Search Results for: blog when your car hits the end of the road

How Small Temptations Can Ruin Your Budget

Sometimes it’s not the big expenses that shatter your resolve to save money, it is the small temptations that will get you. It is those small temptations that I, personally, most have to guard against. For example, although my husband and I often like to stop at the Apple store and look at the iPads whenever a new one is released, we aren’t in danger of purchasing one any time soon. It just doesn’t make that much sense to spend that much money when our emergency fund isn’t, well, as fully funded as we would like and we still owe … Continue reading →

Anticipating Expenses in Your Budget

When establishing a budget, it is important to account for variability. Some monthly expenses change a bit each month, such as your energy bills, others are paid bi-annually or annually instead of monthly, such as taxes, and some pop up unexpectedly. Others expenses may vary in their amounts each month. Knowing how to anticipate your expenses will leave you with a solid budget that is always in the black. First start with the stable expenses, those that do not change from month to month. Some examples might be your car payment, your mortgage payment, or a student loan. You can … Continue reading →

When Your Car Hits the End of the Road

I have the same car I had when I met my husband, an SUV that I bought used. We have been married for 12 years. The SUV is now almost 15 years old. While it isn’t our primary car, the birth of a third child necessitated a third car seat which would not fit the backseat of the SUV, it is still used quite a bit as a second car. Unfortunately, it is getting to the point when we may have to give it up. According to the magazine, Consumer Reports, you can save thousands of dollars when you keep … Continue reading →

That New Car Smell

It’s been so warm here lately and every day I see people at the car wash, I really should wash my car as well, maybe tomorrow. My car is a mess, I’m not very good about making sure it gets washed in the winter. Having a clean car is probably even more important in the winter, all the wet weather and road dirt gets on your windows and once the sun hits them you can’t see a thing. I took my car through the car wash, even though it’s been warm, it’s not warm enough to go to a self … Continue reading →

Does “E” Really Mean Your Car is Empty?

With the price of gas hovering dangerously close to $4 a gallon around here I am tempted to see how just how much farther my car could go once the needle on the fuel gauge hits “E.” Of course, any car expert would give you a laundry list of reasons why this is not a good idea. Still, I must admit there were a number of times in college when I pushed my poor car to its limit and rolled into gas stations on fumes. Which begs the question: Just how far can you drive once you hit “E?” I … Continue reading →

Traveling to New York? Think Broadway

If you thought the movie was incredible wait until you see Shrek the Musical. The popular DreamWorks Animation SKG film is headed to Broadway and despite the fact that no actor has signed on to play the title character (yet) tickets are all ready in demand. DreamWorks Theatricals just announced that the show will open on December 14th at the Broadway Theatre, with preview performances beginning November 8th. As I mentioned earlier there’s no word on who will be playing Shrek or his pal Donkey, but stage star Sutton Foster (she’s currently starring as Inga in Young Frankenstein) has signed … Continue reading →

And You Thought Your Vehicle Was Old

I heard about this next guy while listening to the news on my car radio. Who knew that it would give me hope that my vehicle could go another 900,000 miles. No, that figure doesn’t have a few extra zeros. I meant to write each and every one. Because according to a man in Medford, Wisconsin, his pick up truck is about to pass the 1 million mile mark. Frank Oresnik claims his 1991 Chevrolet Silverado is on the verge of making history, as it is just 1,100 miles away from a million. And once it hits the milestone he … Continue reading →

“Park Your Car For A Penguin”

How’s that for a catchy tag line? One transportation group says if penguins could talk they would likely urge travelers to think about them and take a bus. “Motorcoaches are nice and don’t melt our ice.” Another great line. The hits keep coming in an eight-page educational booklet produced by the American Bus Association aimed at sending an important message to policy-makers. The pamphlet is titled “Save A Penguin. Take A Motorcoach.” According to leaders in the bus industry, by supporting motorcoach transportation, which gets about 184 miles per gallon and is one of the most efficient ways to travel, … Continue reading →

Would You Know What To Do If Your Car Went Into A Lake, River or Body of Water

Each year thousands of people in the United States die when their car plunges into rivers, lakes and other bodies of water. It only has to happen to me one time, and that would be more then I would want to ever have to face. I live in a city with two rivers, I go back and forth over them all the time, sometimes everyday. I don’t ever want to find out what would happen if my car landed in the river but I sure would like to remember what I should do if it actually did happen to me. … Continue reading →

Family Travel: More Kid-Friendly Restaurants

I don’t know about you, but when our family hits the road for a family vacation there are only so many meals I can tolerate ordering from a hanging fluorescent menu. By day two I insist we eat at least one meal at a sit-down restaurant. However, I realize that this can add up (especially if you are not staying at a condo or resort with a kitchen that allows you to make your own meals). In a previous blog I provided a list of some of our family’s favorite roadside pit stops. Here now are a few affordable additions … Continue reading →