How To Find A Used ElliptiGO For Sale

Why Look For A Used ElliptiGO For Sale?

How to Find a Used ElliptiGO For Sale
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Today's Bike Deals on eBay!

As with other types of exercise equipment, people may buy an ElliptiGO and then do not use it much as they planned.  If you are looking to buy an ElliptiGO, this presents an opportunity.  If you can find a lightly used ElliptiGO for sale, you could save about $500 by buying a used ElliptiGO instead of a new ElliptiGO.

If you plan to look for used ElliptiGOs for sale, you should go though the process of deciding which model you want.  The models to choose from are:

• ElliptiGO 3C.  This model has 3 gears.  Good for relatively flat terrain.  New price: $1,799
• ElliptiGO 8C.  This model has 8 gears.  You'll want 8C or 11R for hill climbing.  New price: $2,499
• ElliptiGO 11R  This lightweight performance model has 11 gears and is suitable for hill climbing.  New price: $3,499

If you are buying a used ElliptiGO instead of a new one, you'll want to make sure you save enough money to make it worth the trouble.  If you buy a new ElliptiGO, you can get support from the dealer and have warranty coverage.  I would look for $500 or more discount from the retail price on a used ElliptiGO.

ElliptiGO Dealers

The place to start your search for a used ElliptiGO is at an ElliptiGO dealer.  You can check at the ElliptiGO website to search for a dealer near your zipcode.  When you are at the dealer, you can get more information about ElliptiGO and get answers to your questions.  You can even take a test ride and make sure an ElliptiGO is right for you.  You might also be able to buy a used ElliptiGO from a dealer.  Dealers have demonstrator models that they use for test rides and some dealers also rent ElliptiGOs.  Let the dealer know you are looking for a used ElliptiGO and see if they have any for sale.  They may offer to call you in a few months if they have one for sale.  Some dealers will buy used ElliptiGOs and resell them.  If the dealer has a bulletin board, see if you can post an ElliptiGO wanted note.  Someone may be thinking of trading up to a different model and will have one they want to sell.

Post an ElliptiGO Wanted Ad on Craigslist

You might as well search your local craigslist ads to see if any ElliptiGOs are for sale, but chances are that you will not find any.  ElliptiGOs for sale are not that common.  But you might have success if you post an ElliptiGO wanted ad on craigslist.  Someone with an unused ElliptiGO may see the ad- or someone's spouse may see the ad- and you will get a contact with a used ElliptiGO for sale.  Someone in town may have an ElliptiGO just sitting in the basement or garage and will be willing to sell it to someone who is interested and has cash to offer.

Find Used ElliptiGO on eBay

There are usually a couple auctions with ElliptiGO for sale on eBay.  If you watch for awhile, you may find one within driving distance that you could pick up and avoid paying for shipping.  If you can get a good enough price, paying for shipping may make sense.  Some sellers offer free shipping, which can have a value of $100 or more.

Cheaper Alternatives to ElliptiGO

If you can't find a used ElliptiGO, check out less expensive alternatives such as StreetStrider ($2000) or Zike ($600).


Recommended Reading:
ElliptiGO vs StreetStrider- Find the Best Elliptical Bike

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Easy Ways To Make Money

Easy Ways To Make Money

How to Save Money Fast
Image Courtesy of David Castillo Dominici, FreeDigitalPhotos.net

What are easy ways to make money?  I would define easy ways to make money as things you can do and get paid for that require little time or effort.  Even better are fun things that you enjoy doing anyway that you can make money doing.  In fact, this is how many successful businesses get started.  A hobby sometimes grows into something that produces income.  For me, making a bit of money makes a hobby more interesting.  Here are some easy ways to make money:

Make Money Blogging

Blogging meets my criteria for an easy way to make money.  You can write about anything that interests you, and you can make money from advertising and you can get commission from selling products from links on your blog.  You can spend as much or as little time as you would like working on your blog.  Blogging is a good example of a hobby that you can do for fun, or you can monetize your blog and start making money.  One great thing about blogging is that you can write a blog post once and continue making money from it for a long time with no further action on your part.  This concept is called passive income and is an easy way to make money.

Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk)

You can get paid working for Amazon as a Mechanical Turk (MTurk) worker for doing simple tasks online such as taking surveys or completing simple writing assignments.  Other types of Human Intelligence Tasks (HITs) available include entering  information from business cards and evaluating images for their content and the emotion that they convey.  Getting paid as an MTurk worker definitely requires some effort and the tasks are not the sort of thing you would do for fun.  But you have complete flexibility to work when and where you wish.  As you complete MTurk tasks and gain qualifications, you are allowed to work on tasks that pay more, increasing your ability to make money.

