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Posted
Sep 30 2008, 12:53 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
"Frugal Babe" knows how to get the most from a car. Her 1991 Honda Civic has 214,000 miles and is still going strong. Her husband's 1990 Audi has 110,000 miles. If one of the vehicles dies, they'll become a one-car family. So when a reader complained that her parents are trying to force her a buy a brand new, "safer" car to replace a paid-off Subaru, Frugal Babe was ready with advice. Part of it came in the form of a question: How many people "on the interstate driving 80 mph, talking on the phone, 15 feet behind the car in front of them, bought their new car because of the safety features?" Or, allow us to paraphrase: Are you really making a frugal choice if you buy a huge vehicle for safety reasons and you figure that allows you to drive like a jerk?
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Posted
Sep 25 2008, 12:56 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from Truman Lewis at partner blog ConsumerAffairs.com. The credit crisis and record high gas prices have teamed up to drive the world's largest Chevrolet dealer out of business. Bill Heard Enterprises is closing all 13 of its stores today, the company told its local managers on Wednesday. Insiders said the company notified the stores' general managers of the closing at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Automotive News reported. It closed a store in Arizona earlier this month.
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Posted
Sep 09 2008, 12:10 PM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Las Vegas car dealer Dan Towbin got smart, as it were, and closed his Hummer dealership. Now he's going to sell Europe's ubiquitous and tiny Smart car. It's due to America's collective decision that smaller is better when it comes to vehicles. The super-sized Hummer is "yesterday's fashion statement ... sort of the automotive equivalent to Hula-Hoops," Sheldon Sandler, an investment banker who specializes in dealerships, told The Wall Street Journal's Deal Journal.
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Posted
Sep 05 2008, 04:17 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
There's an interesting debate going on at Prime Time Money about whether it's smarter to buy a new or used car. Right now, used seems to be winning. What do you think? Before you jump in, read the exchange between "PT" and contributor "J." It's instructional and highly amusing. PT also gives great tips to use whether you're buying a new or used car. Here's a serious part, with J arguing for a new car: PRO (J): Interest rate of 1.9%.
CON (PT): The rate may be low but your monthly payment is almost certainly going to be much higher. Not to mention off-the-lot depreciation. That's money you could be using for retirement savings or your kid's education.
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Posted
Sep 03 2008, 02:12 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Better gas mileage can be had from what used to be standard in cars -- the manual transmission, or stick shift. But how many drivers know how to use one these days?
It's a lost art, but a very efficient one. For its October issue, Consumer Reports bought two versions of seven different cars -- ranging from a $15,800 Scion to a $24,000 Mini Cooper -- and found a gain of 2 to 5 mpg with a standard versus automatic transmission in the same model.
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Posted
Aug 28 2008, 02:50 PM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
The blogger who brought us a blow-by-blow description of how to make a month's worth of lunches in 25 minutes now tackles another great do-it-yourself project: how to change the oil in your vehicle. OK, the post about a 23-day supply of PBJ sandwiches was funny. Mike's oil-change post at Clever Dude is the real deal for those who want to cut spending by tackling routine chores they now outsource. After your initial purchase of equipment, he estimates how long it will take before you begin saving money.
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Posted
Aug 21 2008, 10:34 PM
by
Ryan MacClanathan
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Every driver dreads funny noises coming from their car -- the squealing, the
knocks, the grinding, the groans. Those are the sounds of your car saying
"prepare to empty the contents of your wallet."
Unless you're handy with a wrench, car repairs mean big headaches and big
bills. And then there are those shady mechanics to watch out for. Sometimes taking
the bus doesn't sound too bad.
If you're not ready to ditch your car just yet, Five Cent Nickel has
a helpful post on how to find a
good mechanic -- the kind that doesn't rip you off.
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Posted
Aug 12 2008, 03:30 PM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from Joe Benton at partner blog ConsumerAffairs.com. The owners of millions of Ford cars and trucks could be driving vehicles still equipped with a faulty cruise-control switch that can start a fire under the hood even when the vehicle is parked and the ignition is turned off. As of July 31, in its most recent report to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Ford Motor Co. said about 4.8 million of the more than 10 million recalled vehicles are now repaired. Some vehicles were included in more than one recall, making it hard to calculate precise numbers.
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Posted
Aug 01 2008, 01:24 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This guest post comes from ConsumerReports.org. With elevated gas prices, many commuters are looking at alternatives to save money. Some people are opting to downsize their vehicle to a smaller, more fuel-efficient car, others are moving to two-wheeled transportation like motorcycles and scooters, and many other commuters are choosing to forfeit the car and take public transportation. However, for those who can't change their means of transportation or don't have access to public transit, a car pool can be a great way to save money by sharing gas and toll costs, providing driving companionship, and, when you alternate driving, saving wear and tear on your car. To gauge the impact gasoline prices have had on American motorists, the Consumer Reports National Research Center recently conducted a random, nationwide Auto Pulse survey.
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Posted
Jul 31 2008, 07:06 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
"Brainy Smurf" at Pants in a Can isn't unhappy to see car leasing apparently going the way of the dinosaur. In fact, he's practically gloating. After seeing an NBC News report on the Big Three automakers' moves to discourage or totally eliminate leasing, he wrote: "Only being able to drive something that you can actually afford? "How dare they!" he added, snarkily.
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