Cash for Clunkers, the government sponsored trade-in rebate program, got an extension on Thursday when the U.S. Senate voted to add 2 billion dollars in additional funding, like the U.S. House of Representatives had done a week earlier. This will extend the program until Labor Day, according to estimates.

The Cash for Clunkers Program was quickly using up the initial 1 billion dollar appropriation, to the surprise of many, and to the delight of automobile dealers across the country. The program was actually stopped for a day or so, until the government said they intended to extend it with the additional funding.

While I personally will not be taking part in the program as I am happy to keep my “clunker” for a few more years, I don’t blame anyone for doing so.

It’s certainly a great deal for auto dealers, who are seeing stronger auto sales than they have seen in many, many months. But this will certainly decrease when the program ends, as many people who are taking advantage of the CARS Program now may have purchased a vehicle in the next few months if the program didn’t exist.

The problem, as I see it, is that many people are trading in a “paid for” car that still runs for a new car with a car note. While $4500 off the sticker price is a good deal, taking on a new car note for 3 years or so may not be for many people, especially in this economy.

And we all know where the money is coming from- that’s right, the taxpayers. Someone will eventually have to pay for it, if not now, sometime in the future. Just like the stimulus checks, most people don’t refuse free money when it is offered to them.

I just wish the government would let me keep more of my taxes and let me spend it if and how I want.

Do you think adding another 2 Billion to the Cash for Clunkers Program, is good or bad?

Photo by Infrogmation of New Orleans

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President Obama just signed the Car Allowance Rebate System (C.A.R.S.) or Cash for Clunkers Program, a rebate program intended to make the U.S. auto fleet more fuel efficient by giving a credit of up to $4500 (the credit is generally $3500 or $4500, depending on the type of vehicle you trade in and how much more fuel efficient the new vehicle is) to consumers for trading in older gas-guzzlers for new, more fuel efficient vehicles.

What qualifies as a clunker?

• Must be a drivable vehicle, produced in the last 25 years

• The car must get 18 miles a gallon or less.

• It must be a registered vehicle, and have been insured for the past year. (To eliminate people buying junk yard cards to trade in.)

How much is the rebate and what are the other rules?

• For passenger cars, the new vehicle must get 22 mpg to qualify, and the consumer would get $3500 in the new vehicle’s mileage is 4 miles more per gallon, and $4500 if it is 10 more miles per gallon than their old vehicle.
• For light trucks and SUV’s, the new vehicle must get 18 mpg, and the consumer would be $3500 for a 2 mpg gallon increase and $4500 for an increase of 4 mpg or more.
• Price of new vehicle cannot exceed $45,000
• It can be used for the purchase or lease of a new vehicle, provided the lease period is at least five years.


Additional details:
The new vehicle must also achieve minimum combined fuel economy levels. For passenger automobiles, the new vehicle must have a combined fuel economy value of at least 22 miles per gallon. For category 1 trucks, the new vehicle must have a combined fuel economy value of at least 18 miles per gallon. For category 2 trucks, the new vehicle must have a combined fuel economy value of at least 15 miles per gallon.( A category 1 truck is a nonpassenger automobile. This category includes sport utility vehicles (SUVs), small and medium pickup trucks and small and medium passenger and cargo vans. A category 2 truck is a large van or a large pickup truck, based upon the length of the wheelbase (more than 115 inches for pickup trucks and more than 124 inches for vans). Note: some pickup trucks and cargo vans exceeding these thresholds are treated as category 3 trucks instead of category 2 trucks. A category 3 truck is a work truck and is rated between 8,500 and 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight. This category includes very large pickup trucks (those with cargo beds 72 inches or more in length) and very large cargo vans.)

The value of the credit for the purchase or lease of a new passenger car depends upon the difference between the combined fuel economy of the vehicle that is traded in and that of the new vehicle that is purchased or leased. If the new vehicle has a combined fuel economy that is at least 4, but less than 10, miles per gallon higher than the traded-in vehicle, the credit is $3,500. If the new vehicle has a combined fuel economy value that is at least 10 miles per gallon higher than the traded-in vehicle, the credit is $4,500.

Will it work?

The program is getting mixed reviews, to say the least. It is limited to $1 billion in total rebates, which sounds like a lot, but will have a limited impact. It also extends only to November 1, so it will be a limited time frame as well. Another popular criticism is based on the fact that consumers who are driving a car worth less than $4500 will likely not be able to afford the sticker price on a brand new car.

