Monitoring my gas mileage

I am one of those crazy people who writes down information to figure out miles per gallon (mpg) between fill ups. In fact, I have a notebook in my glove compartment that is dedicated to keeping track of date, gallons, miles, total cost and calculated miles per gallon. My notebook has been keeping track of this very important information since I purchased my car six years ago. Therefore, I have a good sense of the average miles per gallon depending on year, season and month. The number can determine my mood for the day, depending on the number seen. Calculating my mpg tells me if I am doing all I can to keep it high. A low number will cause me to consider my driving behavior or check a maintenance item I may have neglected like the amount of air in my tires.

Since my driving is primarily over 45 mph, I should get the higher mpg rating for my car. A low number (below 25 mpg) will remind me all those cold days or many city miles start to negatively affect my final calculation. A high number (over 29 mpg) tells me I am practicing good driving (smooth, gentle acceleration, coasting down hills and to stop signs, as well as staying at the speed limit). I also like to brag when I hit a rare number.

My car is rated 26 mpg for highway driving according to the EPA revised standards. This is not an impressive number in the face of increased gas prices and getting all the miles one can from a tankful (or half a tank as I prefer to keep mine at least half full). Therefore, a number like 32 mph is wonderful! That is the number I hit in the fill up today. I am thrilled that being more conservative in my driving (and more relaxed when I reach my destination) is good for my bottom line. Do you have any gas mileage benchmarks for yourself and do you calculate mpg every fill up?