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Posted
Jul 10 2009, 05:26 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
When an ever-vigilant MSN Money editor alerted us to a story about how hybrid cars can save you money, our immediate thought was, Say what?
In fact, we had a post here this week from our friend Jim Wang of Bargaineering, who called the decision to buy a Prius an "emotional" one. Jim compared the purchase price of Toyota's popular hybrid with the Smart Fortwo. The Prius gets slightly better gas mileage but costs $22,000 or more. The price of the tiny Fortwo is $10,000 less.
However, the Prius wins the frugality race hands down depending on what cars you compare it with and what car expenses you consider, says a story at MarketWatch called "Study shows significant savings in alt-fuel cars." This is worth reading, and so is the study (.pdf file).
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Posted
Aug 17 2009, 12:46 PM
by
Teresa Mears
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Do you ever wonder if your auto mechanic is charging too much?
You can get a second opinion for free. RepairPal provides free price quotes on repairs to most cars, customized by ZIP code. The quotes are created using a complex database that draws from a number of sources, including expert mechanics hired by RepairPal to analyze the data. You can access RepairPal on your computer or get the freeiPhone app.
Even if you're lucky enough to find a neighborhood mechanic you trust, it never hurts to double-check the price quote. And, if you want to work non-urgent repairs into your budget, you can research the cost ahead of time. For example, the new timing belt I'm going to need soon for my 1999 Honda CR-V should cost $285 to $368 in my area, according to RepairPal.
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Posted
May 23 2008, 08:42 AM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Recently I used a coupon to get a $17.95 oil change and tire rotation at a local auto-repair chain. Along with the bill came -- surprise! -- a warning that more work was needed. They suggested a tune-up plus a flush of both the coolant and brake fluids because the former was "dirty" and the latter was "dark and dirty." Horrors.
This may have sounded like a scam -- come in for cheap work, pay for additional work -- but I believed them. It's been a long time since those chores were done. I'm not sure how long. According to an MSN Money article, I should have been keeping a service log instead of (usually) tossing receipts into a folder. Oops.
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Posted
Apr 02 2009, 12:41 PM
by
Joan Melcher
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
If you’re like us, you get a sinking feeling when the auto mechanic returns from under your car’s hood with that look.
We got the look a few weeks ago after taking our ailing 1997 Volkswagen Jetta in for repairs. The mechanic was sympathetic because he was about to tell us our car needed more than a thousand bucks worth of rehab.
We went through the list. The first thing that caught our attention was replacing the throttle -- at a cost of about $500; $460 of that was for the part. We asked the mechanic if he’d be willing to put in a part that we supplied. He said he would, but only if it was new.
That was all we needed.
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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
May 15 2009, 03:08 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
You've probably heard that 1,100 General Motors dealerships got word today that their contracts will not be renewed in October 2010. Earlier this week, Chrysler announced that almost 800 of its dealerships will close next month.
What if the dealership you do business with is among them? What should you do?
Here's some guidance we found from car bloggers and others:
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Posted
Jan 02 2008, 04:49 AM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Frankly, auto maintenance has always scared me. All I've ever "fixed" are wiper blades, headlights and taillights. The extent of my under-the-hood knowledge is how to check and top off oil, antifreeze and windshield washer fluid. I've never changed my own oil because I didn't want to deal with the waste material.
That's why I recently found myself using an Entertainment Book coupon to get a lube, oil and filter service for $15.88. When I paid, the counter guy said my battery was on its way out. A replacement would retail for about $119.99, but he could get me one for $89.99.
I know less about cars than about doing my own taxes. Still, that seemed a little high. Maybe I could do better on my own -- but that would mean installing it myself.
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Posted
Apr 28 2009, 07:15 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Patrick at Cash Money Life used to be an Air Force aircraft mechanic, so changing the oil in his car is no challenge. But he won't. The convenience of having someone else do it is worth the added expense, he says.
To some of his readers, his approach bordered on heresy. There's a clear divide between those who change their own oil and those who don't.
"Done right. Known materials. Saves times. ... Simple, and can check things myself," reader Daron, a DIY guy, wrote in a comment about Patrick's post.
Reid added, "I care about my car. The ‘mechanic' might not."
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Posted
Sep 11 2008, 10:33 AM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from Joseph S. Enoch at partner blog ConsumerAffairs.com. A report released today by consumer advocates says vehicles that passed the national roof- crush standard generally performed poorly in real-life rollover tests and that in many cases any passengers would likely have been killed or paralyzed in those tests. The Center for Injury Research at George Washington University tested six vehicles sold in the U.S. on the Jordan Rollover System, a dynamic test that subjects vehicles to repeatable real-world conditions. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration relies on a static test in which a crusher slowly applies a metal plate to a corner of the roof. A vehicle must withstand 1.5 times its own weight, applied by the static crusher, without caving in five or more inches.
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Posted
Nov 23 2007, 06:51 AM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from Paul Michael at partner blog Wise Bread . My wife's car had a ding in the door that was bugging me, and as a frugal shopper I wondered if folks smarter than me have figured out a cheap way to repair dents. Good news: They have. After doing a lot of Web browsing, I found many ways. But I don't have the cash for my own electromagnet, or the skills to do paintless dent repair. I wanted a quick, cheap, 10-minutes-or-less solution. I found two. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the two-minute body shop. (If you want to repair scratches, I have more tips for those here .) Remove a dent with dry ice. You can find dry ice in many places, including your local grocery store. It's cheap -- about $2 or less for a pound and even cheaper if you buy it in bulk online. All you do is touch the dry ice to the dent for a few seconds and repeat the process until the dent is gone. Wear dry-ice gloves. Here's the how-to video I found . Remove a dent with a hairdryer and an air duster. I like
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