Did you know???

Did you know the DMV has a machine that does your registration for you? 

Now if you are cutting it close to the deadline (like I always do) you don't have to brave the lines or mail it in and hope for a quick sticker return. They will let you walk in, avoiding the line entirely, slip your money and paperwork in the machine and viola, your sticker comes out. 

Congratulations to the government for making ONE thing more efficient.  

You get what you pay for!

Even when the economy is running smoothly, a lot of people try to save money here and there by buying cheap products. 

Maybe saving a dollar on shampoo will be worth the sacrifice, but there are some things that should not be scrimped on. Items that you should not go cheap on are the ones that you put in your car to make it go. Sure, you could say that I am biased because I am married to a mechanic, but it is in your best interest to repair your car to it's maximum potential. 

If you have to feed your family Ramen noodles for a week to be able to afford it, please consider the benefits: 

The parts are going to last longer. Say you have the option to buy a $300 part vs. a $200 part. The $200 one has no warranty and is likely to poop out in a year. The $300 part has a 2 year warranty, but you are sure it will last the entire two years. At the end of the two years with the good part, you spent $300 and with the cheap part, you spent $400, plus the extra time you spent at the mechanic. 

You will also save on extra expenses: If a part fails and has to be put in again, the mechanic still has to be paid for his work. 

I think this applies to more areas of life than just in a car. I am learning that sometimes the savings aren't worth the sacrifice to the enjoyment I get to have in life.  

 

Changing the Stupid Oil

If the engine is the heart of your car, the oil is the blood. 

The oil is a lubricant that reduces friction in your cylinders. (Cylinders are like the guys in the bottom of the boat pushing and pulling the ores.) When the oil first goes into your engine, it is a translucent caramel color. 

To check your on your oil color and to see if there is enough, get your Manuel to find the dipstick in your car and pull it out. Wipe it off and put it back in. (The car moving around will give you an inaccurate idea of how full the engine is.) Take it out again and that is how much oil is in the car. The dipstick should tell you where the full level is and where the lowest level can be. 

As time goes by, it gets darker and thicker and does not lubricate as efficiently. 

Here is some dirty oil. MMMM, tasty. 

This is why we have to change the oil and the filters at regular intervals. Cars used to get oil changes every 3,000 miles, but now there are synthetic oils that can go as long as 5,000 miles. It is more expensive, but worth putting off the next oil change for at least a few months.   

Those dudes at oil change shops can afford to sell such cheap oil changes because they try to tell you that all sorts of things are wrong with your car so that you will get those things done there. Usually they are wrong. Don't tell them to "suck it," or anything because it is always nice to be nice:), but check with a mechanic you trust before getting anything done.  

My icky steering wheel!

My hubby and I decided to take some baby wipes to our steering wheels this week. I recommend that everyone who uses their hands on a steering wheel do the same. 

I'm sure some of you out there keep a cleaner or more disinfected car than I do so this probably won't apply, but if you haven't wiped down the spots you touch the most, it is probably in order. Don't forget the gear shifter, the radio buttons and the door handles.

Just think of all the nasty stuff that is collecting there. EEWW

Healthy Driving Friends!

Silly me

We moved and I lost all my passwords so I have not been able to log on to my account. I know, I am such a doofus for doing that. I'll have more info coming soon. We need it in these tough economic times, am I right?

When to service your car

There is a manual in your glove compartment you need to look at. 

It will tell you when to get tune ups, when to flush your transmission and other useful information like that. 

There is a newer motor oil that you can use in your car that will last for five months or 5000 miles rather than the old 3 months or 3000 miles. 

Ya, it is more expensive, but it will save you hassle and money in the long run.

Keep the gas in your tank

Some tricks to saving gas.

1. Try not to use the AC.

2. Keep your tires inflated at 32-35 pounds of pressure. Your car has exact specifications on the door to your gas tank or the lid to the gas tank.

3. Keep the car tuned up. Read your manual and it will tell you the frequency of tune ups and oil changes and other necessary maintenance.

4. Try to drive the car at about 2 RPM's. This is more difficult to gauge on an automatic transmission but if you listen to the pitch of the engine you can get an idea. If she is squealing like you are pushing her, you are probably going too fast and using up more gas.

5. Go the speed limit.

6. If you have a manual transmission, let it coast in neutral when you can. Just to be on the safe side, don't go into neutral when you are using an automatic transmission. If you accidentally put the car in reverse you will end up having transmission problems. My husband is an excellent driver and he won't even take that chance. On the other hand, if you are sitting in line at McDonalds, neutral is good.  

7. Don't keep your life in the back of your car. Obviously, extra weight is going to make the engine work harder and use up more gas.

Hopefully these things help. People tend to freak out a little when gas prices go up, but even when they are down, save yourself some money and trouble by using these tricks to keep your gas tank filled.

