5 Ways to Prevent Your Car from Becoming a Money Pit

Maintaining your car can be an extremely expensive obligation in both the short run and the long run. This is especially true if you let your car turn into a money pit that drains your wallet. The good news is that there are ways to save money on your car expenses and make sure that your car is not burning a hole in your wallet. Here are five ways to prevent your car from becoming a money pit.

Save Money From the Start

It is quite easy to save a substantial amount of money over your car’s lifespan just by searching for a lower financing rate and purchase price in the first place. Another great way to save thousands of dollars during your car’s lifetime is to effectively evaluate the specifics of your car. This includes its estimated cost of repairs over its lifetime as well as its fuel efficiency. In the long run choosing a car whose parts are cheaper to replace and who has decent fuel consumption can save you a huge amount of money in the long run.

Comparison Shop For Your Car 

When it comes time to buy a new car, it is crucial that you buckle down and do some extensive comparison-shopping. In order to do this, visit and call a minimum of five car dealerships in order to obtain price quotes. It is also a savvy move to let them know you are also calling their competitors in order to ensure you get the best quotes possible. To avoid having your money drained from an expensive car insurance policy, it is also important to do the same when it comes to applying for insurance. You can save a significant amount of money on your car expenses simply by find the best possible price on your car insurance as well as the most extensive policy.

Avoid Parking and Speeding Tickets

Everyone wants to get home from work as quickly as possible, however this may come at the cost of getting very expensive speeding tickets due to going over the speed limit. Make sure that you slow down and follow all traffic rules in order to avoid having to pay traffic tickets. It is also critical that you pay attention to parking signs and always pay the meter before it runs out of time. Although this may seem obvious, many people waste money simply by being negligent.

Go Easy on the Pedal

In order to save money on your car and avoid spending a huge amount of money on gas then it is a good idea to go easy on your accelerator. Keep in mind that each time you press down on your accelerator, your gas consumption is increased by a substantial amount. Another means to save money on your fuel is to ensure that you pump your gas yourself and that you always use the lowest octane that your car can handle. By combining a well-tuned engine with cheap fuel and decent tire pressure, you can save a couple hundreds dollars every year simply on fuel expenditures.

Get Good Prices on Your Car Accessories

In order to avoid spending a drastic amount of money on car expenses then it is a good idea to ensure that all of the accessories you need to purchase in order to make your car run smoothly are purchased at the lowest possible price. To do this, try buying in bulk and looking for deals on car products. This includes engine oil, batteries, spark plugs, mats, air fresheners and winter tires. Buying these things when they come on sale or in bulk can save you a good amount of money.

Finances - 17 Apr, 2014 - No Comments

Options When Unemployed and Running Out of Unemployment Benefits

What are your options when your unemployment benefits are almost done and you are still unemployed? The good news is that there are things you can do to make sure you stay on your feet during hard financial times.

Check Your State Unemployment Office

The first step to take is to contact your State Unemployment Office in order to ensure that you are getting all of the benefits that you may qualify for. If you are running out of your unemployment benefits, look into other resources that could be available to you and take advantage of anything that the office offers you in order to get a new job.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

Your circumstances could allow you to receive food stamps or another type of government assistance. Don’t be too proud to accept this, as it can aid tremendously when you are running out of options. Check in with the Social Services department of your state in order to see what other types of assistance you can qualify for. Additionally, there are plenty of community organizations that help those that are unemployed with donations, babysitting, food baskets, etc.

Get an Unemployment Loan

If you are in dire need of money then there are some loans that are designed for people who do not have a steady paycheck. Although borrowing money when you are unemployed is a valid option it is important to keep in mind that you will eventually have to repay the loan.

Look Into Your Local Career Center

These centers usually have good information on resources that are available to you when you are unemployed. This includes any community organization that will help you with food costs, utility bills, etc. They may also provide information on how to attain a temporary position as well as permanent job listings.

Try Your Hand at Temping 

It’s worth a shot to call a temp agency in your local area to schedule an appointment. If you are able to get temp work it is a great way to not only make money but also to build your résumé. On top of this, some temp positions can potentially lead to a permanent job.

Give United Way a Call

Contact your local United Way in order to see if they know any organizations that can help you find a job, downsize to a smaller home, improve your job skills or with personal budgeting.

Dial 211

You can dial 211 in many areas in order to get referred to a multitude of agencies including social services, charities and non-profit counseling. Keep in mind that it is better to get some sort of job than no work at all.

Sell Your Things

Anything that you don’t absolutely need can be sold at a yard sale or on Craigslist or EBay. You can also check out your local pawnshops to see if you can get some cash for smaller valuables.

Ask to Get an Informational Interview

One secret technique to land a job that not many people know about is to ask for an informational interview with a place you are interested in working for. By saying that you are not asking them for a job, you can take the pressure off. Say that you are interested in learning about the company, job function, industry, etc. This is a good way to get information, and on top of this if there is a job opening that you are a match for, then you can potentially land yourself with a new employment opportunity.  Additionally, if there is not a job opening then you could be redirected to a contact that does have an opening.

Finances - 1 Apr, 2014 - No Comments