Find Garage Sale Bargains and Sell on eBay or craigslist

Another easy way to make money is... buy low and sell high.  Find bargains at garage sales or auctions and sell them at a profit on eBay or craigslist.  This plan works best if you specialize in a certain type of item so you can easily identify things that you could buy and sell at a profit.  You can also hunt for bargains at thrift shops and Goodwill stores.  With the popularity of eBay, it is getting harder to be the first to find that great bargain.  As with other easy ways to make money, there is no time commitment or obligation- you can pursue this as a hobby and make money when you want.

Buy Cheap Bikes, Repair, and Resell at a Profit

It is not hard to find cheap bikes or even get bikes for free.  Retro bikes are in demand.  If you are willing to spend some time and effort finding good used bikes that are valuable brands or styles that are popular, you can make some easy money without working too hard.  If you are mechanically inclined, you can even fix up old bikes and sell them.  Many older bikes need only simple repairs such as new tires, brakes, and lubrication.  If you handle only one or two bikes at a time, you don't need much space to work on the bikes and store them while you are selling them.  For a large item like a bike, it may be easier to find local buyers on craigslist since shipping is not required.  If you have a rare bike, you can find a larger group of potential buyers on eBay.

Sell Digital Photos Online

If you enjoy taking digital photos, you can turn your hobby into easy money.  There are several sites on the internet that purchase digital photos for stock photo collections.  Advertisers and publishers can view your photos and may decide to purchase them or pay licensing rights to use them.  If you are taking high quality pictures anyway, you might consider offering them for sale.

Sell Garden Produce or Baked Goods at a Farmer's Market

Farmer's markets are getting really popular as a place to buy vegetables and other food.  If you enjoy gardening or baking, why not sell some items at a farmer's market?  Most people who have a garden end up with more vegetables than they can eat themselves.  There is probably a farmer's market not far from home, so selling items there could be an easy way to make money.

Sell Used Books

You can buy used textbooks cheap and sell textbooks online for a profit.  Textbooks have a lot of potential for profit. You can find used textbooks for sale on eBay or amazon and sell them to a textbook buy-back service for a profit.  I would say this method of making money is not as easy as some of the others mentioned- it takes a lot of work and is not necessarily fun to search through book listings trying to find titles that can earn you some profit.  Plus you'll need to receive the books and ship them to the buy-back service unless there is a local textbook buy-back service in your community.

Sell Handmade Items and Crafts on Etsy

Etsy is an e-commerce site for selling crafts and homemade items.  If you like to make craft items, you may be able to make a casual business out of it by selling crafts on Etsy.  You will need to photograph and describe your items and ship them to buyers.  If there are craft items you enjoy making, this could be a fun and easy way to make some money.


Recommended Reading:
How to Become a Millionaire- The Millionaire Calculator

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How To Save Money Fast

How to Save Money Fast

How to Save Money Fast
Image Courtesy of David Castillo Dominici, FreeDigitalPhotos.net

There are lots of reasons you might want to save money fast.  Maybe you need to get a down payment together to buy a house or a car.  Maybe you owe someone money and need to pay them back quickly.  Saving money fast can work if you have a good source of income.  They say the easiest way to make money is not to spend it.  Most people can identify things they can stop spending money on and save the money instead.  Here are easy ways to save money fast:

Cut Cable or Satellite TV (Save $100/month)

Painful, I know.  But you CAN live without cable or satellite TV and you'll save about $100 per month.  You can even get free TV with an antenna.  I get ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, and PBS over the air for free.  You can start saving money immediately by calling your cable or satellite company and cancelling your service.  If you want to try living with less TV for awhile first, some companies like Dish Network allow you too "pause" your subscription.  This allows you to stop getting TV service and also stop paying the bill for up to 9 months.

Pack Lunch (Save $165/month)

You can save $165 per month by packing your own lunch rather than eating out for lunch.  Packing your own lunch is not difficult and is healthier than eating out anyway.  If both members of a couple take packed lunch, you'll save $330 per month.

Cut Eating Out (Save $150/month)

You can further cut your food expenses by cutting down on eating out.  It is much less expensive to make your own meals at home rather than eating out.  Even if you continue to eat out occasionally, you can save up to 75% off of your restaurant bill by following these tips to save money eating out.

