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Saving on Gas
Last modified on 2009-06-15 06:22:55 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
by Matthew Manorothkul
Summer is just around the corner! Bright sunny, warm days ahead. Time to head to the beaches, take a nice swim, go on road trips, and travel with friends and family! However, higher gas prices make us rethink our plans and sometimes we end up not planning anything at all. What a shame! Here are some ways to help save on gas so that the saved money could be spent on you! Apply these tips to all types of situations as well, such as running errands, driving to and from work, picking up the children, etc.
1. The best way to save on gas is not using it at all. Alternatives to gas is to walk, ride the bus, take the subway, carpool, or bike to your destination. Metro.net sells bus/subway passes and most colleges offer discounted bus passes that are very affordable. Walking and biking to your destination are also good for the health. You save on gas and lose calories. Win-win situation.
2. Drive at the speed limit. By keeping the RPMs low, the engine doesn’t work as hard thus increasing fuel efficiency. We live in a fast society, always trying to get to our destination as quick as we can but if we want to put a little more money in our pockets, we got to stick with this. Don’t want to be pulled over by the police anyway right?
3. Maintenance is key. Changing your engine oil on time, keeping your tires properly inflated, and cleaning the air filter not only extends your car’s life, it also keeps the car running efficiently.
4. Use the recommended gas for your car. This can be found in the owner’s manual. You don’t need to be purchasing premium gasoline when regular will do just fine. You’d be throwing money in the trash if you kept it up.
5. Planning a long road trip? Try to avoid travelling during traffic and bad weather conditions. Stop and go traffic is a killer on gas. Driving in bad conditions causes the car to use more fuel to maintain traction and speed.
6. Pay attention to how you are driving. do you find yourself tailgating? Do you accelerate quickly right when the light turns green? If you answered yes to either question then you are burning a lot of fuel quickly. Tailgating causes you to continually brake and accelerate. Not only does it wear your brake pads down, you also waste fuel trying to regain the lost speed. If you have cruise control, its recommended that you use it!
Everytime you quickly accelerate, you burn extra fuel and cause more wear on your tires. If you don’t watch how you drive, you are going to be spending more money on replacement parts than gas.
7. Don’t leave the car idling for a extended periods of time. If you are going to use up gas, might as well use it while driving the car and not just sitting in it.
8. Buy a more fuel efficient car. Many automobile companies have or will come out with hybrid cars. Hybrids can be a little bit costly but there are some tax benefits in purchasing one. Check with your state to see if it applies. There are still great alternatives to the hybrid. Honda Civic, Toyota Yaris, MINI Cooper, and the Volkswagen Jetta are a few examples.
Save money on Father’s Day Gifts
Last modified on 2009-06-07 11:00:09 GMT. 3 comments. Top.
by Matthew Manorothkul
Father’s Day is creeping up pretty soon! June 21st to be exact. Not sure what to get? Not sure how much to spend? You might think you have to break the bank by getting your father something great, but more likely than not, any gift would make him happy. It is also the thought that counts so why not take some time now to think of great gift ideas and save some money while you are at it. By doing so, the gifts would be more thoughtful because you had more time to think about it and besides, most people are going to rush and try to get something last minute. That usually doesn’t end up too well. How would you feel if you gave your father a “that’s all they had left” gift?
Here are some great Father’s Day gift ideas.
1. One very creative gift is to make your father (works for mothers too!) a coupon book that never expires. Be creative and write personalized messages and chores you would do around the house. For example, taking out the trash, walking the dog, leaving your father alone for the day, or making him a meal.
2. Creating a photo album or making a picture frame is also a nice gesture. You could also get a digital photo key chain
3. Does your father love music, movies, and/or reading? You could visit a thrift store and find inexpensive CDs, movies, and books. Better yet, you could even burn him a CD with music that he loves or that has some special meaning for the both of you. Creating your own story is a cool idea too.
4. A gift card is good idea. Everyone could use a few bucks. Give him a gift card to his favorite restaurant, to the theaters, or for gas.
5. Get him something he already needs so you wouldn’t have to play the guessing game. Items such as a wallet,
6. If you are low on money, gather up the rest of your family members and pool in some money to buy your father something really nice. Who can say no to a high definition television?(HDTV)
7. The most important gift of all is love. Spend some quality time with your father. Go out for a whole day with him and have fun.