For more information visit the official government  C.A.R.S. site (It will be updated regularly as well.)

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My car is 7 years old, but I have only had a few significant problems with it over its lifespan so far. Until last weekend, that is.

I experienced a  situation last weekend that people who leave in warm climates dread.

My air-conditioner  stopped working in my car.

With two small children, and temperatures reaching 95+ degrees in mid-June, not getting it fixed was not a viable option.

Although several knowledgeable people I know told me to expect a repair bill in the $1500 to $2000 range if I needed a new compressor and other major air-conditioning components, the repair ended up costing me about $1000. (It doesn’t seem right feeling lucky when you have to spend $1000, but I do)

I have a mechanic that I have been using for several years, who, based on my slightly above-basic  knowledge of car repair, only fixes what needs to be fixed, and charges me what I consider to be a fair price. So going in, I knew he was going to fix what needed to be fixed, and that it would be at a fair price for the work being performed.

So how to you find a good, trustworthy auto mechanic?

If you have an older car, one that is out of warranty, one of the smartest things you can do is find a good, fair mechanic or auto repair shop. The best way to find a good mechanic or repair shop that you can trust and will give you a fair price on repairs, in my opinion, is word of mouth.

Talk with your friends, co-workers, and family members to find out who they use for car repairs, and consider trying them out.

Several things to consider when getting advice on local mechanics and repair shops from someone, include the following:

Do they use a dealership exclusively?- Dealerships are fine if your car is under warranty, and many of them will do great work, but you are probably not going to find the best price at a dealership, in my opinion. There could be other reasons, such as convenience, but I would use a dealership as a last resort, for non-warranty work.

How old is their car?- This is somewhat related to the first question, but if they have a relatively new car, they may not have had to get much repaired on their car yet, or they could be using a dealership because the car is under warranty. If they always drive newer cars, they may not have much experience or knowledge regarding car repair.

Consider the source- Is the person knowledgeable about cars and auto repair? The more they know, the more likely it is that they know what a fair price is, and whether or not the repair was totally necessary. Someone who rarely opens the hood of their car may not know if they are getting a good deal or not.

Be sure to check out a mechanics reputation, by checking with the Better Business Bureau, if applicable, and by searching the internet for and information or feedback from previous customers that you can find.

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When I was in my teens and early twenties, I used to always change the oil on my car myself. I guess I learned how to do it from my older brother, who was several years older than me and into cars. As I grew older, however, I got away from “doing it myself” and usually paid to have my engine oil changed on my vehicles or vehicle, figuring my time was better spent on other things, and telling myself I could afford it.

A year or so ago, I decided to start putting synthetic motor oil in my vehicles. Both my wife’s car and mine were getting in the 5+ yr. old range, and, having read up on making your car last longer through regular maintenance and taking good care of them, I decided synthetic motor oil was a good choice for our older vehicles.

The problem was, although I could get a regular oil change for $15 to $20 (depending on the deal going on or whether I had a coupon), there were not many deals on synthetic oil changes, and most were $50+ in my area. I felt like that was a little too pricey for me, even though a car can go a good bit longer between changes than with conventional motor oil.

So what did I do?
I decided, after probably a 10 year hiatus, to start changing my oil myself. For around $25 +/- each, instead of $50, I could change the oil in my vehicles myself and make sure I did a proper job (after reading and hearing first hand some of the horror stories about quick lube places, as well-and I am not picking on Jiffy Lube specifically here), as well as use high quality synthetic oil and filters, which should make my cars last a little longer.

Is it a little extra work? Sure. But sometimes, both the monetary savings and knowing something is done correctly, or to your satisfaction, is worth spending a little bit of your own time learning and doing yourself. Learning new skills or how to perform new tasks, such as making things from scratch, performing  maintenance, cooking, cleaning, painting, yard work, or other routine tasks may not always seem like they save you a whole lot of money. But you know the task or job is performed to your standards, and that is definitely worth something in this day and age.

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I had one of those shopping experiences that I really don’t look forward to last weekend.

I had to buy new tires for my wife’s SUV. Tires for a car or truck are not cheap, so I wanted to find the best deal I could. The back tires were fairly old, and the front ones were getting worn, so it was really time to replace all 4. Often in the past, I have replaced only two at a time, so this time it was going to cost more than normal.

Since I knew this was going to cost a good bit of money, I wanted to try and find the best deal I could by shopping around and comparing prices. With tire prices varying so greatly, depending on the brand, model, and size, initially it looked like I could spend from $90 to $150 per tire. Ouch!

