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Posted
Sep 28 2009, 04:42 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
The first car owned by Paul Van Lierop, the FiscalGeek, was a 1977 AMC Gremlin, presented to him for his 16th birthday. The year was 1989. If cars are a personal statement, it was a disaster.
"'Wayne's World' had not come out," Paul wrote. "AMC Gremlins, Pacers or Hornets were definitely not cool. I was actually laughed at by scores of kids the day I drove it into the parking lot of our high school."
Why would he now insist that his own kids' first cars will be equally used and unhip? He listed seven good reasons in a post called "Why my kids will drive a piece of crap." It's a fun read and also prompted many readers to reminisce about their first vehicles.
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Posted
May 20 2009, 02:59 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Get a Chrysler at half price? That unheard-of deal is being considered by a Chicagoland dealership, Automotive News reports. It's one of nearly 800 showrooms desperate to move inventory before Chrysler shuts them down next month.
That may be an extreme, but dealers are reportedly accepting deals at well below cost. As Windber, Pa., Dodge dealer Keith Hollern told The Associated Press, "Want to buy one? We're having a fire sale." Come on down.
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Posted
Dec 04 2008, 05:19 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Quartermain, Cathryn Sykes' trusty 1994 GMC Safari van, recently reached a big milestone -- 250,000 miles on the odometer, with the original engine and transmission, no less. She paid $9,000 in cash for him 11 years ago and has treated him with loving care. In return, he's dependably hauled hay, plywood and a miniature horse, plus occasionally pulled a horse trailer. What's not to love, she explains in an ode to her used van at Money to Spare. (Her dedication to her vehicle, "Quart" for short, reminds us of Miss Thrifty's regard for the fabulous Thriftymobile.)
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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 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
Aug 20 2008, 03:00 PM
by
Ryan MacClanathan
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes
from Joe Benton at partner blog ConsumerAffairs.com.
With sales down 18
percent so far this year, General Motors is offering automotive consumers deep
price cuts in a late summer effort to unload its remaining 2008 inventory.
The automaker will offer prices
usually reserved for company employees along with cash discounts of as
much as $4,000 on most 2008 and some 2009 models.
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Posted
Jul 17 2008, 01:58 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from James R. Hood at partner blog ConsumerAffairs.com.  Almost exactly two years ago, with gas well under $3, we had the opportunity to test drive a Toyota Prius and a Camry. Toyota turned aside our request for a Corolla, insisting that the Camry was the car most comparable to the Prius.
Well, maybe so. But we've always thought that many families who need to save big bucks on their transportation costs -- as opposed to those who just want to be the first on their block to drive around on top of a battery -- should take a close look at the Corolla and similar cars before plopping down big bucks on the Prius.
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Posted
May 07 2008, 10:07 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Buying a large SUV or pickup for twice-a-year trips to Home Depot or ski weekends makes little financial sense. Poster Doc Ricketts offers his take on what drivers really need when they buy their next vehicle:
First, adequate seating. This is the number of seats needed for regular use.
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