impact on your vehicle’s fuel consumption, leading to more savings at the pump. However, if you notice a significant reduction in the efficiency of your vehicle, make an appointment with an auto shop promptly so you can have the problem fixed sooner rather than later.