SPRING AHEAD? THAT'S SO LAST YEAR. ON SUNDAY, WE WILL ALL ... MARCH FORWARD IS THIS A GOOD THING? THAT ALL DEPENDS.

Byline: Compiled by Staff Writer Brent Hopkins

Some facts about daylight-saving time, and why we're making the switch so much earlier this year:

The history: The U.S. went on daylight-saving time in World War I, but only for seven months. It was tried again in World War II. The Uniform Time Act made it a law in 1966.

Why: To conserve fuel by adjusting daylight hours in the summer to more closely match the hours that people are awake.

When to make the change: Traditionally, clocks were changed in April and October. This year, it starts earlier. Advance your clocks at 2 a.m. Sunday. The fall back is now Nov. 4. The change was mandated by the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

Why the dates are changing: The government is still trying to conserve fuel. Moving clocks ahead is expected to cut energy consumption nationwide by about 1 percent each day, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. That is projected to result in $320 million in savings by 2020 and could reduce the need for new power plants.

Source: California Energy Commission 

Pro

Dating: With 28 more hours of sunlight, counting March and November, that's 28 more long walks on the beach, cheaper than the $560 you'd spend on taking your date to the movies each night (based on two $10 tickets).

Barbecuing: More nights of tending the grill yourself, so you'll save $23.74 (based on buying franks, buns, ketchup, mustard and charcoal for $11.66 from Albertsons versus $35.40 for a dozen regular hot dogs from The Stand).

Gardening: You can spend more time tending your garden, saving you $19.46 on tomatoes (based on one $4.50 heirloom tomato plant from heirloomtomatoplants.com versus $23.96 for four weeks of the same type from Vons.com (assuming 1 pound/week at $5.99 a pound).

Your health, part 1: Running through your neighborhood will save you $30 instead of paying for a month at Bally's (free versus $30 a month at the Chatsworth gym).

Your health, part 2: The vitamin D your body generates when exposed to sunlight comes absolutely free. Buying 120 gel caps from vitacost.com sets you back $5.09.

Your health, part 3: Playing tag outside saves the $599 you'd invest in a PlayStation3 (circuitcity.com).

Con

Skin cancer: With the extra hours of sun, you'll need one additional bottle of sunscreen, costing you $10.99 (based on Coppertone SPF 50 from Longs Drugs).

Double espresso: With the extra fatigue, you'll need to upgrade your morning espresso to a double for an extra 30 cents a pop, costing you $6 (based on Starbucks prices of $1.50 for a single, $1.80 for a double).

Golf: If you had 28 extra hours, you'd be tempted to squeeze in seven more rounds of golf. That's a good thing, right? Not really. That'll cost you $280 at a good course, even with twilight rates.

Sunglasses: The more you use them, the more likely you are to lose your shades, costing you $119.95 for a new pair of Ray-Ban Aviators (from Sunglass Hut).

Halloween: Trick-or-treating in the sunlight will require a better costume. Instead of the $32.99 pirate outfit from buycostumes.com, you'll need the $185, movie-quality version from Western Costume Co., costing you an extra $152.01.

Car: If you want to take advantage of the sunlight, you'll want a convertible, costing you an extra $4,825. That's based on MSRP of a 2007 Ford Mustang 6-cylinder deluxe coupe ($19,250) versus a 6-cylinder deluxe convertible ($24,075).

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