Posts Tagged ‘save money’

NEW NEVER GETS OLD?

Monday, November 9th, 2009

In the U.S. we seem to be in love with the word “NEW”. We want new cars, new girl friends or boyfriends, new shoes, new relationships, new furniture, etc. Why? that’s what I want to know.  New is always going to get old eventually, are we just going to trade up ever time there is a “NEW” available? Why not fix that car, relationship, girl/boy friend first and then see how things are.

Cars are HAE’s specialty, not girl/boy friends or shoes. When it comes to the automobile, people are often to quick to through in the towel. Sure if you have an extremely high mileage vehicle that is costing you repair money of more than a car payment monthly, you need to consider looking for something else. But, ig you do the math and consider that a car is a depreciating asset, you might find that a new car payment (Typically around $478 per month for 6 years) is a lot more expensive than the repairs for that same period on your existing vehicle.

The auto manufactures would like you to buy a new car ever few years, that keeps the wheels of industry rolling, but can keep your budget rolled up! In reality, you can keep your car repaired and servicing your needs for many years beyond the last payment as long as you do the required maintenance. There are published reports that show savings in most cases of over $15,000 during a 6 year period of payments versus repairs. That’s $15,000, WOW! Imagine the credit cards that you could pay off and get rid of the high interest loans.

The next time you think “NEW” car, stop and ask yourself, “How much have I spent on actual repairs over the last 2 years?” Excluded maintenance, since that has to be done even on the new cars. Then figure out the expected car payment and see which one is less, I would bet the repair is going to win out on that.

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Schooling consumers!

Monday, May 18th, 2009

As auto repair consumers we are programmed to think that cars are more expensive to work on because they are more advanced. In reality, technological advances have made diagnosing cars easier in some cases. And in all cases it’s still the same nuts and bolts. Auto repair shops would have you believe that cars cost more because it makes profitable sense. Cars are not easy to repair by any stretch of the imagination, but the idea that repair cost have gone up an average of 23% in the last 6 months is not substantiated by repair cost increases along, but by the ability of a repair shop to play on the fact that most of us assume.

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Warranties that extend???

Wednesday, January 28th, 2009

Extended Warranty, warranty?

Lately, auto repair extended warranty companies have been courting consumers’ hard earned dollars. Extended warranties can be a safety net that can save you money, but they are not without limits. You should weight the potential for failure against the cost of the warranty. Some of these warranties cost thousands of dollars and have limited “pay outs”. You may spend $2000 for a warranty and incur a repair cost of $2500 to replace a transmission only to find the next time you need the warranty, your benefit has been exhausted. Why give your money to a warranty company to only have them give it back “if” you use the warranty. If your vehicles’ factory warranty runs out in the first 18 months because of mileage, and you have bought an extended warranty, that warranty then becomes active. This warranty is probably for a time limit of 3 years and 72,000 miles. This means the mileage of the vehicle not how many miles you drive after the original warranty runs out. Therefore, the warranty is actually 3 years and 36,000 miles. Remember the average person drives about 22,000 miles per year, this effectively ends your extended warranty after only 18 months or so. Now if you figure the average person spends about $500 per year on actual repairs that are covered by most of these warranties. This means the average person would spend about $750 for repairs over the same period they paid $2000 dollars for coverage. Do the math and save the money for “If” you have a repair need. If the average person maintains their car properly they will come away from the experience without the need for an extended warranty, but make the call yourself on this one, I am only giving you the facts.

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Here the secret to not getting over charged!!!!

Tuesday, January 13th, 2009

HAE’s: “Don’t  be  overcharged  for  auto  repair”

4 Steps that can save you a lot of money and headache!

1) Choosing  a  repair  shop:

*Ask  friends  about  their  experiences  at  a  shop  they  may  recommend

*Find  a  shop  convenient  to  your  work  place;  if  this  is  where  you  spend  most  of your  time  during  the  day.

*Consult  the  telephone  book

No matter how recommended the shop is “Do  your  homework”  and  go  online  to  consumer affairs division and  look  for  the  number  of disputes  and  how  many  have  been  settled  unsatisfactory.

2) Make  contact  with  the  shop  and  ask:

*Do  you  provide  a  written  estimate?

*Do  you  have  certified  technicians  and  in  what  areas  are  they  certified?

*Do  you  offer  a  standard  12  months  or  12,000  mile  warranty?

*Does  your  warranty  cover  parts,  labor  and  towing?

*Do  you  charge  a  diagnostic  fee?

*Do  you  have  a  minimum  charge?

*Do  you  offer  to  return  of  old  parts?

*Do  you  charge  storage  if  the  vehicle  is  not  picked  up  the  same  day  repairs  have  been  completed?

3) After  you  receive  an  estimate  in  writing:

*Tell  the  shop  not  to  complete  any  repairs  until  authorized,  DO  NOT  let  them  press  you  into  saying  “Yes”.

*Call  other  shops  to  see  what  they  would  charge  for  the  same  repair  or  find  a  resource  such  as  honestautoestimates.com  that  can  check  the  estimate.

*Make  a  call  to  the  parts  store  and  compare  the  parts  price.

*If  you  feel  that  you  are  being  treated  fairly  Authorize  the  repairs  and  confirm  the  price  by  saying  “  I  authorize  this  amount  for  these  repairs”.

(For steps 2 and 3 Honestautoestimates can be a good resource to reduce time)

4) When  you  pick  up  your  car:

*Go  over  the  repairs  that  were  completed  asking  about  the  old  parts  and  any  other  issues  that  might  cause  problems  later.

*Check  over  the  invoice  and  look  for  the  “warranty  statement”,  parts  listed  (Make  sure  they  are  listed  as  new  along  with  part  numbers),  labor  cost  (  Make  sure  the  hours  are  clearly  listed  or  ask  to  have  them  listed)

*Write  down  the  name  of  the  person  who  has  accepted  your  money.

*Inspect  the  car  for  any  damage  that  did  not  exist  before  your  visit and tell the manager before you leave.

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Five Tips for Saving on Auto Insurance

Monday, July 7th, 2008

With rising gas prices and maintenance costs, drivers are trying to cut costs wherever they can. For some, lowering their insurance premiums is the best option. But if you don’t know how to save money on your insurance, where do you start? Following are a few tips to help prevent you from paying unnecessary money to the insurance company and putting more of it back in your wallet.

1. Reconsider your coverage. Many times, drivers sign up for more coverage than they actually need. They might feel rushed at the insurance agency or they just want to make sure they’re covered. Take some time and read through your policy. Chances are there are a few things you’re paying for that you’ll never use. For instance, you may be paying for a roadside assistance service through your insurance company while paying another company for the same service.

2. Make sure your driving history is listed accurately. Does your record say you’ve had accidents that you never had? Or are there tickets on your record that should have “rolled off” by now? Double check your record to ensure you’re not paying a higher premium than you need to be.

3. Use an independent insurance agent. They can shop around and compare quotes from various insurance companies to get you the lowest rate. When you go to the “big guys,” you generally just have to pay what they tell you to pay.

4. Get a multi-policy discount. You can do this by simply getting your home, boat, life and auto insurance through the same company. Or, if you have two cars, make sure they are both listed on the same policy to save money overall.

Don’t be afraid to reevaluate your insurance needs on a regular basis. Your record and needs change after awhile. Why give the insurance companies any more money than you really need to?

5. Raise your decuctable. Raising your deductable to $1000.00 from the standard $500.00 Dollars is an easy thing to do. Just remember you should have the 1k in savings just incase!

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