Gas prices up, here's how to cope

In addition to inflicting ordeal after ordeal upon residents of the Gulf Coast region, Hurricane Katrina has proven to be more of a royal pain in the wallet than Lindsay Lohan's mom seeking alimony. Gas hit $3 a gallon yesterday and kept on going. Luckily, here to save the day is MSN Autos and some timely gas-saving tips.

First, keep your car well-maintained, including tires that are filled to specs and healthy spark plugs that help you fire on all cylinders. Second, to get the best mpg possible, save the aggressive driving for the track — as a bonus, it's a good excuse when you're late to your traffic school class, as I've learned. Third, check the weather. Strong winds can bring down your mileage. I imagine hurricanes do too. Next, consider taking the bus. It might make you look like a scrub, but hey, at least you can buy your date a double Quarter Pounder with Cheese instead of a single. Finally, buy a smaller vehicle next time. Come on, don't you think you'd look so much cooler in a Toyota Corolla than an H2?

With all the money you save on gas, be sure to help out with the hurricane relief efforts.  Several disaster services organizations will gladly use your contribution to help the residents who have gone through more than just a rise in gas prices.