Best Value Car Maintenance and Auto Repair Tips

Best Value Car Maintenance and Auto Repair Tips

What Car Maintenance and Auto Repairs are Worth the Money?
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Generally, car maintenance and auto repair is an expense- not an investment.  An expense is a cost of operating that you pay without expectation of getting a return on your money.  For example, paying the electric bill would be considered an expense.  If you paid twice as big of an electric bill, that does not double any aspect of your future income or earnings.  It is money that is simply gone after it is spent.

An investment is money spend that has an opportunity to make a profit, also called a return on investment.  Typically, the bigger the investment you make, the bigger return your potential return.  An example of an investment would be buying stocks or real estate.  Historically, these types of investment have average return on investment of 8%.  At 8% return, you could invest $1000 and have $1080 after one year of growth.

Most car maintenance is in the same category as paying your electric bill- it is an expense.  But car maintenance is not optional, just like paying your electric bill is not optional if you want to continue using electricity.  If you want your car to keep running and be reliable, you have to spend money on car maintenance.  But as with most expenses, you want to minimize how much this expense costs you.

What car maintenance and auto repairs are worth the money?

Most car repairs are in the same category as home improvements.  For example, home improvement projects such as remodeling a kitchen or bathroom add about 75% of the cost of the project to the value of your home.  This means that you are actually losing money by doing the project, but it does hold some of its value over the long term and you get to use the resulting project which has value to you.

For example, you might have a car that is worth $5,000 based on its make, model, mileage, and condition.  But the car is in the shop and won’t run without major repairs.  You could sell the car as-is for let’s say $2,500 to a salvage garage, or you could spend $3,000 on car repairs to get it in good working order.  But even if you spend $3,000 on auto repairs, the car will still only be worth $5,000.  If you spend $3,000 to repair the car, you’ll spend more than the car is worth.

How Much Money Should I Spend on Auto Repairs?
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The reason to spend money on car repair is not usually to increase the value of the car- the reason to put money into repairing a car is so that it will run well and you can use the car instead of spending more money to buy a different car.  It is the same concept as spending $25,000 on a kitchen remodel that will only increase the value of your home by $20,000.  You may choose to do the remodel even though you will lose money on the project since you can enjoy the kitchen, and it may allow you to stay in your current home instead of moving.

Top 10 Most Cost-Effective Car Maintenance and Auto Repairs

Here is a list of the top 10 most cost-effective car maintenance and auto repairs.  These car maintenance items will keep your car running smoothly and improve fuel efficiency, saving you money on gas.  The auto repairs on the list are things that don’t cost much, but improve your car’s safety and reliability.  You will save money in the long run if you can keep your old car running for a long time without spending much money.

10.  Oil change and lube ($30).  For older cars, use conventional motor oil, not synthetic.  My Honda Civic with 180,000 miles was leaking oil when I was using full synthetic oil.  The oil leak stopped when I switched to conventional oil, which is thicker and less likely to leak in older engines.

The proper oil change interval is a subject of much debate on the internet.  A safe way to go is to follow the oil change interval recommended by the maker of your car for your driving conditions.  For most vehicles, this would be an oil change every 7,500 to 10,000 miles.

9.  Check tire air pressure every fill-up (free).  You will get better gas mileage with properly inflated tires, saving you money on gas.  The proper inflation level is listed on a sticker inside the driver’s side door.  You can get a tire pressure gauge for under $5.  Tires will also last longer when fully inflated, preventing premature tire replacement.

8.  Rotate tires every 10,000 miles ($30).  Rotating your tires will help extend the life of your tires, preventing uneven wear. 

7. Repair windshield chips or a cracked windshield ($65).  The windshield is an important structural component of your vehicle.  Windshield chips can grow into cracks, and cracks greatly weaken your windshield.  A rule of thumb is that chips or cracks smaller than the size of a dollar bill can be effectively repaired.  The cost to repair a windshield is typically $65, the cost to replace a windshield is typically $300 or more.  You can save money and make your car safer by repairing windshield chips before your windshield cracks.

