Rising gas prices prompted many motorists to pass on vacations and stay at home this summer. But now that prices have started to come down again, some stations are still charging anywhere from 10 to nearly 20 cents more per gallon than the station down the road or across town. So we’re wondering, are you rewarding those stations or passing them by for those with a lower price tag? Let us hear from you.Â

When gas and grocery prices started spiking earlier this summer, many of us started keeping closer tabs on our spending — some of us for the first time.

Higher prices brought pledges to cut back on non-essential purchases — eating out, trips to the movies or visits to the spa, for example.

Highway travel is down nationally from last summer. Anecdotally, we’ve heard more families are opting for “staycations,” rather than traditional family trips out of town.

That was the case for my friends Gary and Lezlie Patterson and their two sons. Last week, Lezlie’s sister’s family and her parents all bunked at the Patterson’s lake home for a week of movie time, reading, board games, early-morning coffee runs, grilling out and — get this — conversation.

It was a decision driven largely by a desire to save money. And from my perspective (I was able to join the group two of those evenings), it was a big success.

How about you? We’d love to hear what creative steps you took to enjoy your vacation in light of a challenging economy.

Send your emails to me at brantin@thestate.com or share your family’s story with us below. We’ll share some of those stories with readers in an upcoming column. Please leave a name and phone number where you can be reached for additional questions.

And enjoy the rest of your vacations.