Whether you're trying to be more frugal in all aspects of your life or just want to cut down on your monthly fuel costs, it's always good to know how to save a little fuel here and there. Some of these tricks are complete fiction while others can actually help you save money and fuel. In fact, in some instances these "helpful tricks" can actually have a counter effect and you'll use more fuel in the long run.

Having your car in neutral while coasting does absolutely nothing to make your tank last longer. If you're popping the gearbox in neutral to cruise down a hill, your car knows what you're up to and - in modern cars at least - it makes no difference. Thanks to fuel injection technology, when your car is coasting it will stop injecting fuel no matter what gear you're in. Now, this one is pretty common for younger drivers to believe who want to save a bit of cash but it definitely won't save you petrol and it's probably not the smartest idea either as you reduce the impact of the engine's natural compression braking and could potentially creep over the speed limit. A speeding fine is certainly going to cost you more than any fuel saving measure.

Smaller car means less fuel consumption, doesn't it? Turns out that's not always the case. While it might have been true a few decades ago when there was a disparity between traditional large cars - or gas guzzlers - and city runabouts, but with the major advances with engine technology, low resistance tyres, more efficient transmissions, aerodynamics and basically everything else that goes into a car it's not necessarily the dimensions of a car that impacts its fuel consumption. So don't rush out and buy a small car just because you think it's going to save you cash on fuel, you actually might be surprised what type of cars are the most efficient.

Tail gating saves fuel. This one is just plain silly, even if it technically does actually save you petrol, albeit a minuscule amount. Have you ever seen someone driving close to a truck in front of them? It's basically the same thing that cyclists do when they are competing in races, whoever is in front takes the brunt of the wind and allows those behind to save energy. Same thing, except really dangerous.

Making your load lighter is an easy way to save you a smidge of fuel. Removing all the excess weight in your car (no, your children are not considered excess) can potentially mean less fuel consumption. It probably won't make that much of a difference taking out the one extra shopping bag but it might help to take off those roof racks you only used once.

Using the air conditioning uses additional fuel. But once again unless you're cranking it full bore for hours on end it's probably not going to make that much of a difference. If, however, you find yourself with the fuel light on and a fair distance from a petrol station, don't turn the air con on full blast unless you enjoy walking with a jerry can in the middle of summer.

The quality of petrol definitely impacts how far the tank will take you. While you might think that skimping out and putting E10 in your car will save you money, you'll probably end up having to fill up far sooner than if you opted for a higher quality fuel. Not only is it a bad idea to put poor quality fuel in your car but it is generally less fuel efficient. Ethanol burns quicker than petrol, so blended fuels like E10 will provide marginally less overall range.

Here's a simple one; Don't speed if you want to save petrol. For most people this one seems a bit obvious but for others they might be completely unaware that excessive speeding, and bursts of acceleration, can make their tank go from full to empty pretty quickly. Of course, even if you aren't trying to save fuel or money, speeding is illegal anyway.

Driving in traffic is more than just a pain, it also uses more petrol. For the really frugal driver, don't drive in peak hour traffic. The constant stopping and starting will chew through fuel faster than you can say hybrid cars are a good idea. Compared to other types of driving, like on freeways, driving in traffic uses significantly more fuel so plan your trip around the best times.

Correct tyre pressures make a huge difference, not just in how the car handles but also how much fuel it consumes. Lower pressures will create more drag, and therefore the engine has to work harder. It's important to regularly check your tyre pressures. If you don't know what the correct pressure is, check the placard that's usually on the inside of the driver's door or the owner's manual.

Keep your car in tip top condition. This isn't just for optimising fuel efficiency but also so your car drives at its best all the time. Keeping it serviced regularly, with fresh oil and spark plugs when necessary and using the recommended fuel will help ensure your car's not only safe to drive but will save you money in the long run.

Do you have any expert fuel saving tips? Tell us in the Comments section below