6. Touch up paint chips and wax your car ($20).  You can keep your car looking good and prevent most rust by touching up paint chips and then putting a good coat of wax on your car.  I have been using synthetic wax lately, which provides great protection and comes off easily.

5. Restore the lenses on your headlights ($20).  There are several good headlight restoration kits available- these kits will make your old yellowed headlights look almost new again.  You will also be able to see better at night if you restore your headlights.

4. Change your timing belt ($800).  This auto repair is a bit painful.  Changing a timing belt costs a fair amount of money, but if your timing belt breaks while you are going down the road, it could ruin your engine.  Some cars have “interference engines”- this means that valves or pistons can get tangled up if the timing belt breaks, ruining your engine.  If your maintenance schedule calls for a new timing belt- typically at 100,000 or 120,000 miles for many vehicles- consider taking care of this to prevent major problems.

Ask the mechanic to place a sticker near the timing belt indicating that the timing belt was changed and the mileage and date.  This will help a lot if you sell the vehicle.  You will be able to easily show that you have completed this expensive repair, improving the resale value of your vehicle.

3.  Change your windshield wiper blades ($20).  Having windshield wipers that work well make your car safer by greatly improving visibility in rain, snow, and muddy driving conditions.

2. Shocks and struts ($800).  Replacing shocks and struts is another fairly big auto repair item.  Your car will ride a lot smoother and quieter if you replace shocks and struts that have worn out.  This also improves the safety of your vehicle, keeping your tires firmly on the road and giving you maximum control for steering and braking.

1. Give your car a tune up ($200).  Replace your spark plugs, adjust your timing, and get your engine to peak performance.  A tune-up will make your car run better and get better gas mileage, saving you money on gas.

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Gold Bond Lotion: How to Get All of the Lotion Out of a Bottle

How I Discovered Gold Bond Is The Best Lotion

Gold Bond Lotion- Gold Bond Ultimate
Image Courtesy of Amazon.com

The lotion I usually use is the free stuff that you find in hotel rooms.  Whenever I travel and stay at a hotel, I take a free small bottle of lotion every night and put it in my suitcase to bring home.  I ended up with a drawer full of free lotion, so I never need to buy lotion.  The cheap lotion is greasy and has a strong chemical smell.  If I get my hands near my eyes after applying lotion, it makes my eyes water and burn.

Cheap lotion also leaves something to be desired in terms of effectiveness.  It makes your hands slippery for awhile, but doesn't really make your hands soft or help if your skin is chapped.  But free is hard to argue with.  I would have been happy to keep using my cheap, free lotion until I accidentally tried Gold Bond.

How To Get All of the Lotion Out of a Bottle

My wife came to me with a problem.  She had a bottle of lotion with a pump dispenser.  The pump was not dispensing, and there was still quite a bit of lotion left in the bottle.  She took the lid off of the bottle and tried to shake lotion out.  Even that didn't work.  She wanted to know if I had any ideas to get the rest of the lotion out of the bottle.

There are basically four ways I can think of to go about getting all of the lotion out of a bottle:

1. Use the pump tube to dip lotion out of the bottle- sort of like a dip stick
2. Remove the lid and shake the bottle violently to try to get lotion out
3. Warm up the lotion by placing the bottle in warm water and try to pour or shake it out
4. Cut the bottle open and directly remove the lotion from the bottle

My wife already tried options 1 and 2.  Even after doing these things, there was still a considerable amount of lotion left in the bottle.  I considered option 3- heating up the lotion and pouring it out.  I could heat a bowl of water in the microwave, then place the bottle of lotion in the water for a few minutes- this would make the lotion less viscous and easier to pour.  However, I was worried the lotion would not be the same again after heating it up and cooling it down.  Also, I didn't know where I would pour it.  I though about pouring it into a Tupperware container, but that seemed like a lot of work.

I decided on Option 4- cut the bottle for direct access to get the remaining lotion out of the bottle.  I used a retractable box cutter and carefully cut around the edge of the bottle.  I left a "hinge" several inches long that was uncut.  This worked pretty well.  The bottle became sort of like a little treasure chest to hold the lotion.  You can easily open the bottle along the cut for easy access to the remaining lotion and press it closed again for storage.

