In Hartford, Hereford and Hampshire, California, Cleveland, and Cologne, people these days are talking about weather, food, and “crude” (oil, that is — black gold). And since this column's theme is Preparedness and Provident Living, and we have addressed weather disasters and food storage previously, we will tackle today the topic of stretching our limited transportation dollars to help families live within their means.

After all, can anyone remember when gas prices have risen more quickly and shocked the world more brutally than they have in the past several months? Could shortages be added to this scenario? We hope not.

Keeping our vehicles well maintained is also an important aspect of emergency preparedness, because we need to depend on them in case of a sudden evacuation for wildfires, storms, earthquakes, or to drive a loved one to the emergency room.

On a recent visit to Los Angeles , we noticed an increase in the number of motorcycles and scooters on the road — one effective way to address soaring gas prices for the bravest of commuters. Just in case you are not ready to do your grocery shopping on only two wheels, or take your kindergartener to school on a Yamaha, here are some ways to bring down the cost of transportation, and to help your car achieve the best mileage possible while keeping your family safe, and your trips as cheap as possible:

Carpool to work. Think of the advantages, not the negatives. Cut your transportation costs by half or more. Invite someone to be your regular, paying passenger on the road to work. Use the carpool (diamond lane) to get around heavy traffic. Arrive sooner, return home on time. Use flex hours if your employer allows it. Avoid the heaviest traffic by starting the workday earlier and ending it sooner, thus spending less time on the road.

Carpool to the store. Yes, it's okay to do that with a friend. You drive this week, and your friend drives next week. No cash has to be exchanged for gas or miles; just alternate as driver.

Carpool to church. Where the meetinghouse is miles away, not just several blocks, why not share the drive with others. Some folks might appreciate the offer, or might be reluctant to admit they can't afford to drive to meetings without sharing the cost.

Use public transportation. Many people hop in their cars to run errands, even though the bus or metro train is just around the corner. Take advantage of this benefit to your budget, and teach your family how to use public transportation safely and often.

Dispose of cars you don't need. Got one too many vehicles? Consider selling it and saving the cost of insurance, maintenance, and gas. If you can't sell it because it's old and high mileage, give it to a charity that accepts such tax-deductible donations.

Check those tires. Worn tires are dangerous and less efficient. Remember the penny trick? Place a penny in the shallowest part of your tire's tread with Lincoln 's head facing down. If you can see his entire head it's time for new a new tire (because the tread is too shallow and unsafe).

If you live in a cold weather area, you should e xchange your winter tires in summer for all-season tires. Winter tires wear out quickly on dry, hot pavement, and get worse mileage than an all-season tire. Switch them early in the season and keep your winter tires in good shape for next year. All-season tires will also improve your car's handling during the summer months.

Check your tire pressures — and check them often. An average tire loses about a pound of air pressure per month. Proper tire inflation will ensure the best possible contact between the tire and the road, and help avoid blowouts and tread separation. Check the placard on the door jam of your car for the manufacturer's specifications for tire pressures on your vehicle. Properly inflated tires will improve fuel economy, which is very important with the cost of fuel today! Over-inflated tires will not increase fuel efficiency much, could make your car's handling unsafe, and will wear out tires more quickly in the center of the tread.

Do you have students away at college? Odds are, they have not checked the tire pressure since who-knows-when, and may need reminding.

Check and change engine oil often. If you service the oil and filter according to your car's manufacturer specs, you will save wear on your engine, and improve your miles per gallon. I nspect as well the belts and hoses. If your car is more than a couple of years old and you're not sure when the belts and hoses were last replaced, consider having them changed. A trusted mechanic can give you needed advice.

Inspect the wiper blades. The life expectancy of a wiper blade is just one year. Wipers often get cracked or damaged during a hard winter, and deteriorate during the summer as well. While you're at it, check your windshield washer fluid reservoir and top it off.

Check the battery. Extreme heat or cold puts stress on batteries. If yours is more than three years old, have it tested. If you don't know how old it is, think about replacing it at the first sign of weakness — which may be cheaper than getting stuck on the side of the road later.

Consider tinting your windows. This is mainly to keep your vehicle and you cooler during summer. Tinting can be either permanent or there is film that is removable and reusable. If you can't find it in the automotive section of the store, try the children's department. Not only will this postpone the need for the air conditioner and greatly increase your driving comfort, but it will also cut down significantly on the whining from the back seat.

Prepare an emergency kit for your car. A good kit should include flashlight, flares, a first-aid kit, jumper cables, work gloves, wet wipes, water for the radiators and for drinking, basic tools, mylar blankets, whistle, emergency food, sun block lotion, phone numbers for your insurance and tow service, and a cell phone.

