We're all suffering at the pump these days. As oil-company profits continue to skyrocket and gas prices get more outrageous with each passing week, it's hard not to allow yourself to feel just a bit thankful when the price of a gallon of go-juice drops from $4.50 to $4.20.

News stories are already popping up about fuel tankers being hijacked and gas stations being robbed (for gas, not cash), while reports of tank siphoning are rapidly increasing in number. We understand. We feel your pain, and to help, we've put together a list of the top ten ways to ease up on your gas consumption. There's a wealth of nonsense out there claiming to help with fuel efficiency, but remembering a few simple rules and keeping your common sense intact can go a long way towards pouring your entire paycheck in the gas tank.

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1. Drive More Smoothly - The more smoothly you accelerate and decelerate, the better your gas mileage, with potential gas savings of 33% per gallon on the highway and 5% around town. You're not saving any time racing around town on the short trips, so you may as well take your time with it.

2. Neutral! - When driving downhill for any distance greater than a 1/4 mile, put your car in neutral and let perpetual motion run its course. On a recent road trip from Los Angeles to Seattle, yours truly managed to coast a grand total of 372 miles. I don't suggest turning off the engine to save even more gas, however - unless you're cool without power steering and power brakes. But I can tell you from personal experience that flying down Mt. St. Helens at 70 mph with the engine off is just a notch above hysteria-inducing terror. Good times.

3. Don't Ride Your Brakes - In addition to annoying the almighty hell out of everybody behind you, you're also wearing out your brake pads and increasing gas consumption by as much as 35%. Want to save a buck or two a gallon? Get your foot off the brake. Hell, crash into things if you have to.

4. Inflate! - The Department of Energy estimates that 1.2 billion gallons of fuel were wasted in 2005 as a result of driving on under-inflated tires. That's a lot of petrol, kids. Pump 'em up.

5. Cool it with the warm-up - Avoid prolonged warming up of engine, even on cold mornings - 30 to 45 seconds is plenty of time in even the coldest temperatures.

6. Time it - Buy gasoline during coolest time of day - early morning or late evening is best. During these times gasoline is densest. Don't forget that gas pumps measure volumes of gasoline, not densities of fuel concentration. You're charged according to "volume of measurement," something to keep in mind when the summer sun's hot enough to boil whatever's in your tank.

7. Shift! Traveling at fast speeds in low gears can consume up to 45% more fuel than is needed. If you're revving high, you're burning gas.

8. Lighten Up - For every 100 pounds you carry in your ride, your car loses about two percent in fuel efficiency. That doesn't seem like a lot until you agree to use your car to help your girlfriend's annoying friends move out of state. Remove excess weight from trunk or inside of car - extra (not spare) tires, dead bodies, unnecessary heavy parts, etc.

9. Don't idle - If you're idling for more than 30-45 seconds, you should turn your car off. It used to be that the fuel it took to restart a car was more than it would take to leave it running, but nowadays most cars come equipped with computer-controlled fuel-injection, which means the engine will get only what it needs to start up again. So if you're driving a '67 Buick Special, go ahead and let it purr. Anyone with a less wasteful carburetor and a modern engine should hit the killswitch.

10. Aerodynamics - Keep your windows closed when traveling at highway speeds. Yeah, we get it. You paid all that extra money for a ragtop hummer, and you want people to notice. But open windows cause air drag, reducing your mileage by 10%. Then again, if you're even considering buying a hummer these days, you're a lost cause anyway. For you, these techniques are basically the equivalent of pouring a dixie-cupful of water into the ocean.
But for everyone else, they're good to keep in mind. Stay tuned for a list of the worst gas-saving techniques.