Spend Less on Coffee, or Reduce Caffeine Intake (Save $100/month)

Many people spend a lot of money on coffee. When you get used to having a Venti Starbucks coffee every morning, it is hard to due without.  If you have a couple cups of coffee shop coffee each day, this can add up to over $100 per month on coffee spending.  You can make your own great cup of coffee at home for only 60 cents, or you can make cheap coffee for only 11 cents per cup!  If you do this every day, you will save a significant amount of money every month.  If you are really serious about saving money, you can quit caffeine or reduce your caffeine intake and save even more.

Eat Less- Turn Extra Weight into Money (Save $700)

The average American is 23 pounds overweight.  You can save $700 if you convert 23 pounds of extra weight into cash.  How can you turn your extra weight into cash?  Reduce your consumption of calories, and save the money instead of spending it on food.

Take a Staycation Instead of a Vacation (Save Thousands!)

Another example of saving money by simply not spending it is to take a staycation instead of a vacation.  What is a staycation?  A staycation usually means that you visit local attractions while staying in your own bed- you'll save lots of money on transportation and hotel costs.  You can also stay at a nearby hotel that offers perks like free meals and still save a ton of money compared with a traditional vacation.

Other Easy Ways to Save Money Fast

• Pay bills on time- No more late fees
• If you are paying ATM fees, stop using the ATM or get a checking account with free ATM
• Cut daily newspapers, read news online for free
• Cancel magazine subscriptions- read magazines at a library for free
• Consolidate credit cards to get lower payments, save hundreds on interest every month
• Cut alcohol- reduce spending on alcohol and bar tabs
• Pet savings- groom pets yourself, avoid boarding by traveling less or having friends watch your pets

Most people could save over $1000 per month by following these tips to save money fast.  The best part- you do not need to make any major changes to your lifestyle to save money fast.  You don't need to move to a less expensive place to live.  You don't need to find a job that pays more.  You simply need to find things you don't really need and stop spending money on these extras.

Penny Pincher Journal

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Headlight Restoration Kit: Rain-X vs Turtle Wax

Headlight Restoration Kits

Headlight Restoration Kits
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

A common problem for older cars is that the headlights become oxidized start to turn a yellowish color.  This not only looks bad, but reduces the ability for the headlights to provide adequate light to see well for night driving.

Not to worry, you can buy headlight restoration kits to solve this problem.  If you believe the advertisements, you just apply some chemicals to your faded old headlights, wipe it off, and they look like new.  Do headlight restoration kits really work?  Is it hard to make old yellowed headlights look new again?

What is in a Headlight Restoration Kit?

Headlight restoration kits can be purchased for about $10 to about $30 and contain cleaning chemicals and abrasive pads.  The kit by 3M contains a special abrasive pad that you use with a power drill.  Some kits also contain a sealer to help keep your headlights from yellowing again after you clean them.

How long does it take to Restore Headlights?

It takes 30 minutes to 1 hour to restore two headlights.  The amount of time it takes depends on how much scrubbing you want to do to make your headlight lens look clear again.  Heavily corroded headlight lenses take quite a bit of work with the abrasive pads to make them look clear again.  I would say it is about as much work as applying a coat of wax by hand to a car.

Do Headlight Restoration Kits Work?

I have tried two headlight restoration kits- Rain-X Headlight Restoration Kit and Turtle Wax Lens Restorer.  Both of these kits improved the appearance of my headlight lenses and made it easier to see at night.  It is not quite as easy to restore headlights as the advertisements would have you believe, however.  It takes some effort to scrub the headlights using the abrasive pads and cleaning chemicals to clean the oxidation off of the surface of the headlight.

Which is the Best Headlight Restoration Kit: Rain-X vs Turtle Wax

Both Rain-X and Turtle Wax headlight restoration kits made my headlights look better.  Both kits contain similar cleaning chemicals and abrasive pads.

Turtle Wax Headlight Lens Restorer Kit Contents:

• Lens Clarifying Compound (4 fl oz)
• Spray Lubricant (4 fl oz)
• Lens Sealing Wipe
• Restoration Pads: Green (level 1), Brown (level 2), 2-sided Purple (level 3/level 4)

Rain-X Headlight Restoration Kit Contents:

• Rain-X Lubricant (2 fl oz)
• Rain-X Headlight Restorer (5 fl oz)
• Rain-X Sealant (2 fl oz)
• Polishing Pads- 3
• Microfiber cloth

Overall, I prefer the Rain-X headlight restoration kit over the Turtle Wax kit.  The Turtle Wax kit has only one sealing wipe, so you can only use the kit once if you want to be able to seal the headlight when you are finished cleaning it.  The Rain-X kit has a bottle of sealant spray, so you it is easier to reuse the kit on additional cars, or to clean your headlights more in the future as needed.

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Turtle Wax Black Box- Best Wax For Black Cars?

