CAPT OF MD80 RPTS THAT; DESPITE HIS BEST EFFORTS TO CONSERVE FUEL; THEIR FUEL REMAINING CONTINUED TO FALL BEHIND FLT PLAN AND A DIVERSION FOR FUEL WAS NECESSARY.

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OUR ORIGINAL FUEL ON THE FLT PLAN HAD US LNDG WITH 6200 LBS; NO ALTERNATE LISTED; WX FORECAST VMC. HAVING DEPARTED TO THE E OUT OF BOS; WE WERE AS USUAL 500 LBS BEHIND BEFORE WE HAD REACHED OUR FIRST FIX DESPITE NO DEP DELAYS; ONE ENG TAXI TO THE RWY AND UNRESTRICTED CLB TO OUR FILED ALT. ANTI-ICING PROTECTION WAS USED FOR MAYBE 5 MINS DURING CLBOUT. AS USUAL; WE SEEMED TO GAIN ON FUEL AND COME BACK TO FLT PLANNED LOADS; ALMOST. BY MRB; WE WERE DOWN 700 LBS; 900 LBS AT EYTEE; 1100 LBS AT COLNS; 1300 LBS AT PERKS. WHEN WE CROSSED HVQ; WE SENT A POSITION REPORT LISTING OUR FUEL STATUS AS DOWN 1400 LBS IN CASE THE DISPATCHER HAD NOT SEEN THIS. SOMEWHERE AROUND YOCKY; I RADIOED DISPATCH AND INFORMED THEM WE WERE NOW DOWN 1500 LBS AND WERE CONSIDERING DIVERTING FOR FUEL. EITHER LIT OR MEM WERE AGREED UPON IF THE FUEL DID NOT IMPROVE. IT DID NOT. AT BWG; WE WERE NOW DOWN 1600 LBS AND IF EVERYTHING STOPPED DETERIORATING; WE WOULD LAND WITH 5100 LBS. SHOULD FUEL CONTINUE TO DECLINE AT THE PRESENT RATE; WE WOULD LAND WITH AROUND 4100 LBS. NOT GOOD. WE TOLD MEM CTR WE WERE GOING TO DIVERT TO MEM FOR FUEL. (WE HAD CLBED ON SCHEDULE TO FL360 BY THEN.) WINDS APPEARED TO HAVE NO LARGE NEGATIVE IMPACT AS THEY WERE ONLY 15 TO 20 KNOTS MORE THAN PLANNED. OUR CRUISE MACH WAS RIGHT OFF THE FLT PLAN THE ENTIRE WAY. UPON ARR AT MEM; THE WING TANKS WERE STICKED TO CHK THE GAUGES; BEFORE AND AFTER FUELING AND NO ERRORS WERE FOUND; NOR WERE ANY LEAKS LOCATED. WE WERE REFILED; REFUELED; AND RETURNED TO OUR ORIGINAL DEST.