Oil and gas prices hit another record high, and there is no end in sight to the pain at the pump.

In less than 24 hours, the average for a gallon of regular gas hit $3.71 a gallon in Pittsburgh and nationwide. This time last year, gas prices averaged $3.06 nationally and $2.91 in Pittsburgh.

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There are some easy, quick things you can do to get the most out of your travels on a tight budget.

More than 5,000 tires fill Tom Richey's North Hills shop.

"Tires, just like gasoline, have gone up tremendously," said Richey. "Some tires we've seen go up $50 over the same tire six months ago all because of gasoline."

Richey said there are ways to conserve your money on tires, which leads to saving money when it comes to filling the tank.

"Don't let them go bald," he said. "Don't let them go low on air pressure."

The lower the air pressure, the more you'll spend on gas.

"The more resistance you put on any vehicle, you've got to give it more gas to maintain the speed you need, and that's going to lower your fuel economy," said Richey.

Experts said fuel efficiency isn't the same in every tire. In some cases, it's a 10 percent difference.

Other factors include tread pattern, weight and height.

"Whenever you're putting these monster tires on or these 22s or 24s, it's purely cosmetic," said Richey. "The more you play, the more you'll pay."

In all new 2008 models, you'll hear a ding on your dashboard with an alert that your tire pressure dropped or if it's too high.

The tire pressure monitoring system valve will help with your fuel efficiency and your safety.

For all other models, remember, all vehicles give you a cheat sheet right on the inside of the driver's side door for tire size and pressure.

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