Turtle Wax Black Box

Turtle Wax Black Box
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

I have waxed cars with Turtle Wax, Carnauba wax, and synthetic wax.  I recently got a used black car and wanted to wax it before winter.  The car is about 10 years old and has some scratches and rock chips.  I was concerned about using any kind of wax that turns white when it dries- this would only highlight rock chips and scratches on a black vehicle.

The black paint finish is a bit faded and not as deep black as a newer car, which is not unexpected for a 10 year old car.  I asked at AutoZone if they made wax for black cars- they recommended the Turtle Wax Black Box Kit.  The kit contains a Step 1 wax cleaner and conditioner (12 oz), black tinted detailing spray (two 12 oz bottles), and Step 2 deep black carnauba  wax (12 oz).  The kit also contains 2 small foam pads for applying the Step 1 and Step 2 products.  Not included in the kit are two microfiber clothes that the instructions say to use to remove the wax cleaner/conditioner and to remove the wax.

How to Apply Turtle Wax Black Box Products

The instructions on the box mention that it may take 2-3 hours to wax a sedan.  This seemed like a pretty big commitment, but I was willing to give it a try.  As with any wax, you need to wash your car before applying the wax. Since all of the products in the Black Box are tinted black, you need to apply it carefully to avoid getting it on any trim, badges, lights, stickers, etc. that are not black.  You may want to wear gloves as well- my hands looked like I had been polishing black shoes all afternoon by the time I was finished applying the Turtle Wax Black Box.  It took me about two hours total for a medium size car.

The Step 1 conditioner seems like black tinted wax to me.  It is fairly thick stuff and did take some time to put on.  It formed a haze within a few minutes.  You then spray a small amount of detailing spray on the hazed conditioner/cleaner and remove it with a microfiber cloth.

Next is Step 2- the deep black wax.  This was very thin- in fact I spilled a bit of wax since it came out of the bottle so fast.  I had never used a wax this thin before.  It went on very easily and also was removed easily using a microfiber cloth and some detailing spray.  Did I mention that you might want to wear gloves when using the Black Box?  Your microfiber clothes will also be black when you are done waxing.

Turtle Wax Black Box- Best Wax For Black Cars?

I would say that the car finish looked better after applying the black wax.  The result was not as dramatic as the example of the faded finish turned to a deep black finish that was shown on the box, but certainly improved.  The black tint did seem to fill in small scratches with black so that they are less noticeable.  There were a couple rock chips on the roof (not sure how that happened) that were not really filled in with black color from the wax at all.  You'll need to use touch-up paint to address rock chips.

My main goal was to get a good coat of was on the car before winter without leaving ugly white wax residue.  The Turtle Wax Black Box certainly accomplished that and more.  The finish of the car looks to be a deeper black and is very shiny.  Compared with regular car wax, the black wax is messier to work with due to the black pigment, and the 2 step process is twice as much work as applying a single coat of wax.  Overall, I would say it is worth the trouble to use the Turtle Wax Black Box for a black car.

Penny Pincher Journal

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Check Engine Light Flashing- Can I Drive?

Check Engine Light Flashing- What Does it Mean?

Can You Drive With Check Engine Light Flashing?
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Normally when the check engine light comes on, it stays lit to indicate that a fault has been detected by your vehicle's On-Board Diagnostic System.  When a serious fault has been detected that could cause mechanical damage to your car if you drive it, the check engine light will flash.  The flashing check engine light is intended to get your attention and warn you that serious damage can occur if you drive your vehicle.

For example, the check engine light flashing could indicate that raw fuel is being passed through your engine due to serious misfiring in the engine.  This raw fuel can ignite and burn outside the cylinder and cause damage to your engine and catalytic converter- which is very expensive to repair.  Sensors in your engine detect misfiring and the On-Board Diagnostic computer determines whether to set the check engine light to solid or flashing based on how much damage could be caused by the misfiring.

If your check engine light is flashing, you should turn your engine off and call a tow truck to have your car checked by a mechanic.  Driving your vehicle with the check engine light flashing can result in serious mechanical damage.

Can I Drive With Check Engine Light Flashing?

It may be tempting to drive your vehicle to the shop to be checked out if it is running.  However, if the check engine light if flashing, it is not recommended to drive your vehicle.  Pull your vehicle to the side of the road or other nearby safe place to park it and call a tow truck.  Driving a vehicle with a flashing check engine light can result in expensive damage to your vehicle.

What is the Difference Between a Flashing Check Engine Light and a Solid Check Engine Light?

