Joe's Money

Well, let me start off by saying you won’t be getting a buy one fill up get another free with this deal, a guy can dream right?  So bare with me and I can show you how to ease the latest gas prices just a little bit.

Super America and Speedway both offer the Speedy Rewards card.  All it entails is a free discount card that racks up points as you spend your hard earned cash on everyone’s favorite expense, gas.  The card also ears points on just about everything found in the store as well.  For gas you typically earn 10 points per gallon.  Most in store items reap 20 reward points for every dollar spent, sometimes more for bonus items.  Only a few categories do not earn points like tobacco, lottery, etc.

So right now it takes 24,500 points to get a free $25 gas card.  Yes, you’re absolutely right, that takes a lot of spending to rack up that many points.  However, here is a little trick that will help you get there faster.

When you purchase giftcards, you get a bonus of 1,000 points for every $50 put towards the giftcard.  So when I go to the gas station, I put on a few hundred dollars until it runs out, then repeat.  Gas is a fairly fixed expense so if you budget you should be able to do this as well.  Once the cash is on the gift card, you use that to purchase your gas replacing your cash or credit card.  In addition to the bonus points from purchasing the gift card, you also earn points when you purchase the gas.

Picking up the gift cards in $50 incriments will sure help you get there faster.  While you won’t get a ton in free gas, a little extra never hurts.

Buying a used car can save you loads over the price of a new comparable car.  Follow these tips to make sure you don’t get taken for a ride.

1.  Have a plan

Do some research first.  Narrow down your search by looking online at multiple dealers, private party sellers, etc.  Compare the prices and know about what the vehicle is selling for both at dealers and via private party.

2.  Know What You Want

Have all the features you need planned out ahead of time.  If you have a few kids, a third row seat may be needed, know how many miles you put on the car, etc.

3.  Do All Research and Shopping Online From Home, Not at the Dealership

There are way to many places online to research and find exactly what you need.  Don’t waste time by going into the dealership until you have narrowed down your search.  Look at the local dealers and find out which ones have cars you are looking for.

4.  Go to All of the Dealerships and Look before Making Any Offer

Check out all the vehicles on your list.  Get a asking price for all of them.  Since you know what you need, the salesman shouldn’t be able to ask you all the probing questions.  How many kids do you have, how much do you drive, etc should all be avoided.  Never let the salesman know if you are out of a car at the moment.  You want to stay clear of anything that makes you look like you can’t walk away.

5.  Don’t be Afraid to Walk Away

Even if you are in love with the car and know its the one for you, don’t be afraid to walk away.  Use your research to your advantage.  Let the salesman know that a comparable vehicle can be had elsewhere for less money.  If they don’t budge, walk away.  There are tons of cars on the market, you’re bound to find a similar one again.  Stay calm and don’t let the salesman get you.  Walk away.

6.  Leave Emotion Behind

Whenever you are shopping for a big ticket item, always leave emotion behind.  If you are sitting in front of your dream car, don’t let them know you fell in love.  If they know you want or need the car badly, they know they can probably get you for more money.  Keep a neutral face and attitude.  Let them know its the right car, but it needs to be the right price.

7.  Don’t Be Afraid to Be Rude

Salesman usually are, at least when it comes to getting the price down.  Being rude can show them you mean business and you are not going to tolerate the typical nonsense.  You are not there to make friends, you are there to get the best possible price on a very expensive purchase.  Again, don’t let emotion get in the way.  You only care about you, not how much the salesman makes in commission.  They will always say we can’t go any lower.  Its a lie.  Used cars have much more margin than new so there is much more leg room to negotiate.

Follow these steps and you will hopefully be on your way to a new set of wheels.

Ok, ok, shopping for car insurance is not usually on the top of the fun list but you can save a lot of money.  I learned the hard way.

About 6 months ago, I needed a new insurance policy.  I drive a 2008 Honda Civic coupe and my better half drives a 1998 Toyota Camry.  When I looked for a policy 6 months ago, the best price I could find for both cars for 6 months was a little over $1,000 for 6 months of coverage.  This was full coverage.  I knew this was high but after looking myself and having a broker look, this was it.  Awesome.

So obviously towards the end of the policy, I started to look again.  Well, this time around it was a different story.  I was able to double my coverage, and get save about $350 every 6 months.  The only thing I did was change my deductible from $500 to $1,000.  And this was not the major cost savings.  We ran both quotes and even with keeping a $500 deductible, I still would have saved $300 for the policy.  I was shocked to say the least.  Point is, shop around constantly.

Here are a couple of other quick tips that might be able to save you a few bucks on insurance.

Put all of your households vehicles under one policy.  Having a multi-car discount will shave off a few dollars.

If you own a home, have your home owners insurance with the same provider.  This will usually trigger yet another multi-policy discount.  This works for renters insurance too.  Even though renters insurance is usually less than $15 per month, you can get a multi-policy discount with this too.  Sometimes, the renters insurance ends up just about free!

Consider dropping collision for older cars.  Sometimes by the time you pay your deductible, its simple not worth it to have collision.

Lastly, if you can afford it, raise your deductible.  If you have a good record, lower your deductible.  If your in an accident and can afford it, this can save you quite a bit on your premiums.

Follow these tips and save tons!

1.  Remove unnecessary items.  The lighter the load, the less gas it takes.
2.  Use sites like GasMoney.com to find lower gas prices around your area.
3.  Use lower grade fuel if your car will accept it.
4.  Keep your distance and anticipate traffic changes, the longer you keep the car in motion without stopping, the less gas is used.
5.  Control your emotions, don’t floor it around the slower drivers!
6.  Use cruise control on highways.
7.  Don’t accelerate to stop signs and red lights.
8.  Drive at the posted speed limits to save gas and avoid costly tickets.
9.  Don’t warm up your car.  Driving slowly and avoiding hard acceleration  for the first few miles does the same thing.
10.  Avoid toll roads if you can.
11.  Use a GPS.  Find the shortest route possible.
12.  Car pool.
13.  Walk if the destination is close enough.
14.  Cover all of your stops in one trip.