Whenever you fill your car with gasoline, always fill it all the way up. By doing so, you'll make fewer trips to the gas station and increase the fuel efficiency of your car. Also, when the pump clicks off automatically when your car's tank is full, don't remove the pump right away. There is about one-fourth cup of gasoline still in the hose line (that you paid for) that needs to work its way into your gas tank. If you wait about 15 seconds, you'll get every last drop.

One of the most important items to have in your home is a fire extinguisher. But fire extinguishers require maintenance to remain in working condition. Metal extinguishers have a gauge to determine if the pressure is in the proper operating range: If the needle is pointing to green, the unit is fine; if it's pointing to red, the unit is overcharged or needs to be recharged. The good news is that many fire departments have refill programs that will fix your extinguishers for a small fee. It costs significantly less than buying a new one, and the fire department will also recharge and inspect your extinguisher. If your local fire department does not offer the service, it should be able to recommend a company nearby that can do it for you.

You have an old car; a charity wants it, will pick it up for free and sell it to support its good works. Seems like a win-win situation, right? Unfortunately, many nonprofits that have car donation programs are operated by for-profit towing companies. The towing companies pick up the car and sell it to dealers or as scrap metal, and then give a tiny portion of the proceeds to the charity. If you have a car you would like to donate to support a charity, do this instead: Sell it yourself and donate the cash you make directly to the charity. This way you know it's going to your favorite cause, and you get the full value of the cash donation for tax-deduction purposes.