Doing the little things can make a big difference.
Save Some Cash While Dining Out!
Last modified on 2009-05-29 02:55:19 GMT. 1 comment. Top.
by Jeffrey Jung
Dining out is probably one of the most social things you can do with friends. Problem for a lot of us is that it is really expensive. Aside from restricting yourself by chowing down on McDonalds or KFC, what are some ways to cut down on restaurant dining costs? Here are some of the ways I’ve managed to make dining a fiscally bearable task.
- Coupons
- Look at your Sunday newspaper, online, etc for coupons to various restaurants. This can be a great savings that you otherwise would not have received.
- Restaurant.com is a great place to buy coupons. I suggest buying coupons during a sale (they throw sales often and you can get $25 discounts for as low as $2). The idea with these is that you get $10-$100 off a meal but you have to spend a certain amount, you have to tip a set amount (15%-18%), the tip is usually added on the total of the bill BEFORE your coupon, and other various exclusions (you can not combine it with another offer). At one of my frequented restaurants, they require a $50 minimum to get $25 off. Without the coupon, and after tax and tip, the total would be about $61.12. With the coupon, the total is a mere $32.50. If each entrée costs about $9-12 so, I can bring about 4-5 people meaning that the split cost AFTER tax and tip would be about $7-8 per person. Not too shabby!
- Happy Hour
- Booze, food, and more booze… at a discount! Happy hour happens during a restaurant’s slow period (usually around 3-6PM) and during this time there are deals on appetizers, entrees, and drinks. A good example of this is Acapulco’s Happy Hour which consists of 50% off a select menu such as a monster platter for $5 and tacos for $1. I have managed to feed 3 people (including myself) for $14 AFTER tax and tip.
- Go for Lunch
- This especially applies to buffet style places. If you go for a late lunch, chances are that they will switch out the food to the dinner menu while you are still eating. This way you can fork over the lunch prices and still eat the dinner menu.
- Split meals
- Maybe you are on a diet or maybe you can’t stomach to eat the large portions. Whatever it may be, splitting meals is a good way to save money. Personally, I eat to feel OK, so I’m not looking to feel bloated or ready to puke my $10 meal on the floor. If I happen to be with a friend that feels the same way, we split the meal. Suddenly a $10 meal becomes a $5 meal. A small note, though, is that some restaurants discourage this by charging a fee for splitting.
- Drink Water
- Beverages at a restaurant are really a huge rip off compared to what you could get elsewhere. I guess dining in is supposed to make that soda taste so much better! In any case, most soda/juices will run you $1.50-$2 extra which you can simply avoid by drinking water. Beer at most restaurants is a big cost as well. A single glass will probably go for $3 but that same $3 can get you 3 glasses if you were to buy it at a supermarket.
- Check Specials
- Whenever you get a menu, there may be a section with specials. You might want to consider ordering off that versus a normal entrée. In some cases, the specials overshadow the normal entrees. I was once out with my family and I ordered something off the specials while my sister got a normal entrée. She got fries and a sandwich for $9.50. I got a sandwich, fries, salad, and soup for $6.99.
- Eat a little before going out!
- If you are like me and you eat out to be with friends, you may feel out of place or singled out if you go to a restaurant and order nothing. If you want to save a few bucks, you can eat a meal before going out and consider eating an appetizer or dessert at the restaurant. Desserts and appetizers are much cheaper than an entrée.
If anyone else wants to share their tips, feel free to comment! I would love to hear about new ways to save money when I eat out.
Save Money at the Movies
Last modified on 2009-05-31 00:30:43 GMT. 3 comments. Top.
by Matthew Manorothkul
With the economy we are facing now, who wouldn’t want to keep more money in their pockets? Going to a movie theater with a date or family can be rather expensive. A movie with a date can cost about $20 without any food! Going with family can be about $50! These prices are just for tickets. Imagine if they want something to eat. It almost seems like a day’s worth of work to watch a two hour movie. Why not find a way to watch them at a cheaper price?
