These days, Americans are saving every cent they can on gas, driving 4.5 billion fewer miles in the month of April than they did during the same month last year. This drastic decrease yielded the lowest April figure since 2003.

As gas prices continue to soar, you’ll want to pause and think before stopping at the nearest pump.

Fortunately, the Internet is here to help you do exactly that; no longer are you at the mercy of the price that your nearest Mobil (XOM), Conoco (COP), Chevron (CVX), or BP (BP) station decides to charge.

MainStreet.com compiled a list of Web sites that can guide you to the cheapest gas prices. Just don’t get so obsessed by the low numbers that you end up spending more in gas driving to a low-cost station than you save once you get there.

GasBuddy.com
GasBuddy.com is the umbrella site for more than 181 regionalized Web sites, boasting over 1.4 million members and spotters.

Founded June 2000 by Dustin Coupal and Jason Toews, GasBuddy.com has 150,000 to 200,000 contributors and covers around 170,000 gas stations in the U.S. and Canada.

With thousands of prices being reported daily, the site provides nearly real-time pricing data for all of North America. Several beneficial features include charts proffering highest and lowest gas prices, plus a “temperature map” that plays a similar role. Reliable and easy to navigate, the site exemplifies how citizens are helping one another find the nearest affordable pump.

Incentives: prize giveaways -- free fuel!

Today’s Hot Deal
Cody’s
2565 S. Springfield Ave.
Bolivar, Mo. 65613
Price: $3.64

GasPriceWatch.com
GasPriceWatch.com offers similar services, though it lacks GasBuddy’s efficiency. Founded in April 1999 by Brad Proctor, the site has around 167,000 members/spotters and covers nearly 129,000 gas stations.

The database-driven site has a live price feed and uses searches such as intersection, zip code, and latitude/longitude.

GasPriceWatch.com has drawbacks -- it can be difficult to navigate and lacks GasBuddy.com’s frequent updates. Furthermore, search results often draw blanks when it comes to options other than regular, such as premium and diesel. Spotters are often unlisted.

Today’s Hot Deal
7-Eleven
1520 SW 59th & Kentucky
Oklahoma City, Okla. 73119
Price: $3.63

MSN Autos (MSFT)
MSN autos claims to receive prices from more than 90,000 gas stations nationwide every night -- so it provides lots of data, but the site ends up lagging behind frequently changing prices. MSN Auto cooperates with OPIS which, according to the site, is “the only comprehensive source of U.S. wholesale and retail petroleum prices.” OPIS tracks more than 90,000 daily gas prices and 70,000 “rack and spot” prices for gas, diesel, kerosene, jet fuel, LP-Gas, heating oil, residual fuel, natural gas and ethanol.

In order to search prices at your nearest station, enter your ZIP code and gas stations in the area will be displayed on the map.

Today’s Hot Deal
Unbranded/Shop and Save
906 N Harper St
Laurens, S.C. 29360
Price: $3.589

FuelMeUp.com
FuelMeUp.com can be a limited as well, but it still helps find cheap gas prices in your area. Similar to the other sites, visitors can sign up to help spot prices and share the information with other viewers. The consumer-driven site asserts that prices are updated three times daily for 82,000 gas stations nationwide.

FuelMeUp.com will soon be offering additional features for cars such as deals on tires, gas credit cards, free gas cards and oil changes.

To find cheaper prices in your neighborhood, enter your city and state. You can refine the results using search criteria such as ZIP code and distance ranging from 1 to 20 miles. The homepage also includes charts displaying the latest averages, highest and lowest, in gas prices by state.

Today’s Hot Deal
Buffalo Ranch TC - Conoco
21600 HWY 69
Afton, Okla. 74331
Price: 3.849