Living in Illinois, the high cost of gas is nothing new. Prices are reaching as steep as $3.86 per gallon, have become a reality all too many people have become accustomed to. For many high school students, the struggle to keep up sufficient funds to keep their cars running can often be more than they can burden.

To make it a little easier, here is a list of ways you can stay on the roads, and out of your parent’s passenger seat:

1.  For many students, they are unable to find steady jobs due to time restraints or having no jobs available. A simple solution that junior Mick Peddicord uses is to make a job that fits your schedule. Mowing lawns, raking leaves and shoveling snow are just a few of the examples that can allow you the gas money needed to stay on the road and the time to put that money to good use.
2.  Start saving up your pocket change. If you see a quarter in the street, or get 50 cents back after buying a lunch, save it. Change adds up a lot more than you would think, and can go a long way when it comes to filling up your tank. Check your couch cushions, your coat pockets, and under your car seats and start saving up all the change you come across.
3.  Ask for help. If you’re constantly driving your friends around, don’t be afraid to ask for a little assistance in keeping the car going. If they are a true friend and their own financial situation permits, they should understand that gas is expensive, and they owe it to you to help out a little. If desperate times call for desperate measures, you can even start your own little taxi service. Shuttle a couple freshmen around for a small fee.
4.  Another solution commonly used by senior Yasir Kahn is driving to Missouri to fill up your tank. With gas prices in Illinois averaging roughly $3.40 per gallon in 2013 according to a US National Gas Map, compared to a mere $3.18 per gallon in Missouri, it is well worth the extra drive to fill up your tank. If you’re already in Missouri for some chores, you might as well make the stop, and save yourself some considerable cash.

High gas prices don’t have to keep you hung up at home. Get creative, get proactive and hit the road running (or driving).