I don't think you want a plexiglass belly pan, perhaps coroplast? Another thing to consider is pricing the parts from the sFe model. If I remember correctly, the sFe has active grill shutters and a belly pan.
A gauge will help you to know what is going on "real time" the average mpg doesn't tell you what is going on right now. If it is anything like my Fiesta the gauge is worthless if you pulse and glide with the engine off, as it doesn't record anything during the eoc portion. My last tank was a smidge over 50 mpg and my factory avg mpg showed 28ish. A ScanGaugeII or Ultragauge will also help you to accelerate at the right amount of load.
The other thing that will help you long term is keeping a mileage log. It will let you see how you are doing and is not dependent on memory. You can start a log right here on this forum.
Kirk
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