Saving Money at the Gas Pump

With gasoline prices at $3.84 per gallon, on average, and likely to hit $4 by summer, you're probably feeling the pain at the pump. However, there are ways to keep gas costs under control. Chris Faulkner, CEO of Texas-based Breitling Oil and Gas Co., offers these ten tips:


1. Download a gas app to find cheaper prices. You can use your smart phone to comparison shop for the lowest gas prices in your zip code with a free app such as GasBuddy. If you don't have a smart phone, visit GasBuddy.com or gasprices.mapquest.com before you leave home or the office to check gas prices online.

2. Don't buy gas near the highway. People like convenience, but gas stations near the highway charge 10 cents to 15 cents a gallon more, Faulkner says. Drive a little farther from the interchange to find a better deal (this is where the GasBuddy app is handy). If you're traveling, gas up in a rural town rather than a large city because prices will be lower.

3. Use a discount gift card. Discount gift card sites, such as Plastic Jungle and Gift Card Granny, sell cards at less than face value for gas stations, such as BP and Shell. They go quickly, though, so sign up for e-mail alerts to be notified when they're in stock. Also look for discounted gift cards for Walmart or grocery stores that have gas stations.

4. Keep car windows closed on the highway. Open windows add drag and reduce your car's gas mileage by as much as 10%. In stop-and-go traffic, lower your windows to reduce air-conditioning use, which will drain your gas tank.

5. Develop good driving habits. You can improve a vehicle's gas mileage by up to 5% by avoiding quick starts and stops. Gas mileage also decreases as you accelerate beyond 55 mph.

6. Don't carry unnecessary items in your car. Every 200 pounds to 250 pounds lowers your car's fuel efficiency by 1 mile per gallon.

7. Keep your tires properly inflated. Faulkner says he tested this with his mother's car. She added 7% to her gas mileage by keeping her tires properly inflated.

8. Fill 'er up with regular. Most cars don't need the premium-grade gasoline, which cost 24 cents a gallon more, on average, than regular grade gas the week of April 18, according to the Energy Information Administration.

9. Combine errands with other driving you're going to do. Make sure you aren't making multiple trips and using more gas.

10. Don't overfill your tank. If you top off, you're just wasting money on the gas that inevitably sloshes out of the tank.

I'll add a few of my own:

11. Carpool when possible!

12. Buy things online so you don't have to spend money driving to the store. Many stores offer free shipping!

13. Sell that gas-guzzling SUV and get something smaller and more gas-efficient, if possible.

14. With the high cost of gas now, sometimes it's actually cheaper to fly to your destination than to drive there! Compare airline fares at www.orbitz.com

15. Call your auto insurance company to find out if there are any available discounts you might not be getting currently, such as "good driver", "good grades", or when you bundle your auto insurance with other policies for house, renter's insurance, or universal.

Be safe on the roads, don't text and drive, and save money!

CENTSerely,

Sister Thrifty a/k/a Trina Boice

www.sisterthrifty.com

Saving money on "AUTO"pilot with your cars

We now have 2 kids in college with no transportation, so my husband and I finally bit the bullet and purchased a car for them. It was partly for selfish reasons really...we want them to be able to drive home to see us since their college is out of state! We have purchased all of our cars at an auto auction and saved thousands of dollars. To get an idea of the REAL price of a car you're interested in purchasing or even selling, go to:

Kelly Blue Book http://www.kbb.com/

NADA Appraisal Guides http://www.nadaguides.com/  

Edmunds http://www.edmunds.com/

Consumer Reports http://www.consumerreports.org/

Buying new
Don’t ever think you're smarter than the car salesman. He sells cars every day for a living. You buy one only every few years and you don’t have a boss breathing down your neck at the purchase. Just remember, you’re paying thousands of dollars for that new-car smell.

Buying used
Definitely the way to go. You can purchase practically new cars at auction and save thousands of dollars. You can even find incredible deals online or in your newspaper. The tricky part is researching a vehicle’s history and title to make sure you’re getting a good car. For around $25 you can order as many vehicle background checks as you want in a month. Go to Carfax Web site at www.carfax.com

Car maintenance
Most of us recognize that conscientious maintenance will extend the life of your car, help it operate more safely and efficiently, and preserve its appearance and value when it comes time to trade it in. Taking your car to a dealership for routine maintenance and a detail shop for cosmetic and restorative work is convenient, but can be expensive. Dealerships, in order to bolster departments which are not profitable, may increase prices to their service customers. Take your car to an automotive repair shop for less expensive routine service. Make sure any work done will not void your warranty. Here are some great tips from a clever dude:

Preventive measures can reduce the need for expensive maintenance procedures.

Especially for cars with fuel injection, buying poor quality gas can cause carbon buildup and loss of performance.

Keeping your tires inflated at the right pressure prolongs the life of your tires, gets better gas mileage, and provides optimum control and traction.

A walk-around inspection of your car daily can help you detect low tire pressure, rust spots and other signs of wear that, if treated early, can avert larger problems down the road.

