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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
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
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
Jan 16 2009, 12:06 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from partner blog ConsumerAffairs.com.
Congress will consider the incoming Obama administration's request for an $850 billion stimulus package. Within that package, says the Consumer Federation of America, there should be an incentive for Americans to buy new cars.
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Posted
Jan 08 2009, 04:06 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Vehicle repo men were in overdrive last year, picking up a record 1.67 million cars and trucks.
According to Automotive News, that figure is from Tom Webb, chief economist at Manheim Consulting, and represents a 12% increase over 2007.
In the only bright note in this story, Webb expects an overall increase of only 5% for all of 2009, with an actual decrease in repos coming in the second six months of the year.
Other factlets from the story:
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Posted
Dec 19 2008, 05:59 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Filed under: spending, savings, The Simple Dollar, car models, gas prices, prices, cars, used cars, gas mileage, car loans, car shopping
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from Trent Hamm at partner blog The Simple Dollar. In just a few short months, the price of gas at the station I regularly use has dropped from $4.09 per gallon to $1.49 per gallon -- an absolutely amazing drop. Not long ago, I spent $82 filling up my truck (which has a 20-gallon tank). The other day, I filled the tank for under $30. From a strict personal-finance perspective (and ignoring the larger global economic concerns) this is fantastic news for most people. If you have to fill a typical car tank each week (12 gallons), the price change is saving you somewhere on the order of $30 a week. That's $120 a month, an amount that can really help with debt repayment, saving for a down payment, or preparing for retirement. This shift in gas prices comes at an interesting time for me and my family. My wife and I have been carefully studying potential automobile purchases, and our calculations had led us to focus on automobiles that are efficient with their fuel. Using our numbers, assuming a $4 to $5 gallon of gas going forward, fuel efficiency was so valuable that it often trumped a higher price at the dealership.
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Posted
Dec 16 2008, 08:16 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This guest post comes from Mr. ToughMoneyLove at Tough Money Love. The holiday season is known for joyous celebrations with extended family members who may not see each other often. At least they are supposed to be joyous celebrations. Unfortunately, these holiday get-togethers are often catalysts for the emergence of dysfunctional behaviors that plague some families. There is something about the emotions and stresses associated with the Christmas season that can bring out both the best and worst of certain people in our lives. Money can be a hot-button issue in families at any time and particularly at Christmas gatherings, where the haves and have-nots perhaps can be identified by levels of gift giving. If your husband gives you dangly diamond earrings and your sister gets a new hair dryer, the green-eyed money envy monster can get unleashed in a hurry.
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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
Jun 04 2008, 03:52 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
"Frugal Dad" has some great advice for buying your teen's first vehicle, and it starts with this: Don't buy your kid a new car. "Some out there hock their own financial futures to put their prince or princess in a brand new car, and pay for it long into their college years," Frugal Dad writes. "Not only is this harmful to the parents' financial plan, it sends a bad message to teenagers." Need we say more about encouraging a sense of entitlement?
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