I’m making a list of all the things I am going to buy as soon as my spending moratorium is over August 1.
1. Hair ties ~ $2. I’m down to three, including one that has lost all its stretchiness. If I run out entirely I can use rubber bands, but that’s not fun.
2. A new tire for my road bike ~$25. I have been having problems with flat tires. At first the inner tube deflated over a few weeks. Then it lost all the air overnight. I found and patched a small hole that held for a few days. Saturday before heading out on an ambitious bike ride to drop flyers for the Frugal Fe$tival at libraries across the Valley I found a second hole.
Why is my inner tube getting so many holes, I wondered. I inspected the 
tire and found two cracks, including one that is about a quarter-inch across, between my fingers usabove. Since I couldn’t buy a new tire I used a trick my dad showed me. Take a dollar bill and fold it in half twice so it is about 1″ x 3″. Tuck that into the tire so it covers the crack, below. Then put in the inner tube and inflate. The folded dollar is strong enough to protect the inner tube for short periods. I used this trick twice so I guess you could say the fix cost me two dollars!
3. Maintenance check up for my MINI ~$750. She only needs it every 15,000 miles and I have a coupon from the dealer for $100 off. I’m tempted to go to a non-dealer but the dealer has does solid work, has great customer service, and washes my car!
July 13th, 2009 at 4:19 am
You see I knew there was a reason I liked your blog. You drive a MINI and so do I. Love my MINI. Drove it all weekend with the top down and 3 people stopped me to say how cute it was. And stick with the MINI dealer…they do a great job on mine. I don’t get coupons though.
July 13th, 2009 at 10:56 am
I have to say, I’m surprised that you go to your dealership for any service that’s not covered under your warranty. I’ve always been under the impression that maintenance at the dealership vs. independent mechanic is the oldest money-saving trick in the book.
Several car afficionados I’ve asked about this say that dealerships grossly overcharge for parts & services, and that you can get the same level of maintenance with an independent mechanic for a much lower price. $750 sounds outrageous to me for a 15k mile tune-up!
I can’t remember if you posted this link a while back, or if I found it somewhere else, but you might want to check it out…
http://repairpal.com/
July 13th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
You take your car to a dealer for service? Nooooooooooooooo! A good indie mechanic will service your car for a third of the price. Ask around. There must be a good mechanic within a few miles of where you live.
July 13th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
Until Aug, here are some tips to get what you need for free:
1. Hair ties – cut off the tops of orphaned socks. They make “free” hair ties. Depending on the socks, they might be very colorful as well.
2. New tire for your bike – this is an excellent item to ask for on freecycle.org. I’m sure there is someone with a tire that is good on a bike that is bad.
3. Well, a maintenance on your car is a bit tougher, but I bet you can find someone who can do your car work who would barter for something else you can do… maybe some web design or promotion materials. I’d try the barter section of craigslist as well as just contacting people who advertise on craigslist for car maintenance. Hey, you can even ask your regular dealer if there is something you can barter for the maintenance. You never know until you ask.
You CAN keep your spending moratorium AND get these three items.
July 13th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Great suggestions, Bobbi. Freecycle rules!
July 13th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
I’m with the person above who wouldn’t go to the dealer unless something was under warranty… since I switched from my dealer to a small garage I have saved THOUSANDS, esp. b/c my guy is very honest. For my Honda minivan, the 15,000 mi check-up was just a couple of hundred. Look into it!
July 13th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
You can by hair ties for less at the 99 Cents Store. They are good quality, many different colors. Splurge!
July 13th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Awwww poor Julia! I’m sorry about your bike’s wheel/s. I know how much you use your bike.
Bobbi B, you are one heck of a bargain hunter (rather Frugal Champ)!
July 13th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
I would put the bike tire under necessity. A wipe out on your bike would cost you a whole lot more. This is a safety issue, not a “I want a blue tire that matches my blue bike…”
July 13th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
On the topic of hair elastics, and similar to another previous post; you can cut small horizontal sections of nylons/tights which may have gotten a run, or just run out of life. Roll them to add strength/tension. Blondes opt for nude or tan, brunettes, brwn or black.
July 16th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
One of our team took their year 2000 BMW to someone else for brakes, and had to have them totally re-done after..so it cost them twice! High performance cars need hi performance service or else it may cost you. Also – check carefully on line for MORE COUPONS! AND check for OTHER DEALERS LOWEST prices. Many dealers will price match, add a coupon to that and you’re cruisin’! Another one of our staff saved $250 doing that for their 90,000 mile service!
Re: hair elastics – good tips posted here already – but we’ll add: old clothing that has elastic sewn in, like some shirt sleeves or sweat pant leg bottoms, cut off that part and use the elastic – and it’s already wrapped up to protect your hair!
July 20th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
I’m not saying you take your “high-performance” car to Jiffy Lube. I’m saying you find a good, independent mechanic who knows his stuff and who wont’ rip you off with inflated dealer prices. Installing new brakes isn’t rocket science.