Cut Lotion Bottle To Get Lotion Out.  Leave a flap along one side to act as a hinge.
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How to Cut a Lotion Bottle to Get Lotion Out
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I would estimate that about 2oz of lotion was left in the bottle.  Since the price for a 14oz bottle is about $14, this amounts to about $2 of lotion that I was able to get out of the bottle.

There Was About 2oz of Lotion Left in the Bottle!
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Of course I tried accessing the lotion after I cut the bottle.  I opened the lid and dipped a bit of lotion out to make sure this woud really work to acces the lotion.  Easy enough.  When I rubbed my hands together, I expected Gold Bond lotion to be similar to my cheap lotion, but it was nothing like it.  I found that the Gold Bond lotion actually made my hands softer and less chapped.  Instead of feeling greasy and slippery, my hands felt soft and just slightly moisturized.  The Gold Bond lotion also lasts a really long time and only requires a small amount of lotion to make a big difference.

Gold Bond Ultimate: The Best Lotion

The specific type of lotion I tried is the Gold Bond Ultimate with Shea Butter.  I would feel more comfortable if it came in a camouflage bottle or something, but I have to say this stuff really works!  I think a good plan would be for my wife to use the lotion while the pump works and to let me have the bottles to cut open when she can't get any more lotion out of the bottle.

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Things to Sell to Make Money

How to Get Money Selling Household Items

Things to Sell to Make Money
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Selling unneeded items from around your house is a great way to get cash quickly.  If you have items you have accumulated but are no longer using, why waste space storing them?  There are several easy ways to sell things quickly to get cash.  Here are my favorites:

eBay

Some items are best sold on eBay.  You can potentially reach millions of people, so eBay works well to sell items that may not have many local buyers.  Using the auction format of eBay can also help prevent you from pricing your item too low- the market will decide the price in an auction.  You will get the most money for your item that anyone is willing to pay.  The typical fee for selling an item on eBay about 15% of the selling price.  A typical auction lasts one week.  A seven day auction covers one weekend, giving

How to Ship Sold eBay Items

Craigslist

One nice thing about selling on craigslist is that it is free.  Another nice thing is that you don't need to deal with shipping your items.  You can find local buyers who will pick up your item at your house, or you can meet at a mutually convenient location to complete the transaction.  One downside of selling on craigslist is that you will be dealing directly with strangers yourself, and you may need to deal with someone who is unreasonable or unpleasant.  You will need to take time to meet with potential buyers to show them your craigslist items for sale.

How to Sell on Craigslist

Thrift Shops and Consignment Stores

Thrift stores and consignment stores will sell your items for you.  The downsides are 1) they charge a fee, typically 60% of the item's sale price and 2) it may take a few weeks or more to sell your item.  The advantage is that the thrift shop or consignment store does all the work- you just drop your items off and pick up cash later.

How to Sell Used Items at a Consignment Shop and Get Cash

Garage Sales

Garage sales are another free way to get money for your items.  However, it takes a bit of work to organize a successful garage sale.  A garage sale works best if you have a lot of items to sell.  Garage sales are more successful at certain times of year, especially spring.  If you have things to sell in January, a garage sale may not be very successful.  You may be better off selling some of the items on craigslist individually and other items at consignment stores.

Garage Sale Tips- Buying Bargains and Selling Secrets

Things to Sell to Make Money

Here are the best things to sell to make money:

Sell Old Cell Phones and Electronics

Sell old Cell Phones and Electronics for Quick Cash
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I recently took my old cell phone to Best Buy to sell it.  They said it wasn't worth anything, but they offered to recycle it for me.  I said no thanks to that offer and investigated further.  I ended up selling the phone on eBay for $100!  I have sold other cell phones for $35 each at Best Buy for store credit.  You can also sell cell phones to buy back services and at ecoATM kiosks for cash.  You can also sell old tablets and laptops to get quick cash.

