Denny wrote:
For those who have not seen my postings on fuel before, I am a fanatic
about not ever going into the last hour of fuel, for any reason...

Not a bad rule. You won't get every bit of utility out of your
airplane, but you're also not likely to ever run out of fuel. I think
that's a perfectly reasonable way to fly.

Anyway, this time the significant other was breathing down my neck
about completing the flights on a fixed schedule...

Don't let your SO talk you into breaking rules. Lie if you have to.
Fudge your calculations to make it look like going non-stop will mean
landing with 15 minutes reserve instead of 45. Or zero. Or halfway
through the flight tell her you must be hitting unexpected headwinds
because you keep hitting checkpoints further and further behind your
flight planned estimates. Or that you've *really* got to take a leak
NOW and you're not going to make it to your destination without
wetting your pants. Once you're on the ground, you might as well take
on another 10 gallons.

If you really are committed to breaking a rule, I'd rather take on an
extra 30 minutes of fuel and take off overgross. You didn't say what
you're flying, but a "4-banger" is probably burning no more than 10
gph in cruise; 30 minutes is 30 pounds of fuel. Nobody ever died
taking off 30 pounds overweight, but people have died being 3 pounds
of fuel short of making the runway.

Did you try planning different power settings? Cruising at 55%
vs. 75% power can make a huge difference in range (especially with a
tailwind).