By Dave Ulacia

In this installment on smart buys, we’re focusing on transportation—one of the most costly aspects of modern living right after housing and health care. Other than the standard ideas of driving less, carpooling, and taking public transportation, we’ll focus on more unorthodox ideas, as well as add some new twists to those tried-and-true approaches.

• Take your car in for a tune-up

One of the most overlooked ways of getting more out of your car is to make sure it’s in top condition. Such seemingly minor things as low tire pressure, filthy air filters, and old oil and transmission fluid can significantly impact your vehicle’s fuel efficiency. It’s tempting to put these tune-ups off because the cost seems prohibitive, but it’s an easy decision once you factor in the money you’ll save on better mileage and the costlier repairs you’ll avoid by getting the tune-up.

• Take your business elsewhere

In addition to keeping your eyes peeled for low gas prices (or using a handy gas price finder like this one), you can often purchase gas at price clubs like Costco or Sam’s Club for several cents less per gallon than at a standard service station. But even if you don’t have a price club membership, many local grocers have adjacent gas stations for which they offer gas discounts based on your grocery expenditures. Ask around to find those with the best incentives.

• Take it to HR

Having trouble finding carpool pals? Take it to the next level and ask your human resources department at work to get involved and initiate an e-mail or sign-up form that helps employees hook up with other workers who live within reasonable driving distance. Even better, if you work in a building with multiple corporate tenants, ask your HR rep to contact her counterpart at neighboring companies to set up a cross-company coordination that widens the net.

• Take it to the street

Light rail gets lots of publicity as the commuting wave of the future, but many of us don’t live close enough to take advantage of these systems. That doesn’t mean you can’t save on gas, though. Most cities offer very affordable monthly passes for commuter buses that deliver to a surprising number of out-of-the-way neighborhoods. Visit your local transit provider’s website and you may very well find a stop within a couple blocks of your place.

• Take the long view

Recent news reports reveal that public support for fuel-efficient and alternative-fuel vehicles rises and wanes with the price of gas. For instance, when gas was $4 a gallon in December, everyone thought brainy little cars were the obvious solution. When prices fell by half a couple months later, a lot of drivers started hankering for gas-guzzling muscle cars and SUVs again.

But here’s something to keep in mind: Scientists have pretty solid proof we’ve passed the planet’s peak oil period. In other words, the day when we’ve sapped the world of all its oil is on the horizon (experts say in a manner of decades). Given that we Franklin Planner users are fans of planning ahead, it makes sense to support efforts to develop and perfect vehicles that will take us into the next century before it’s upon us. That means shelling out a little more to purchase earth-friendly vehicles when we’re in the market for a new car, as well as getting involved and letting our government representatives know we support a long-view of energy production and usage. Either way, we help each other save money, gas, and the environment both now and in the long run.

Have more ideas for how to save on transportation? Click the Comments link below and enrich your fellow GO members.