I thought it would be a fun experiment to check out what’s on the market for one of the trendiest cars here in the U.S, the Smart Car. If I were to get a second car strictly for commuting purposes, I’m pretty sure I’d go with one. It feels roomier than it is, and just for driving around/running errands it would be great. The only gripe I have with the car is the price. I think a brand new Smart Car costs more than it should. So what should I do? By it used!

So, I popped over to a used cars site, Buyyourcar, and found a wide variety of listings. Although the listings are in pounds, it’s fairly easy to convert over. While a brand new smart car retails for $12-14k, something I think is a little steep given the smart’s size and tiny engine, buying used would open up an opportunity to get the car at a much more reasonable price.

While a Smart Car isn’t in my near future in all likelyhood, as I’m perfectly happy with only one car, it’s a good exercise to get into the habit of searching for used items. Build up your list of resources and utilize sites like buyyourcar so that when the time comes you have a number of sources to draw from at your disposal.

Let’s face it: Gas is expensive, and it’s only going to get worse from here. I know prices will correct at some point and go slightly lower..but for the long term, high fuel costs are here to stay. With this in mind we have to be constantly aware of ways to cut down on the price of fuel. One such method is by using a credit card for your gas purchases, which rewards you with points, more fuel, dollars, etc. etc. It should be noted that this method is only viable if you diligently pay your bill at the end of each month.With that in mind, listed below is a site that could be quite helpful in gathering information on the best credit cards. Here is their press release:

“It’s not a secret that today credit cards with gas rewards are very popular with people. Now almost everyone possesses a car. So, people have to fill up with gasoline. Since gas prices are very high, people spend a lot of money on fuel.

However, many Americans have found the way out. They apply for gasoline credit cards. These plastics are available from the major credit card companies and specific fuel companies. Gas credit cards give people a chance to save their money every time they fill up at the gas pump. Of course you will save only small amounts of money with each gas purchase, but the amount of money that you will be able to save during a year will be a significant savings for you.

There two types of gas credit cards. The first one is gasoline plastics offered by specific fuel companies or gas stations. As a rule, you will be able to get rebates only on gasoline purchases from a certain fuel companies or gas stations.

The second type of gasoline credit cards is provided by a credit company and it isn’t connected with any certain gas station. In this case you will get rebates on gasoline purchases at any gas station.

Nowadays many people get a Shell card and they say that it helps them to save a lot on fuel.

So, high gas prices have made a lot of Americans to pull in their fuel expenses. However, the ways out exist. And one of them is to apply for a gasoline credit card.”

I’ve grown tired of the growing cost of food. Every week I try to keep to my set budget, getting the same things I always get, and each week I go a little farther over than before. Well after reading this article, I’ve decided to jump into the trenches of coupon clipping and see what value I can derive from it.

I’ve also decided to make a trip back to Trader Joe’s and see how my food shopping prices compare to a traditional grocery store like Acme. For whatever reason I always seem to get more food for less money there, and having made the switch over from processed foods to a more traditional healthy diet, I think it’d be a great place to get started in food cost savings. For toiletries, it’s time to break down and create a full on plan for CVS arbitrage.

This should be fun!

I read a LOT of personal finance books and other investment related articles, news, media, etc. and I’m always somewhat concerned by the line of thinking that debt is ok to have. Books like Rich Dad Poor Dad explain that it’s ok to use leverage to your advantage as long as you’re not in too deep or only if it directly benefits you (investing in a rental property as an example). I’m not so sure. Debt is one of those things that’s all too easy to spiral out of control, and constantly forces you to meet a certain level of income.

Let’s approach it this way. When considering the amount needed to live on, there’s usually some expenses that top the list. One of my favorite blogs, Early Retirement Extreme, recently laid out our biggest expenses like this:

1. Children
2. Housing
3. Transport
4. Food
5. Taxes

Understanding which of these can and cannot be kept below a certain level is vitally important. You can take a variety of steps to lower the cost of Children (Not spoiling them with expensive toys) Transportation (no car loan) , Food (coupons/sales), Housing(NO mortgage), and Taxes (…accountant?). If you’re noticing a theme here, it all related back to debt. One of the biggest ways to cut down on your monthly expenses is to not pay debt interest to anyone. Not only does this mean that you’re more resilient to a recession, but you’ll also have a lot of options available to you in terms of career choice and income. I’ll admit I’m the most fuzzy in the tax area. It’s just not something I feel comfortable talking about with any sort of authority. Expect more posts about it in the coming months though, as I intend to learn a lot for next year!

None of these can be eliminated entirely, but keeping the monthly bite your living expenses take out of your income to a minimum means there’s more left for you!

I’ll be the first to admit that I just don’t go to the movies very often. This is a combination of being picky about what movies I want to see on the big screen in general, but also the fact that it would be like $15.00 just to get a movie ticket and popcorn! When looking for something entertaining to do that’s close by though, sometimes going to a movie does pop up, especially if it’s something I’m genuinely excited about seeing. I have no intention of paying for it, though! How do I get to go the movies for free? Here’s a method to my madness:

• Mypoints: When a friend referred me to Mypoints well over a year ago, I was skeptical. I had visions of my e-mail inbox being flooded (more than it already is) with spam after signing up. Instead I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could earn points without buying anything and in relatively short order. While it won’t get you a free movie ticket every week, you can save up enough points for at least a few excursions a year. All you have to do is read the “bonus mails” they send out and you’ll be rewarded points. They also have surveys you can complete, but I found them cumbersome and long. Instead what I do is purposely disqualify myself from surveys, thus netting more points (you get some even if you don’t qualify). To date I’ve earned 2 free movie tickets to Regal Cinema and I have received them, too!
• Credit Card Rewards: In order to entice users to buy things on their cards, a regular old credit card just doesn’t cut it. Many credit companies will reward you for using their services by letting you earn points or cash back that you can then use for stuff like say..movie tickets! Depending on the type of spender you are, be very careful with these programs. Make sure you pay your balance off every month and on time, or you’ll be negating any benefit derived from the rewards.

Movie ticket certificates are also good gifts to ask for. Some people may find it cliche, but I prefer people buy experiences for me rather than stuff. A trip to Dave and Buster’s or a dinner at Moshulu’s sounds way better than a mug that says “Frank’s Great!” or a golf ball billiards set.

Your Mileage May Vary.