How to Sell your Old Cell Phone and Get Cash

Sell Old Clothes

Every once in a while, my wife goes through the closet and thins out clothes that are no longer worn.  I take these to a consignment shop to sell.  The consignment shop sorts through the clothes and keeps the ones that they think they can sell.  I take the rest to Goodwill and come back in a couple months to pick up cash for the old clothes.  If you want to get money for old clothes faster, you can try selling them at a garage sale.  You may be able to sell some of your clothes at a garage sale, and you can take any that do not sell to a consignment shop.

Sell Old Musical Instruments

Musical Instruments Sell For A Lot of Money
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I have sold several old musical instruments, and I am always surprised how much these sell for!  Older instruments seem to be generally high quality and people are willing to fix them up and play them again.  New instruments cost several thousand dollars, so you might be able to get hundreds of dollars for an old instrument.  I have sold a violin, french horn, and soprano saxophone on eBay for quick cash.

Sell Lawn and Garden Equipment

Spring is a great time to sell extra or unneeded lawn or garden equipment.  People are looking for rototillers and lawn mowers of all kinds.  I once sold an old rototiller on craigslist for hundreds of dollars, and I had two buyers that were competing to buy it.  Check craigslist and eBay to see what similar items are selling for so you know where to set your price.  Lawn and garden equipment can also sell at a garage sale if you have other things to sell as well.

Sell Furniture

Sell Furniture on craigslist for Quick Cash
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I have had good success selling old furniture on craigslist at any time of year.  Take lots of pictures and post them with your ad.  New furniture is so expensive in furniture stores that your old furniture may be worth quite a bit more than you think.

Sell Textbooks

Most used books are not worth very much, but used textbooks can sell for $50 or even $100 if they are still in use.  If you have recent textbooks sitting around that you do not intend to look at again, you might have a lot of potential quick cash.  Years ago, I sold textbooks on amazon and made a lot of money.  There are other places online now that pay cash for textbooks.  Here are the details on how to sell textbooks online and get the most money.

Sell Sporting Goods and Exercise Equipment

Some local stores buy and resell used sporting goods and exercise equipment, but I have found the prices offered to be too low most of the time.  I would recommend using craigslist to sell your old gear and get cash.  Things like treadmills and weight machines that are sitting unused can be turned into cash.  Smaller gear like roller-blades, golf clubs, and baseball gloves can also sell well.

Sell Extra Bikes

If you have bicycles that you don't use, you have a source of cash.  Used bikes sell well in the spring, especially name brand bikes in good condition.  Craigslist is a popular place to list bikes for sale.  You might consider eBay if you have an exotic bike to sell.

Sell Antiques and Collectibles

You can sell antiques and collectibles on eBay for quick cash.  I think the auction format is useful to make sure you don't set your price too low.  Descriptive information is valuable to include in your listing- describe any printing, dates, markings, etc. on the item.  Background of where the item came from can also be valuable to buyers.

Sell Weird Stuff!

Sometimes you find odd things in your garage or attic that you that you don't really need.  You could easily throw these things away without realizing that you can get quick cash by selling them.

A few months ago, I discovered a set of new floor mats for a car I had already sold.  The floor mats had never been used and were still in the original package.  They were too nice to throw away, so I did some research and found out that the set of floormats sells for around $120 new.  I listed them on eBay with a starting price of $30 and they ended up selling for nearly $100!

Once, I replaced the original tires and inner tubes on a 40 year old vintage bike that I ride.  I thought the tires looked too good to throw away.  The tires had some nice labels on the tires that were still readable.  I tried listing them on craigslist so I wouldn't have to deal with shipping them, but no one was interested.  I ended up listing them on eBay and they sold!  I made money selling something that most people would just throw away.

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How To Find A Used ElliptiGO For Sale

Why Look For A Used ElliptiGO For Sale?

How to Find a Used ElliptiGO For Sale
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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

Penny Pincher Journal

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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

Penny Pincher Journal

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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

Copyright © 2013 Dr. Penny Pincher.  All Rights Reserved.  Privacy Policy

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.

Penny Pincher Journal

Copyright © 2013 Dr. Penny Pincher.  All Rights Reserved.  Privacy Policy