With gasoline prices continuing their plodding climb toward the stratosphere, I find it once again useful to remind readers of the basic steps they can take to improve the fuel economy of their vehicles. Plenty of us will soon be climbing into our vehicles to make long-distance trips to see family over the holidays or to celebrate New Year's Day. Here's what we can do, short of trading in our cars for more efficient models, to make sure we're burning as little gas as possible.

1. Make sure your engine is clean. According to the American Automobile Association (www.aaa.com), dirty spark plugs can reduce fuel economy by 30 percent, and if your oxygen sensor isn't working correctly, it cuts efficiency by another 40 percent, causing you to waste extra gas you didn't even know you were burning. Don't neglect the air filter, either, since a clogged filter makes the engine work harder than it has to.

2. Have a mechanic lower your idling speed. Many cars have their idle speeds set too high, so their owners end up burning extra gas every time they wait for a red light. Also, some mechanics say that idling for one minute burns more fuel than restarting your car, so if you're going to be waiting somewhere for a while, turn off your engine while you're there.

3. Be a milder driver. Don't slam the pedals when the light turns green, but instead, let your engine gently ease into speeding up and slowing down. That method burns less gas.

4. Inflate your tires. According to the AAA, tires that are even 4 to 5 psi below their suggested inflation pressure (check your tires' manufacturer to see what yours' is) can weaken gas mileage by 10 percent. The AAA says that one out of every four cars on the road today has at least one tire that's on the low-pressure side.

5. Your car is not a storage unit. It's a machine, and the heavier it is, the more gas it needs to move. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, mileage rates are calculated on the assumption that cars carry a total of three hundred pounds of passengers and cargo. The Department of Energy estimates that every 100 pounds of extra weight reduces fuel economy by as much as 2 percent.

6. Pick the right oil. By using one that has a heavier weight than what your carmaker calls for, you can weaken mileage by 2 percent.

7. Tighten your gas cap. Gasoline can evaporate out of a loose cap, costing you money.

8. Keep your car aerodynamic. The AAA thinks that carrying around something like a rooftop cargo bin, which resists smooth air flow, can cut another 5 percent off economy.

9. Park in the empty section of the parking lot. Why? Because if you find a tight space that makes you fine-tune your car's position with forward-and-reverse movements, you will burn more fuel than you would by taking a space that allows you to pull in and pull out without alterations.

10. Don't speed, since firing your engine makes it burn more fuel. The posted speed limits, in addition to helping foster a safe and civilized driving environment, are also good for the stress levels of your engine.

By the way, these rules are lifted from a previous issue of the now-discontinued Arthur Frommer's Smart Shopping magazine. It was a darn good magazine that had the misfortune to be launched just when the general magazine publishing industry went into a nose-dive; we'll re-launch it some day.

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