By using less expensive but equally effective ingredients found around the home, you can prepare effective substitute cleaning products.

Sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda is an excellent material that can be mixed with water to remove tar, bug juice, tree sap, bird droppings and other organic material that can etch into the car’s paint. Commercial products can cost between $10.00 and $40.00 per container.

For stains on the interior surfaces of your car, try a solution of vinegar and water applied with a tooth brush. Turtle Wax Spray Cleaner costs about $7.00 a can; vinegar is about $1.79 a pint.

Periodically, your car will need a “tune up” which may cost up to $50.00 at a local garage and more at a dealership. Some cars are easier to work on than others, so it might be wise to peek under the hood to visually locate spark plugs, distributor, oil filter, air filter, fuel filter and PCV valve. To further explore the world of automobile repair and maintenance, buy a Chilton’s “Total Car Care Repair Manual” for your particular year and model. It is a comprehensive maintenance and repair reference for your car containing step-by-step instructions on most of the maintenance procedures done by dealerships and repair shops. What is best is that on Amazon, you can buy a used copy for $7.00, instead of $33.00 retail.

Under the hood, car maintenance includes replacing or replenishing oil, coolant, windshield fluids and checking for worn belts. You can still save money while keeping your hands clean by shopping for good deals and substituting homemade ingredients for more expensive commercial products.

Cheap oil change – Call your favorite shop and ask when the next special on oil changes will occur. Keep your eyes open for signs on the road advertising a special on oil changes. Know the going prices for this service and see if a local neighbor’s kid will do it for cheaper. You can save $5.00 to $10.00 per oil change compared to licensed dealers.

Homemade windshield washer fluid – All it takes to make windshield washer fluid is liquid detergent (1 tbsp), rubbing alcohol (3 cups), and water (1 gallon). Mix three cups of this solution in a gallon of water for the final product.

If your time is worth more than the $100.00 per hour you can expect to pay for maintenance and repairs, maybe rolling up your sleeves on a Saturday afternoon and getting familiar with your car is not appealing. For many of us, there is a real satisfaction to be experienced when we replace that burnt out headlamp, top off the coolant or brake fluid, or change our own oil.

Saving money can be "auto"matic when you just take a few minutes to do your car research!

CENTSerely,

Sister Thrifty

3/5/07 Newsletter

Last week I mentioned the vacuum rating done by Consumer Reports. They have just recently published their famous annual auto issue. The issue is considered one of the most reliable and thorough sources when reporting on which cars to buy and not to buy. Surprisingly, the least reliable of all cars this year is Mercedes. It has been moving slowly down the list, and this year the German automaker – with its 36 brands – is dead last. In fact, the report stated that a 10-year old Lexus is more reliable than a new Mercedes. Next to last was Land Rover, preceded by Hummer, Jaguar and Cadillac was fifth from the bottom. So, what are the most reliable brands? The top five are either Toyotas or Hondas. The No. 1 most reliable brand is Toyota, No. 2 is Honda, No. 3 is Scion, No. 4 is Acura and No. 5 is the Lexus. The cars that retain the most value over time are Toyotas and Hondas, so the cost is actually less than what it appears to be.

Citigroup, the country's biggest credit card issuer, has initiated two customer-friendly initiatives. You may have heard about credit card companies raising rates whenever they want for any reason. It may have even happened to you personally. Credit card terms of service usually include a clause saying the bank can do that anytime. Well, Citigroup, which now goes by Citi, is doing away with that practice. Secondly, the company is no longer going to use what's called "universal default" to boost your rate. Under a universal default clause, a company can jack up your interest rate significantly if your credit report shows any late payments. That means you could pay your electric bill a few days late and your credit card company increases your rate because that late payment is on your credit report. Citi is eliminating its universal default clause, which is great for the consumer. YAY!

The cruise industry is struggling these days. The industry just wants to cover the most basic expenses in what they charge you for the room. That's because the real money is made once you get on board. Shore excursions, drinking and gambling are just a few of the activities that will cost you much more on a cruise. But, with all the bad press of late, people aren't cruising. As a result, companies are heavily discounting cabin costs. Ten-night Caribbean cruises are as cheap as $75 a night, according to the Miami Herald. Ocean-view rooms are minimally more for ten-day and weeklong cruises. So, if you've never been on a cruise, this could be your chance. If you've never gone on a cruise and have minimal knowledge of the industry, you may want to pay a bit more and sit down with a cruise travel agent. If you've been before, have at it. To hear the good, bad and ugly about different cruise lines go to cruisecritic.com. To book travel and save money check out http://www.trinastravel.globaltravel.com/
And now, for some fun freebies:
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Free Pantene Texturize Shampoo and Conditioner sample



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Free Makeup Sponges and Cloths



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Ultra Downy Experientials Tahitian Waterfall or April Fresh Sample



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Have a great day!
CENTSerely,
Sister Thrifty