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With gas prices topping more than four dollars a gallon and predicted to hit five bucks before summer’s end, people are looking for ways to alleviate the pump pain. Sure, you could get on the six-month waiting list for a Prius or Civic Hybrid and drop 25,000 dollars to get 50 miles to the gallon, but if you think about it, that 25,000 dollars could buy a lot of gas. On Monday, both the Today Show and Good Morning America had spots about the real cost of hybrids with the general consensus being that it would take about two-to-five years or more (depending on whether you’re buying a small hybrid or the SUV variety) to break even. In the meantime, hopefully, gas prices will settle down.

So, what if you don’t have a cool 25-grand to drop on a new, eco-friendly ride? Don’t despair; saving money on gas isn’t a science, it’s a discipline. If you’re willing to exercise a little self-discipline and make a few sacrifices, these five simple tips will beef up your bottom line and take some of the sting out of the summer price hike.

• Carpool  In 2005, the US Census Bureau found that 9 out of 10 workers drove cars to work and 77-percent of those drove alone. A little basic math will tell you that if you drive 10 miles to work and 10 miles back, and your car gets 20 miles to the gallon, at 4.00 per gallon, you’re spending 20.00 a week in gas alone. That’s 1,040 dollars per year, not including the extra costs involved in maintaining your car, like oil changes, tire maintenance, fuel filters, etc. Websites like rideshare.com and erideshare.com can help you find people to carpool with, or check the bulletin board in the breakroom at work. The more people you carpool with, the more you save. As a bonus, carpooling reduces carbon gas emissions, reducing the amount of greenhouse gas in the air. Besides, those 30-minute traffic jams don’t seem so long when you have people to talk to!

• Streamline Your Errand Days  Look for ways to organize your trips so that you aren’t running out to the store several times a day, or even several times a week. Plan a week’s menu, make a shopping list, and get all your groceries in one place. I knew a woman who went to three or four different grocery stores on her shopping day to get the best buys. In today’s economy, you’ll spend your grocery savings on the gas it takes to go to three different stores. Plan your errands and shopping trips so that you take a logical route that doesn’t have you backtracking across town, and try to take care of everything you need to do that week all on the same day.

• Smooth and Steady  Sudden starts and stops waste fuel and cause your engine to work harder than necessary. Discipline yourself to accelerate smoothly and come to a coasting stop when you see a stoplight or stop sign ahead. Also, some drivers have a tendency to constantly change their foot pressure on the gas pedal. Not only are you likely to make your passengers car sick, you’ll burn extra fuel. Keep a steady pressure on the accelerator and don’t rest your left foot on the brake pedal. This causes drag that makes your engine use extra gas to compensate.

• Check Your Air Pressure  Under-inflating your tires may provide a smoother ride, but it actually wears out your tread faster and causes your car to burn more gasoline. Inflate your tires by about 10 pounds over what your owner’s manual prescribes to save on gas and give your tires a longer lifespan.

• Use Your Cruise Control Driving 65 miles per hour, instead of 70, will save about 10-percent on fuel usage. Set your cruise control and avoid getting behind slow moving cars, so you aren’t speeding up and slowing down continually. Keep a steady pace with your windows rolled up and air conditioner on. Having your windows down on the highway causes a strong wind drag that demands more fuel.