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Even Work At Home Moms have to head out into the big scary world every once in a while, and when you stop at the gas station, I bet you absolutely cringe at how much you’ll be forced to pay regardless of where you live.

I’ve been scouring the internet for tips and ideas that we can implement to help ease the pinch of rising fuel costs.

• Drive the speed limit. A 15 MPH increase in your speed can cost you! Cars use about 20% more fuel driving at 70 miles per hour than they do at 55 miles per hour. Fast getaways at traffic lights can also contribute to extra fuel consumption - you don’t have to be the first car off the line.

• Plan out your route. Make sure you’re not driving back and forth across the city. Instead, determine the route of least resistance. Needless to say you don’t want to drive to the grocery store, then home, then to the school to pick the kids up, then drop them off at home, then to the variety store etc. Write a list of everything you need to pick up when you’re out and plan your route accordingly.

• Ditch the junk in your trunk! Every 100 pounds of unnecessary weight reduces fuel efficiency by 1%.

• Make sure your tires are properly inflated. Under-inflated tires can cut fuel economy by 2% per pound. Check your owners manual or the tag on the car door jamb to determine the proper air pressure for your vehicle. If your tires should be at 32 psi and they’re actually at 27 psi, you’ve reduced your mileage by 10%. Checking your tires takes only a few minutes and is not difficult or scary to do. A tire gauge costs less than $5. Air is available at your gas station. Many still offer it free of charge. Get in the habit of checking your tires once-a-month.

• Turn off the air! Your air conditioning can reduce your mileage by 10 - 20%. Try opening the vents in your vehicle instead.

• Don’t top off. Don’t bother topping off when filling your car’s gas tank. Trying to squeeze in those last few drops just to round off the $$ amount is a waste of money and fuel. When the automatic nozzle clicks off, leave it there.

• Check your air filter at every oil change (And change your oil regularly). Clogged air filters cause engines to work overtime which requires more fuel.

Last but not least - use foot power (and not the foot on the accelerator!). Spring is in the air and there’s no better time to start helping yourself and the environment by getting out there and walking, or riding a bike. The ultimate fuel savings is to simply leave the car at home!

One other tip that I just heard about too: if you have a credit card that offers rewards, chances are good that one of the rewards they offer will be for gas gift cards. Why not take advantage of this and grab yourself some gas that technically you’ve already paid for!

Don’t forget to keep a mileage log with you at all times. Dropping off business cards or flyers during your outing can turn it into a tax deductible business expense!

Let’s face it, long distance and cellular bills can be a killer on any budget, especially when our business requires regular long distance calling. For this very reason, I use Skype for all of my long distance business calls, and I’m using it more and more to phone friends and family who are out of my local calling area.

Here are some other great Skype features:

FREE:

• Skype to Skype calls
• Transfer Calls to people on Skype
• Video Calls
• Instant Messaging and Group Chats
• Forward Calls to people on Skype

If you’re familiar with Instant Messaging services like Yahoo and MSN, then Skype will be straight forward and easy for you to download, configure and have up and running in just a few minutes.

More Skype Features:

• SkypeOut
  SkypeOut makes it possible to call landlines and mobiles; however, you have to buy some Skype credits. You can buy them through Sainsbury supermarket or buy online through Paypal as well as many other payment methods. One disadvantage of buying credits is there is time limit for the duration.
• SkypeIn
  SkypeIn provides a phone number that allows other people to call you from landlines and mobiles at the cost of local call. You can buy up to 10 SkypeIn numbers in 14 different locations worldwide.
• Skype Voicemail
  With Skype Voicemail you don’t have to worry about missing calls. You can personalize your greetings and listen to your voicemails anywhere.
• Skype SMS
  Skype SMS makes it easy to contact your Skype friends when they are not online. Same as other service, you have to pay for that. The rate depends on your location. However, it is fairly cheap. For UK it is 0.092 Euro.
• Call forwarding
  You can choose to forward your certain calls to your landline or mobile even when you are not online. You will only pay the calls you want to forward. The rate depends on the location as well. You can check on Skype web site before you want to use.
• Call transfer
  It’s simple and free to transfer Skype-to-Skype calls. However, for others calls to landlines and mobiles there is a per minute charge and you must be a subscriber to Skype Pro

Advantages of Skype

• Download free
• Easy to setup
• Fair good voice quality
• Free video chat with other Skype users
• Cheaper international calls
• Supports different languages

Skype Pro:
Cost - $3.00/month

Includes:

1. Free calls to any phone within the US and Canada* (with no connection fee).
2. Save up to 60% on a personal online number - A SkypeIn number that lets people call you at local rates.
3. Call transfer - Transfer calls to Skype contacts, phones or cell phones.
4. Save on the move with Skype To Go - International calls from your cell phone at local rates.
5. Voicemail – never miss a call - Pick up messages when you’re busy or offline.

I’ve been using Skype since May of 2007 and I have to say that I won’t be getting rid of it any time soon I use Skype to record podcasts, talk to clients, friends and family using both the free features and the SkypeOut features. It’s much more affordable than using my local telephone company to make long distance calls. I highly recommend it