Don’t let your tires sit at 28 PSI “because it’s close enough”

Alright, storytime that'll hopefully save some of you from being a dumbass like me.
I've been dailying a 2019 Mazda3 for about 4 years now. I'm one of those people who knows they should check tire pressure regularly but… you know how it goes. Life happens, suddenly it's been 3 months.
Last month on the highway doing 75mph, I start feeling this weird shimmy through the steering wheel. My first thought? "Oh great, alignment's toast."
Get home, finally check the tires. Three out of four are sitting at 28-29 PSI. Door placard says 36. Oops.

My buddy who's a service advisor goes: "Bro, do you know how much your fuel economy tanks when you're running 8 PSI low?"

Turns out, running chronically underinflated tires:

• Drops your MPG by 3-5% (adds up FAST with current gas prices)
• Causes uneven wear on the outer edges (explains why my last set only lasted 35k instead of 50k)
• Generates extra heat that breaks down rubber faster
• Makes handling feel like driving through pudding

I was too cheap to buy a decent gauge and pump. Been relying on gas station air compressors that are either broken, wildly inaccurate, or require awkward squatting while praying you don't overshoot.

Picked up a compact Xiaomi compressor from Pumpify. Fits in my glovebox, runs off battery, auto-shutoff at whatever PSI I set. No more guessing. Now I check every 2 weeks – takes 5 minutes. Tires at proper pressure, car drives smoother, getting extra 2-3 MPG (like $30-40/month back in my pocket).

TL;DR: Don't ignore tire pressure. Those 5-10 PSI you're missing burn extra gas, wear tires unevenly, and make your car handle like crap. Just check the damn things.

Pro tip: check when tires are COLD (before driving). Pressure increases when heated from driving.

What's your maintenance thing you SHOULD do but keep putting off?