What Do You Feed Your Car?

You are driving along and you notice that it is time to fill up the gas tank in your stupid car. 

On one corner is an Arco and on the other, a Chevron. The Arco is a whole 6 cents cheaper so the obvious choice is Arco, right? 

Maybe not. 

Some cars don't care what kind of junk you put into the engine, they will perform the same whether the gas in them is high quality or low quality. (My 1995 Ford Contour is a good example of a car that doesn't care.) On the other hand, 

some cars need to be cleaned out every once in awhile and Chevron and Shell gas has an additive that is similar to a detergent that cleans out the nasty carbon build up in your engine. 

There is a very real possibility that your car is the one that likes high quality fuel and if that's the case, you will notice your baby underperforming and she might even need a pricey trip to the mechanic to make it all better. 

Your car can probably handle cheap gas from Costco or Arco, but make sure you give it a special treat by fueling up at a Chevron or a Shell occasionally. 

Keep Your Gas Tank Full

Gas prices are rising again. 

I remember when I first started driving gas prices were under a dollar. When they got up to a dollar fifty everyone flipped out and acted like it was the end of the world. If we only knew what the future would hold.

Some people are worrying about emergencies and gas shortages because they saw what happened in the 70's with the gas lines. I am more optimistic than that, but I thought I would make this suggestion just so people wouldn't worry as much. 

Consider yourself empty when you still have a half a tank of gas in your tank. 

This way you can have the freedom to choose where you get your gas and when. I hate finding myself in the situation where I barely make it to the nearest gas station and then, much to my dismay, it is the most expensive gas station in town.  

If you want to find the Cheapest Gas Prices in your town, click on this link and it will find the best prices nearest to you.

Good luck in your search and remember, it could always be worse.

Ugly Car Blues

Is your car a pile?

I have one of those. It's embarrassing to drive because it is so ugly. Let me assuage your troubled heart.

Think of your car as a lonely neighbor.

This neighbor tries her hardest to help you out. Sometimes she is more trouble than she's worth, but at the end of the day isn't she sweet! She may take too much time talking to you and she may have her skirt tucked into her pantyhose on occasion, but when it comes down to it, she would give you the shirt off her back.

Your car is that neighbor.

She's so tired and old, but even though she's breaking down, she's going to get you from point A to point B on a day when it is too cold to walk or you don't have enough time to take the bus.

Take care of your car friends, and she will take care of you!

My stupid car is a pigstye!

When I was single, I gave a cute boy a ride in my messy car. He said, "Jeez, you aren't even going to try to impress me by cleaning your car?" My car stayed clean for years after that. 

Fast forward ten years, one husband and two boys later and the mess was getting out of control again. I live in an upstairs apartment and every time we got out of the car I dreaded lugging the boys and all my crap upstairs. My solution? A laundry basket, a schedule and Xanax. Just kidding, no need for the Xanax. Just make time on your calendar once a week or so to fill a laundry basket with the junk form your car. Cleaning up the junk in your car occasionally will motivate you to keep it cleaner.  

Picture this fictional scenario.

It is Saturday night and you just got the call you've been waiting for all week. Your (insert gender here) friends are going out for a night on the town and you are the lucky one who gets to taxi them around in your super cool car from the 90's. Your elation turns to panic when your key fails to turn over the engine. (In other words "start it" for those of you who are really behind.)

In the morning, you find the mechanic with the groovyest webpage in your area and make an appointment as soon as possible. Joe Shmo, whom you don't know from Adam, informs you that your car is a death trap and you need $5000 worth of work done on everything from the wiper blades to the muffler. You call in favors from relatives all over the country to get it paid for because after all, your car would have started if there weren't so many things wrong with it, right?

Not necessarily. The first mistake anyone can make is to either tow their car into the nearest shop or use the shop with the prettiest ad. Ask around, preferably before your car breaks down. You wouldn't just go to a random gynecologist or take pills recomended by a washed up child star would you? (Just say, "Of course not") Go to a mechanic that someone else trusts. There is the possibility that you won't be a good fit, but it is safer to ask someone than to play eenie meenie miney moe on the internet.

If you have no choice and you are already in this situation, a good sign that you can't trust him is if he says, you HAVE to get everything done. A good mechanic will prioretize the work that needs to be done. He will tell you what you need to do to get the car running, what to do to get it running smoothly and what to do to get it in ideal condition. A really good mechanic will tell you when it isn't worth it to get the work done. If you need $5000 worth of work done on a 2008 BMW, it would be reasonable to assume he isn't taking you for a ride. If you drive a 1995 Corolla, there is the very real possibility that the car isn't worth the money you put into it, so it would be better to just get a newer car. My husband has done that before and even though they loose the sale, the customer knows he is trustworthy.