The Financial Cost of Texting and Driving
I don’t consider myself a soapbox preacher, but the issue of texting and driving is one of those that gets me going. It frustrates me to no end that people think those little messages are so important...
View ArticleHow Frugality Helped Me Negotiate With A Car Salesman
On my last trip to a used car lot, I was able to get exactly what I wanted out of the transaction. The salesman, of course, tried to talk me into getting more car than I needed, and more importantly, …...
View Article15 Inexpensive Car Security Tips
Your car is likely one of the most expensive investments you’ll ever make. As such, you want to protect it from theft and vandalism much in the same way you want to protect your house. You also want to...
View ArticleCar or Carless: Minimum Wage Challenge
The fact that I really dislike driving would seem to make the choice here rather easy. If I had my choice, I would not drive at all (and quite frankly, it’s ironic the amount that I do drive with this...
View ArticleRisking Death To Save Money? Day 2
I learned today that if you want to save money by driving your car at a fuel efficient speed on the highway to get the most miles per gallon, you do so at your own risk. You will also have … Continue...
View ArticleClicking Clutch and Ghost Redwoods: Day 21
If you haven’t noticed yet, I love the outdoors. One of the things that I wanted to make sure while attempting this minimum wage challenge was that I still got outdoors on a regular basis. With January...
View ArticlePaying More For Car Maintenance: Day 38
If I keep my eyes open for coupons, I can get an oil change and tire rotation for $19.95 in my area without a problem. That’s less than it would cost me for the oil and filter, not to mention …...
View Article10 Lifestyle Investments to Avoid
One of the selling tactics that I have been hearing more and more these days is to make purchases as a “lifestyle investment.” The entire term bothers me in a number of ways, but the worst part is be...
View ArticleThe 97 Month Car Loan
Lenders rolled out an extra-long-term car loan last week: The 97 month loan. (That’s eight years, folks.) The lenders claim that this is because the average price of a new car has risen to $31,000 and...
View Article90,000 Mile Car Service Shock: Day 135
I knew that there would be hiccups from time to time in the minimum wage challenge. It would be wonderful if spending was something that could always be prepared for and anticipated, but the reality is...
View ArticleGender Tax: 10 Things Women Pay More for than Men
Recently, there have been a number of stories in the news about how women pay more for certain items than men. If you’ve ever gone into a store, you might have noticed that similar products for men and...
View ArticleDropping Car Coverage Can Affect Rental Car Costs
Finance gurus will tell you that you should drop the “Comprehensive and Collision” coverage on your auto insurance once the value of your car drops to the point that the insurer would automatically...
View ArticleWeek 1 Results for the 52 Week Save Money Challenge
The first week of my attempt for the 2014 52 week save money challenge this year had a slow start, but the good news is that it did begin. I decided to do this challenge from scratch, so I won’t …...
View ArticleThe Cost of a Hilariously Wrong Grandmother’s Vanity Plate
While I tend to see vanity license plates as an extra, unneeded expense, there are a lot of people who think they are worth the money. If you happen to be one of those people, make sure that you have …...
View Article14 “Impossible” Money Goals That Aren’t
Whenever you bring up a large or extreme financial/frugal goal (particularly if you bring it up at a party populated by spendy people, as I once did and will never do again), the first response is...
View Article52 Week Save Money Challenge: Week Four
This week I was able to cross off the largest amount on the 52 week save money challenge sheet. It’s always a good week when you are able to save the highest number that you’re shooting for, so I’m...
View ArticleReasons to Avoid “Sign and Drive” Auto Sales Deals
If you’re in the market to buy a new car, you may be swayed by the “sign and drive” leases that many car dealerships offer. It’s tempting to show up to a car dealership and drive away in a car …...
View ArticleGas Prices Inch toward $4 a Gallon: Ways to Save
Gas prices continue to inch toward $4.00 a gallon, although the increases have leveled off over the past week. According to AAA, gas prices have reached a national average of $3.67 a gallon. That’s an...
View ArticleIs Costco Gas Quality the Same as Exxon, Shell and Chevron?
There are many reasons to love Costco. They treat their employees much better than many businesses, and they have competitive prices when it comes to the things that they sell. While there might be...
View ArticleCostco Gas Calculator: Will I Save Money Buying a Membership if All I Buy is...
For those who don’t shop at Costco regularly enough to make a membership worthwhile, it might be worth getting one if your Costco has a gas station, and you fill up your vehicle on a regular basis. The...
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