The gas pinch is hitting your wallet. Struggling to pay for gas and put food on the table, you are desperate to find ways to save on your gas mileage. You want to know the secrets to getting the very best gas mileage possible. Here are some of the best gas mileage secrets.

Slow Down: People have been saying to slow down, but it's true that your gas usage goes up exponentially when you push your car above 60 miles per hour. If you own a truck, thanks to big, boxy designs and increased wind-resistance, pushing it above 50 miles per hour starts to really put a strain on your gas mileage. Slow down and see how much farther one tank of gas goes.

Get Rid of Dead Weight: Many people don't think about the extra weight that they lug in their cars, but they should. Yes, you need your spare tire, first aid kit, and other necessities in case of a break down. But you don't need golf clubs, your baseball team's equipment, or heavy water jugs that you've forgotten to empty. Take a look in your trunk and ensure that you aren't carrying extra weight.

Don't Idle Excessively: A generation ago it was much more economical to let your car idle than to turn it off and back on. So even though you've likely been told that you should just let your car run rather than turning it off, with todays engines that is no longer the case. If you are sitting in traffic, or have to run back inside the house because you forgot something, don't let your car idle.

Take Care of Your Car: Your car's engine is an intricate machine. If it isn't functioning properly, you are going to use more fuel to run your car than you would if it were running the way it should. Ensure that your engine is tuned regularly, your air filters are cleaned, and your tires have the correct amount of air. All of these actions ensure that you get the best gas mileage out of your car. And this gas mileage secret may even result in your car having a long, productive lifespan.

Those are some of the best gas mileage secrets that you will find today. Implementing these habits will make your car last longer, and help it to run more efficiently.

Filling up at the station, you know that you're paying a lot for gas, but everyone keeps bringing up the term gas mileage and you don't even know where to begin your calculations. All of the talk about gas mileage has you wondering what your own gas mileage is. So how is gas mileage figured out?

In order to figure out your gas mileage, the first term you need to be familiar with is ‘miles per gallon' or MPG. Miles per gallon refers to how many miles your vehicle will go on one gallon of gas.

1. The next time you fill up at a gas station, make note of how many miles your vehicle has on its odometer. Most current models have a separate trip odometer, so if you have this option you just need to reset your trip odometer at your next fill up. If you don't know how to do this, see your car owner's manual.

2. Once you've filled up, drive through your tank of gas as you normally would.

3. The next time you fill up your tank, subtract the number of miles that were previously on your odometer from the current number. The difference will be the amount of miles that you've gone on this past tank alone. Note: If you have a trip odometer that you were using, all you have to do is see the number that is displayed. No calculations are necessary yet.

4. Next, divide the number of miles that you had on that tank with the number of gallons you put into your car at your fill-up.

5. The resulting answer is your MPG.

Once you know what your MPG is, you will be able to see how good the gas mileage is that you're getting out of your car. Look online to find out how many MPG your car model should be getting. If you're under the ideal number and your car hasn't been to the mechanic's shop in awhile, it's probably time for a tune-up. Knowing how to figure out your gas mileage is the first step to ensuring that you're getting the most for your money at the pump.