Fill up often. The pattern in our area used to be that new gas prices were posted every Friday (before the weekend). That is no longer the case. Prices can move up every day, we notice. Once the tank is half full, fill it up. In fact, if you have a car or truck you drive only occasionally, take that out today and fill it up while gas prices are rising. When you next use that vehicle it will be ready and at the lowest possible price.

If you have a backup generator for emergencies, think of a spare vehicle as your fuel source for emergencies. And while you are at it, get a locking gas cap. It won't stop all thieves, but it will stop the less creative ones.

Lighten the load. Empty your car's trunk of all unnecessary items. The reduction in weight will increase gas mileage — not a lot, but everything you do to travel light will benefit your budget.

Use your most gas friendly car — it might be a tight fit, but the savings can be really big each time you leave the family wagon parked and its big horses still in the barn.

Consolidate trips. Plan carefully your trips to the Big City, and combine as many local errands as possible into one daily or occasional trip. Stop at the post office or grocery store when you pick the kids up from school. Park your car and walk when possible.

With so many shopping centers to choose from in a world where every town shares the same retailers as others, you might even have the necessary stores and services within walking distance of your home. Some of our parents used to walk to the store and carry home their groceries. With a little planning, more of us could do the same.

Accelerate slowly when starting from a dead stop. Pressing the pedal to the floor wastes gas, so make it a game to watch the MPG gauge on your car instead of the speedometer.

Avoid prolonged warming up of the engine. It's a waste of gas. Our car's operating manual says modern engines don't need to be warmed up — just drive moderately until the engine is at operating temperature.

Don't start and stop the engine needlessly. Idling your engine for one minute consumes the same amount of gas needed to start the engine. Avoid the drive-thru at the fast food restaurant — can anyone get through without idling for at least five minutes in line? Save money, stretch your legs, go inside.

Avoid topping off your gas tank. When the automatic cutoff on the nozzle stops filling, that's it. Otherwise, overfilling results in sloshing fuel on the ground. Cold gasoline pumped from a storage tank underground will warm in your car's tank, and if it is overfilled, it can expand and leak onto the ground.

Avoid buying gas at stations near freeway exit ramps. These stations may be convenient, but they have higher overhead and know they have a captive audience. Try to fill up at a local station in the suburbs before you leave town, where the prices are lowest. If you stopover at a hotel for the night, ask the desk clerks where they buy their gas.

Purchase the grade of gas recommended in your car's owner manual. If it does not specifically state that premium must be used, don't use premium.

Slow down when possible. Driving 55 mph can save up to 10% on gas mileage vs. driving 70 mph or more.

If your car has an overdrive gear, use it. Traveling at fast rates in low gears can consume up to 45% more fuel than is needed.

Keep windows closed when traveling at highway speeds. Open windows cause air drag, reducing your mileage by 10%.

Drive steadily. Use cruise control if you have it on the freeway. Slowing down then speeding up wastes fuel. Avoid tailgating — the drivers in front of you are unpredictable. If they slow down, you will be forced to also, causing your miles-per-gallon to suffer while resuming speed.

When approaching hills, accelerate before you reach the hill, not while you're on it. Truckers know this quite well, of course, as do drivers of the original VW Beetle.

Take your foot off the gas well before stop signs and traffic lights. If you can keep moving while approaching stopped traffic at a red light and never bring your vehicle to a complete stop, this will save quite a bit of fuel versus starting from a standing stop.

Regular tune-ups ensure best economy. Check owner's manual for recommended maintenance intervals.

Avoid using roof top carriers. They can cause serious drag on the car and lessen your mileage by up to 15%.

So to sum it up – maintain your car well, plan your trips wisely, and drive smart. If you don't need to travel, don't. If you can carpool to work or to the store, do so. Seriously consider a stay-at-home vacation . It can be fun to discover the attractions near your home that others travel hundreds of miles to see.

Staying home will allow time for serious talks with your family members and making memories that will last a lifetime — if you plan for those experiences and lay the groundwork for a successful home holiday.

Saving money on transportation is a critical issue for the family budget today, but not the only one. Keeping your car well maintained, and ready to serve during an emergency with a full tank of gas, can mean the difference between life and death. In the first minutes, hours, or days of a natural disaster, pumping gas to evacuate may be unthinkable or impossible.

Like the five virgins who lacked oil for their lamps, our families have to be frugal and ready for the unexpected. Conserving fuel while keeping our vehicle tanks full is a means of fuel storage — part of a wise family strategy to save and store resources.

We fill our tanks before the tank is half empty, because it empowers us to buy fuel at the lowest cost available where fuel is cheap — not because our tank is now empty and we must fuel at the next station we see. This effectively allows us to store some fuel for the day when there could be some local shortages, and carries us through the day when we don't have the fifty bucks needed to pay at the pump.