Comments on: Your Money or Your Life: 101 Sure Ways To Save Money (Part One)

By: Colleen (Hd Gasket)

Colleen (Hd Gasket) — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 14:44:59 +0000

My brother used to work on his cars all the time. When I was younger, I loved getting my hands greasy, handing him wrenches and feeling like I was helping. Before I bought my first car, he showed me how to change a tire, the oil and basic mechanics. It was priceless and has saved me a lot of money over the years. I’m a 51 year old woman and work in the automotive field and am still thrilled that my big brother took time to teach me some important things about owning a car and taking care of it.

By: N'Awlins Kat

N'Awlins Kat — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 05:32:04 +0000

@Steve: What George said, and also, I find I feel an extra measure of security if I block the rear wheels with a brick or piece of a 2×4 wedged behind them. Changing your own oil is worth it. So is adding some Slick 50 or a similar engine treatment to your oil change. I don’t put huge numbers of miles on my cars; they tend to die of old age first, but maintaining them well is important. My dad made my sister and I pass his written tests on the internal combustion engine before we were allowed to touch the car keys, and my first car was a real beater that tested ALL that knowledge!

@Trent: I particularly like the “sharing” topic. We (family and friends) have always passed things around until there’s no more use in them. We have friends who moved here from Cuba four years ago and have become our good friends and neighbors. As we cleared things from my grandfather’s estate, we offered them my grandparents’ dining room set and a set of my grandmother’s china. His wife was so happy that she cried at having enough chairs and nice dishes to serve holiday meals and guests. I was glad that my grandma’s china went to someone who’d love it. The husband said he wanted to do the same when he was in a position to help someone. Today he came to me, excited because he’d bought a fancy new tv and was replacing their smaller color tv, which will go to my sister, who lost her house and many possessions in the hurricane. Even though he could have sold it, I’m sure, he wanted to give it to complete the circle, he said, because we’d accepted and helped them when they moved here. I must say, that felt very good to pass on that family custom. :)

By: George

George — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 18:50:48 +0000

Steve – get car ramps rated to hold up your vehicle’s weight. That will give you adequate room (unless you haven’t been eating right & exercising :-) underneath the car and doesn’t require another person standing by to make sure you aren’t crushed. $40 is WAAAY too much to spend on an oil change when the materials to change it cost $8-10; you’re essentially paying someone $30+ for 15 minutes work, which is $120/hr for having enough dexerity to turn a wrench!

By: Laura

Laura — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 11:40:42 +0000

Last night we were speaking with a friend (recent graduate)about getting a car. He’s looking at getting a used car from a private seller to be paid with cash. His parents are trying to get him to get a new car from the dealership. My husband and I showed him the difference in cost and now he’s sticking by his guns. He realized that the ‘nicer care’ comes with thousands of dollars in more payments.

By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 06:08:36 +0000

I keep hearing I should learn to change my own oil, but I always wonder if it’s worth the trouble. I tried it once – the space under the car was too small, I couldn’t really turn the oil pan nut in that cramped space and I was a bit scared. Plus, I had to have someone stand over the whole time to make sure I wasn’t pinned. I live in an apt complex so I had to take the car out to an empty parking lot to try and do this. The entire experience put me off trying to change my own oil. Paying 40 bucks or whatever to get it changed seemed safer and more convenient.

But if others in a similar situation – live in a complex that doesn’t allow these shenanigans with your car, and don’t have a yard or garage to do this – have tips on how they do it, I’m very interested in finding out. I’m discouraged, but I absolutely know it makes total economic sense.

By: !wanda

!wanda — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 02:50:25 +0000

“Eat healthy and exercise.”
This advice is very good, but it will only get you so far, and no one can tell how far it’ll get you. We all know people who do everything right and still die young or get cancer, because of genetic disposition or just plain bad luck, and other people who smoke and eat bacon and live long lives. The human body is complex, and doctors and scientists still have a poor understanding of how an individual’s genes and environment interact to produce his or her overall state of health. Everyone can benefit from eating healthily and exercising, but there’s no substitute for good medical insurance and preventative health care.

By: lorax

lorax — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 00:33:58 +0000

It’s amazing how well these tips have weathered the last two decades. As I read though them most are still relevant, perhaps prescient. Just multiple the dollar costs times two.

By: ongrowthtrack

ongrowthtrack — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 00:11:36 +0000

Exercise and eating right can’t be stressed enough.
Impulsive thoughts do not bother me when I have eaten right.

By: Jayne

Jayne — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 22:34:14 +0000

I have no children of my own yet (so maybe my view of kids is idealistic), but its so nice to read about people in this world who see children as a blessing. Thanks for the wonderful site.

By: Vixen

Vixen — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 22:33:02 +0000

Yesterday I went looking through my school’s library. Most of the personal finance books were horribly outdated (we’re talking 1950′s). I stumbled across this book though. It was the lone book published post-1980!