Posted on: September 29, 2008 by Matt
MSN has an article up this morning titled: 8 extreme ways to save some scratch and the number one tip is to “Turn your car off — while it’s moving”!!! Maybe it is just me but this idea is completely insane!!!! I understand the principle and how in theory it could save you a few drops of gas but is it anywhere near being worth the risk? This tip really belongs over with Lazy Man and Money’s list of Three Ridiculous and Stupid Ideas That Save You Money, not on MSN encouraging people to give it a shot. To the benefit of MSN readers (this article was linked on the main MSN homepage this morning) they do recommend that you “make sure you practice driving without power steering and power brakes in an open space before experimenting near other cars — or people” and tell you that AAA does not approve of the idea.
Since people seem to think that turning your car off while driving will somehow save you a few bucks in gas I think maybe we should look at the areas that it will potentially cost you a lot more. If you think that risking your well being along with that of everyone else on or near a road is worth a few bucks in gas please also consider the costs of:
- Medical Bills: The first time you make a mistake you will probably have a few extra medical bills. Car accidents are not cheap and not having the safety features built into your car available increases your chances of accident and injury.
- Car Repair: Body shops will be glad to take your money to fix up your car.
- Insurance Premiums: Imagine what your insurance company will think when the police report from an accident says that you had turned off your vehicle while it was in motion. I am pretty sure that the premium will go up from an accident. If they catch word that it may have been caused by turning your car off I would not be surprised if they deem you uninsurable.
- Increased wear on car parts: Starting your car engages a lot of parts in your engine. Turning your car off and on in traffic will probably strain (at the very least) your starter, transmission, alternator and various other parts.
Seriously – features like power brakes and power steering are there for a reason and cars are meant to be running while in operation. I am in favor of saving a few bucks anywhere I can but at the very least think of your safety and the lives of other motorists, their families and pedestrians.
Posted on: September 29, 2008 by Matt
For the past nine months or so my right ear has had some dry, flaky, itchy skin and has really been irritating. Now nine months (may have been longer even) is a pretty long amount of time to let a health problem continue on even if it is just a little annoying. The reason I let it all drag out so long is that my health insurance basically sucks. My yearly deductible is $2,000 that must be covered out of pocket before the insurance company steps in at all!
Considering the cost of health care today that may not seem like all that much but when you have to budget a few hundred dollars for every doctor’s visit (in an already tight budget) you may tend to just not go. I find that I will ignore a problem, try any and all homeopathic cures and / or just wait for it to get better before going to a doctor with my insurance as it is. I have had health insurance before where I paid a copay towards my deductible or a copay only and was much more willing to bite the bullet and see a professional.
While at the walk in clinic (due to not going to the doctor I do not have a normal doctor to visit) yesterday I was informed that the irritation is eczema and that it can easily be treated with a topical cream. I also had wax buildup flushed out of my ears (yuck!) and was told to not use q-tips ever again (ears are apparently self cleaning).
Of course I have not received my bill yet and I do not have any idea how much the hospital will be charging for my visit (scary). I will post an update once I receive the bill and let everyone know what is going on with it. The one upside was that when I stopped to get my prescription filled the insurance prescription coverage brought the cost of the cream down to $2.13. Not too bad and I managed to pick up a big can of Folgers coffee for $6 (compared to the $12 it normally costs).
Posted on: September 26, 2008 by Matt
One of the action items I have taken in order to get my problem loans in collection cleaned up was to write my state attorney general’s office and ask what my rights I have to get information from the collection agency. Earlier this week I received a letter back from the attorney general’s office stating that they have filed a complaint with the collection ageny and to give the collection agency 14 business days to respond. After 14 business days I have a post card to fill out and send back to the attorney general’s office.
We will see what comes of it – maybe they will even start sending me the documents that they are required by law to send me (every attempt so far has not produced all documents). Anyway, this is just a quick update and I will let everyone know how it all works out in the long run!
Posted on: September 26, 2008 by Matt
Well it’s Friday and I am thinking that I am gonna start a weekly roundup of some frugal posts that I enjoyed every week. So check back every Friday for our new Frugal Friday Link Love. This week’s list is:
I think that about wraps it up for this week. Check back next Friday for another selection of posts on being frugal!
Posted on: September 25, 2008 by Matt
Autumn has started in the northeastern reaches of Vermont; the leaves are changing, the air is crisp and everyone seems to be buckling down for winter. I really think that fall is my favorite time of year. While driving this summer and early fall so far I have noticed that it looks like everyone in the area is starting winter preparations early this year. Stacks of wood are piling up next to houses and a lot of stuff (bigger ticket items like boats and cars largely) sits on the side of the road for sale.
Before I moved back to Vermont this spring I had not really noticed how the current economy has effected people. I lived by myself in a city and the only major indicator I could see were the number of houses for sale and news about the foreclosure rates. Maybe the signs were there before I moved as well but I did not notice them until I got home. The buzz around town is: “how are you going to afford to stay warm this winter?” The local economy is not very strong in the area and people are really feeling the pinch of the recession. With the price of heating oil going up a lot of people have turned back to burning wood for heat. This has driven the price of firewood up considerably and left a number of people uncertain about what the winter holds. Rural communities have been hit hard – it makes me nervous about what the future holds. From what I have seen my area is normally a little bit behind the current trends but when a financial downturn hits we seem to see the effects quickly (a microcosm of the current state of the economy and a glimpse into how tough the economy is going to get).
When I originally started to notice everyone worrying about winter and money I figured that I had nothing to worry about – that the recession does not have any effect on my finances. I was wrong. With my move came a number of expenses to get set back up and I also moved into a new living situation where I do not live alone. I now have other people to consider in my financial planning and we all need to agree on spending. The increase in expenditures over the past few months has opened my eyes a bit and I think I am finally starting to realize that maybe this recession everyone is talking about is a big deal. Expenses for everything (gas, groceries, heating fuel, electricity) are all going up while incomes remain the same. Monthly budgets seem to get tighter every month and I now realize just how financially difficult getting by can be for families.
Making ends meet while trying to put a little aside in savings and pay down extra debt seems to get more challenging with each passing month (well more like every negative news story). I hope to have a post up with ways we are combating the pinch of the recession in the near future. Until then what are you doing to ease the pain of the pinch?
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