You definitely need to comparison shop to find the best deal when replacing tires:

Know your size, and shop online and call around

Knowing your car or truck’s tire size will help here. You can usually find it on the sidewall, but it is probably a good idea to check the sticker on the inside of the door (usually driver’s side) to make sure you or someone else has not put slightly different sized tires on than what was recommended by the manufacturer.
At some places, you will be able to check availability and pricing online, and you can call others to save yourself a trip and allowing you to do some quick cost comparisons.

Check out Warehouse clubs

Warehouse clubs such as Sam’s Club or Costco are good places to start for finding good prices on tires. I don’t have a Costco near me, so I was not able to take advantage of their good tire prices,  but I do have a Sam’s Club.  I checked the tire stock at my local Sam’s club online, to look at the prices, and it looked like the cheapest there was going to be about $80/tire, but I would have to order them and wait for them to be delivered to my local store.

Check chain tire shops, like Goodyear or Firestone, and smaller, local shops as well

Don’t just assume that the large warehouse clubs will have the best deal, because you never know if a chain tire shop or a local independent shop may have a special running, or have a sale or other discount on the tires you are looking for. Places like Goodyear often have sales and rebates, so you may end up getting a pretty good deal here as well.

Where did I find the best price for tires?

Even though they did not show up online, I decided to swing by my local Walmart to see what they had available. To my pleasant surprise, they had some Goodyear tires for about $65 per tire, or about $25 to $30 cheaper than I had found anywhere else. Since I got there right before they opened, I only had to wait about 1 hour to get them installed, and I was ready to go.

Tires can wear out very quickly if you do not maintain them and take care of them. You want to take the steps necessary so you are not replacing 50,000 mile tires ever 20,000 miles.

Properly maintaining your tires and making them last as long as possible

• Rotate your tires regularly- the standard here is every 6 months or 5 to 6,000 miles, whichever comes first

• Make sure your tires are balanced

• Keep your tires properly inflated

• Get your front end aligned- If your car’s front end is not aligned properly, it can cause uneven wear on the tires, causing their lifespan to be greatly reduced.

Image by S. Witherden

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I had my first sighting of a gallon of gas under $2.00 this morning on the way to work. It was $1.99 in the morning, and on my way home it had dropped to $1.95. If you had told me 5 or 6 months ago it would be under $2.00 now, I would not have believed you. Overall I am glad to see gas prices fall since people who have to drive a lot for work or other reasons and were struggling with the ridiculously high prices will keep a little more money in their pocket, and it also means lower heating costs for people up North who use heating oil during the winter.

But I am wondering if the plummet of gas prices is also partially due to the continued weakening of the economy. While I believe people are still conserving fuel due to the high prices over the last couple of years, I cannot help believe some of it is due to:

• People driving less because they lost their jobs
• Less commercial transportation (trucking, etc.) due to less retail spending
• Less flying

There are probably many other effects of the weakened economy that are influencing the slide of oil prices, and there are probably some other forces (such as the strengthening of the dollar over the last few months) that influencing the price as well.

Besides being an indicator of a bad economy, the falling prices could also probably cause a decrease in oil exploration, and production, causing a loss of jobs in the energy sector, and cause stock prices of energy sector companies to drag on the stock market as well. Will it also reduce the immediate need to explore alternative energy development? I don’t know, but I imagine it could.

What do you think of plummeting gas prices, both for you personally and for the economy as a whole?

Photo by zepfanman

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Even though gas prices have dropped some from their all time high a few months ago, they have not dropped very significantly, and may not anytime in the future due to the recent rise in the price of oil.
Saving money on gas can still help you save money, and its a good thing to do. But in the past year or so, I have heard many gas saving tips that sound fairly suspect, such as devices that you hook to your engine and a bunch of other tips that may or may not help you save money on gas. Here are some tips that actually do work, and ways to save on gas, and a few fuel saving “myths” that won’t really help you.

Facts-

Drive More Efficiently- Tips such as don’t speed, and don’t let the car idle can keep your mpg’s as high as possible.

Check your Air Pressure- Keeping your tires properly inflated can increase your gas mileage, at least a little.

Cash Back or Gas Card- Many cash back credit cards and gas credit cards can pay you up to 3% back, some even higher for an introductory time period. Consider using one when filling up.

Look for the best deals- Find the cheapest gas prices using Gasbuddy.com or Mapquest Gas Prices.