A solid check engine light indicates a fault has been detected by the On-Board Diagnostic system.  For example, this can be a fault with the evaporative emission control system that captures gasoline vapor and burns it in your engine.  There are many sensors in your engine, and many faults that can be indicated with the check engine light.  You can have a mechanic use a fault scanner to read the fault code.  The fault code will provide specific information about the cause of the check engine light in your vehicle.  You can also buy a check engine light fault code scanner for about $30.




A flashing check engine light indicates a serious problem that can cause damage if you drive the vehicle.  Only certain types of severe faults cause the check engine light to flash.  You should not drive a vehicle with a flashing check engine light- driving with a flashing check engine light may result in serious and expensive mechanical damage to your vehicle.


Recommended Reading:
How to Buy a Used Pickup Truck
How to Get the Best Deal on a Used Car

Penny Pincher Journal

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Used Car Inspection: A Vehicle Inspection Can Save You Money

Used Car Inspection: Save Money Buying a Used Car!

Getting a mechanic to inspect a used car that you are considering purchasing is a bit of a pain.  You have to drive the car to a mechanic, the inspection may take an hour or so, and you have to pay $40 to $100 for a used vehicle inspection.  Is it worth the trouble?  On my last used car purchase, getting a vehicle inspection saved me thousands of dollars!

Get a Used Vehicle Inspection and Save Money!
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Why Get A Used Car Inspection?

Reason 1: A Used Car Inspection Helps You Avoid Purchasing a Used Vehicle that Requires Expensive Repairs

You get valuable information from a used car inspection.  I test drove a used car that I was interested in at a local used car lot.  It was a "low miles, one owner" special selling for $3650.  The brakes felt soft to me, so I decided to take it to a mechanic for inspection.  I found a nearby Midas shop that would do a used vehicle inspection for under $50.  It felt like a waste of money to spend $50 on a car that wasn't even mine, as well as spending a couple hours driving the car to the shop and having it inspected.  However, since I was thinking of spending several thousand dollars, I decided that spending $50 to find out more about the vehicle may be money well spent.  That turned out to be true.

The mechanic provided a report listing all of the items on the car that needed repair.  The total repair estimate: $4000!  Admittedly, some of the items on the estimate were not critical and did not urgently need repair.  However, the mechanic pointed out that it would take about $2000 of repairs just to make the car safe to drive.  It was an easy decision to pass on this used car and look for one in better shape.  And yes, the brakes were soft- the previous owner tried to put new brake pads on the car, but brake rotors were worn down, rusty, and needed to be replaced.  The brakes were actually unsafe!


Find out why the check engine light is on- read your own engine light fault codes with an OBD II Scanner.  Works on 1996 and newer vehicles- just plug it into your car.

Reason 2: A Used Car Inspection Gives You Bargaining Power to Get a Great Deal Buying a Used Car

I found another car I was interested in.  It was the same make and model as the $3650 special that I didn't buy after getting a vehicle inspection.  This one was one year newer and in much better condition.  It was priced a bit more at $4500, which was right at KBB book price for retail sale.  I actually found the car listed on craigslist for $4250- good thing I did some internet searching.  The dealer explained that he priced his vehicles a bit more aggressively on the internet than he did on his sticker prices.   I could handle spending a bit more for a used car if it would require less repairs.

I called the Midas shop to talk with them about bringing in another used vehicle for inspection.  It turned out that this shop has a policy that they will do a second vehicle inspection for free if you don't end up buying the first car you have inspected.  Great news!

This vehicle inspection turned out much better.  There was a total of about $2000 of repairs on the estimate, but some of these repairs were optional or could be put off for a long time.  The manager of the shop talked me through the recommended repairs and the priority of getting them done.  When I brought the car back to the car lot, I brought the repair estimate with me.  I ran through all of the repair items on the estimate with the car dealer.  The dealer was reassuring me that these repairs were not a big deal, and that his shop could actually do the repairs for less than Midas had estimated on the used vehicle inspection report.

When the time came to make an offer on the car, I circled about $1000 worth of repair items- the ones that the mechanic said were the highest priority.  I asked the dealer for his best price for the car with the circled repairs completed.  Since he had just explained that these repairs were not serious and that his shop could do the repairs cheaper than Midas, I felt like I was in a pretty good position to bargain.

The dealer went into his shop to talk with his mechanics for a few minutes.  He came back with his offer, which I accepted.  He would sell me the car for $4150 and complete the repairs I wanted included in that price.  Having a detailed used car inspection report gave me a great bargaining tool for buying a used car.



Recommended Reading:
How to Buy a Used Pickup Truck
How to Get the Best Deal on a Used Car

Penny Pincher Journal

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