A December Nielsen Homescan Consumer Panel survey reveals the No. 1 way consumers are dealing with today's high prices at the pump is by "combining errands and trips" (70% of respondents). "Eating out less" (41%) and "doing more things at home" (39%) were second and third.

About half (49%) of consumers said they were either "reducing spending a small" or "great degree" to deal with rising gas prices. This represents a whopping increase of thirteen percentage points from 2005 and an alarming four percentage points from June of this year.