1. To help costs on ticket prices, why not watch them during the matinee times? Instead of $11 or so, you could be paying $6. Not only do you save on tickets, there would be better parking, and the theaters would be less crowded during those hours as well so there won’t be any trouble finding good seats. Another option is to find discounted tickets offered on school campuses. Some colleges offer discounted ticket prices with a few restrictions about how soon you can watch a movie after it releases. Not bad if you can wait a bit. You can also call the theaters to see if they sell in bulk. That’s one way to stretch a dollar out.
2. Some theaters offer rewards cards. By being a member and building up points, it can later be redeemed for free drinks, free popcorn, free movie tickets, and other smaller discounts. AMC Theaters and Regal Cinemas offer rewards cards that are absolutely free to sign up for either online or on location.
3. The killer: Concession stand! All the items are overpriced. For example, a large soda will run about $4 while a liter of soda from a grocery store will cost about a dollar. Popcorn, nachos, pretzels, candy, you name it, it costs way more than it should. If there is a strong craving for those items at the moment, try to look at the combos provided. Some give refillable drinks and popcorn but the best solution would be to bring your own food and drinks to the theaters. Surprisingly, they aren’t strict about it. Personally, I’ve seen people bring in Subway, McDonalds, food from home, etc. Bringing your own food will save a ton! Give it a try.
Skipping out on snacks all together has benefits as well.
- No need to wait in line to get the items.
- Doesn’t add more calories to your diet.
- 6 Worst Things to Eat at the Movies
- Saves money.
4. Watch a movie at home. Movie rentals are cheap nowadays. Some local video stores offer rentals for 99 cents a day and some might have free popcorn Tuesdays. It depends on the store but most offer some good deals. Although the stores might not have the latest movie out, it’ll be a good quick fix.
What is becoming popular now is home delivery of movies. Netflix and Blockbuster are the popular choices that deliver movies right to your door plus, the offer free trials. It usually takes a day or two to cycle through the movies but it’s well worth it. It is a simple process to get the movie of your choice. Make a wish list online and wait for the mailman to deliver your selection to you. There are no shipping fees, no late fees, and you can stream movies instantly right on your computer! Visit each company’s website to find out more details.
Turn Off Those Gaming Consoles!
Last modified on 2009-05-29 01:10:17 GMT. 3 comments. Top.
by Matthew Manorothkul
Enjoy playing video games? Not only do the games cost you money but leaving the gaming console on idle is adding to the cost of having fun too. Depending on the gaming console you own, the amount of energy use is different. Sony PlayStation 3
Let’s see how they compare.
Reprinted with permission of NRDC, the Natural Resources Defense Council
The Nintendo Wii
Microsofts Xbox 360
The Sony PlayStation 3
Good thing is that there is a noticeable trend of lowered energy cost as newer models of Sony PlayStation 3
Helpful tips:
1. Always turn off the system as use. If you are in the middle of a movie or game and know you won’t get back to it in a while, there is always scene selection for movies and save points in a game.
2. Don’t use the gaming console exclusively or at all for that matter to watch movies on it. Good chances are that stand alone players consume less energy.
3. Take a break once in a while. Give your eyes a rest. Not only is it better for your eyes in the long run, it’ll save you some money too.
A Bright Idea!
Last modified on 2009-06-06 20:38:43 GMT. 2 comments. Top.
by Edward Galstyan
One of the best ways to save money is to start at home. Now that’s a smart idea!
It is easy to forget everything we use in the house in our daily lives because of how busy our lives are. Between work, family and other responsibilities we forget & overlook many money saving ideas. So what is one way to save money at home?
Switch to CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lighting)
CFL light bulbs
In 2007, Americans saved 1.5 billion by switching to ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs. The energy saved could light all the households in the city the size of Washington, DC for 30 years. Put another way, changing these bulbs removes as much greenhouse gas pollution as planting 2.85 million acres of trees or taking 2 million cars off the road each year.
If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases, equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.
Visit the official Energy Star website for more information on CFL: Energy Star CFL
Their website also offers special offers and rebates with other companies who can save you even more money.
Go ahead and make the switch to CFL light bulbs by clicking here.
We’ve upgraded from old 56k modem technology to high speed broadband Internet, from VHS to DVD to Blu-Ray,