Fiction-

Fill up in morning or certain time of day- the temperature of gas in an underground tank doesn’t vary a whole lot, so you do not get more liquid gasoline (I guess the theory is that is if it is hotter there will be more vapors) by filling up early in the morning.

Roll down the windows instead of using the A/C- Once you hit 30 to 35 mph, with most cars, you actually lose fuel efficiency with the windows down, as it creates more drag. I don’t know about you, but most of the year I cannot drive around anyway without the A/C unless I want to be sweating when I reach my destination. So unless you are cruising around at 15-20 mph, feel free to use the A/C.

Replace your air filter- While your car may not run as smooth with a dirty air filter, the computer controlled fuel injection can adjust the amount of fuel needed, so a clean air filter will not help you save any. While its good to replace a filter that is dirty, don’t expect your mpg to go up.

Use premium fuel for better mileage- When you factor in the added cost of premium, almost all cars (unless the owner’s manual specifically says to use premium) get just as good mileage with regular than with premium gas.

Hooking up a gas saving “gadget” to your car- As much as we all would love to have something that we could hook to our car’s engine, according to a test by Popular Mechanics, none of more popular ones have been proven to work.

Image by karindalziel

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I am very fortunate to have pretty short commute to work, a little less than 3 miles each way. I basically live and work in the suburbs, although I am just a few miles outside of the city limits. This allows me to get to work and back in about 10 minutes each way, sometimes less depending on the traffic. But with all of the talk about “gas guzzlers”, and trucks and SUV’s being part of the “oil crisis” problem in this country, I got to thinking about whether these big vehicles with relatively poor gas mileage are the biggest part of the problem, or does the length of a person’s commute have something to do with it? In a lot of cities, it is pretty common to have a round trip commute of 50-60 miles (25 to 30 miles each way).

So how does lower fuel efficiency compare to the distance we drive?

If I drive 6 miles a day at 20 mpg and someone else drives 60 miles at 40mpg, what is the fuel and cost comparison? Using my commute as an example, compared to a longer commute.

6 miles/20MPG = 0.3 gallons x $4/gal = $1.20

60 miles/40 MPG = 1.5 gallons x $4/gal = $6.00

So someone who lives 30 miles away burns 5 x as much gas as I would, even if their car gets twice as many miles per gallon.

So should someone who chooses to drive a gas guzzler but only uses 1/3 of a gallon a day be blamed and vilified as part of the problem, when someone else in their fuel efficient car uses 5 times as much gas a day?

It is definitely something to think about. Life is about choices. One person may choose to live in the suburbs, someone else may choose to live in the city. You have certain reasons that you might hold as important for doing so, such as cost of living, better schools, etc. Someone else may like to live close to work so they don’t spend 2 hours a day driving. Sometimes it is about money, sometimes not. But I definitely think that the suburbanization of America is probably at least as responsible for our addiction to gas an oil in this country, and our subsequent problems.

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I recently received a letter in the mail from a professional organization I belong to, telling me that if I signed up with GEICO for my car insurance, I would be eligible for a discount of up to 8% on my car insurance premiums.
Wait a minute, I already have my car insurance through GEICO! How did I miss this extra discount?

I am not sure how I missed this in the past, but apparently there are well over 100 “partnering organizations”, which, if you are a member of one, you may be eligible for a discount of up to 8% as well.

There are categories of partnering organizations, including:
Accounting Organizations
Alumni Associations
Attorney Organizations
Credit Unions
Educational Organizations
Engineering Organizations
Federal Organizations
Financial Organizations
Medical Organizations
Military Organizations
Professional Development Organizations
Scientific Organizations
Student Organizations
Technical Organizations
Other Organizations
That’s just the list of categories, it appears there are over 200 groups which are listed.

Check out the full list of Partnering Organizations to find out if you belong to a group eligible for a discount.

Looking around the GEICO website, there are several other discounts available that you want to make sure you are getting if they are your insurance company. Check out the main GEICO discount page .

There are other companies, such as most cell phone companies, which offer discounts if you work for a certain company or are a member of a certain group. Are you getting all of the discounts you are eligible for?

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 Finding cheap gas prices is no longer only for the frugal-minded among us, it is now becoming a necessity for everyone. It seems like prices have gone up $0.10 to $0.15 per week for the last few weeks.  The more you drive, the more you spend on gas, and the more important it is to find the lowest price possible. Even though I travel the same route to work everyday, I often find myself driving around town, and of course, I notice when a certain gas station has lower gasoline prices than others, and of course, I always seem to see a lower price right after I fill up! With prices changing so frequently, it is hard to find the station that is the lowest. Some change their prices at different times of the day, and even though you may go to a station that is usually the lowest, it may not be the lowest the time you go there. Even a difference of a few cents per gallon can add up of a period of time. I have used one of these websites in the past,  Gasbuddy, to look up prices, but the other,  Mapquest Gas Prices,  is new to me.

