Traveling this president's day weekend? 5OYS shares ways to maximize your fuel

The average price of a gallon of regular in North Carolina is about $3.39, up nine cents from just last week. While you can’t control that, you can control your driving habits which have a major impact on your tank.

First, drive conservatively, avoid hard breaking and rapid acceleration. Both bad habits can lower fuel economy by 15 to 30 percent, according to AAA.

Next, follow the speed limit. Fuel economy peaks at around 50 mph then drops off as speeds increase. Reducing highway speeds by 5 to 10 mph can increase fuel economy 7 to 14 percent, according to AAA.

Finally, avoid excessive idling. A car engine consumes one quarter to one half gallon of fuel per hour when idling. Remove unnecessary items from the vehicle. An extra 100 pounds can reduce fuel economy up to 1 percent. Cargo weight affects the fuel mileage of smaller vehicles more than larger ones.