 Gasbuddy: Allows you to search by city, state, or zip and brings up list of the cheapest prices in your area. Gasbuddy also gives you an overview of historical prices, trends, and includes Canada as well.

Mapquest Gas Prices: Allows you to type in an address, intersection, or zip-code, and pull up the gas stations with the lowest prices in that area, all on the same map. Additional features include a gas price calculator, browsing by city and state, and alternative fuels such a E85 and bio-diesel. The map feature on mapquest is great, and it seems as though it would be very useful when travelling or on a trip.

While I like being able to see multiple stations on Mapquest Gas Prices, both sites are quite useful for finding cheap gasoline in your area or on the road.

image by a siegel

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 One of the problems of being unorganized is that it can frequently cost you money. Yesterday, on the way home from work, I noticed flashing lights in my rear-view mirror. I pulled over, and while I was waiting for the police officer to walk up to my vehicle, I wondered what I had been pulled over for. I had just pulled away from a red light, so I wasn’t speeding, had my seat-belt on, and really couldn’t think of what I had done. When the officer approached, he asked my if my registration was current, and I told him that I though so. He told me the registration sticker on my license plate expired in 2007. When I reached in to the glove compartment to retrieve my registration (which was obviously expired), I grabbed my insurance card, and I suddenly felt panicked. My insurance card expired a week ago! Now, I pay my insurance online, and knew I was current, but in Louisiana you must have proof of current insurance in your vehicle, or you can get a ticket or even towed. Oh Boy……

The police officer explained what could happen-my car could be towed, according to him (although I believe it is rare-they usually take your license plate, which is pretty bad as well) and then went back to his vehicle.  He returned a short while later, and told me that as a favor he had called my insurance company, Geico, (the phone # was on my expired insurance card) and confirmed I had coverage. He then presented me with a ticket for the expired registration, and strongly suggested I put my new insurance card in the vehicle and get my registration renewed. So, I guess I  did end up getting a little lucky by only getting one ticket.

However, all of this was entirely avoidable if I had paid the renewal, which I had received in the mail, when I received it in Dec. 2007. I am now looking at an additional $100 to $150 because I procrastinated, and then misplaced the bill due to my being unorganized. The irony of it all is that I have been working on organizing my bills and finances, and have been pretty good at paying them fairly soon after I receive them, but apparently my past caught up with me.

Photo by conner395

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Even though my commute is only 3 miles one way to work, I do drive quite a bit on the weekends, and frequently take longer trips.  My wife does quite a bit of driving throughout the week as well. With the price of a gallon of gas having risen to about $3.10/gal. in my part of the country, I have been trying to adjust my driving habits to increase my mpg’s. Here are a few tips to remind you how to drive more efficiently and increase your gas mileage.

1. Combine errands- Instead of running 3 or 4 errands on the weekend, try to
   take care of everything in one trip. This can actually help you plan your shopping better as well.
2.  Make it a habit to pick things up, if possible, on the way home from work or when you are already out. Make a list to remember things you need, or call your spouse to see if you need to pick anything up.
3.  Go inside, don’t use the drive-thru- At the bank, fast food places, etc., you can frequently spend 10 minutes or longer in a drive-thru line.  When you idle you get 0 miles per gallon-Try not to idle (except at a stop light) for more than 20 to 30 seconds.
4.  If possible, avoid stop and go traffic-Consider altering your normal route (depending on how much longer it may be.) to avoid lost of stopping and starting.
5.  Accelerate slowly-Even acceleration and braking is the key to maximum fuel efficiency.
6. Use cruise control while on the highway.
7. Consider adopting the safe hypermiling techniques (I would consider some of these -such as drafting behind an 18-wheeler truck-to be dangerous) But coasting well in advance of a red light when there is no one behind you, driving slower when there is no traffic, etc. are quite OK and can boost your gas mileage.)
8. If your car actually runs better on a higher octane gas (mine does) consider try filling up 1/2 with higher octane and 1/2 with the lower octane to see if helps.
9. Keep your trunk empty-Carrying extra weight will decrease your gas mileage.
10.  Inflate your tires to the recommended psi-This can usually be found on a sticker on your vehicle’s door jam.

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