Win a free oil change from OCAutoCoupons.com.
Never pay full price for auto repair services in Orange County again! OCAutoCoupons.com has coupons at over 200 auto repair shops in Orange County with shops located in every city in Orange County.
OCAutoCoupons.com is giving away one FREE oil change every day in May. The free oil changes can be redeemed at any shop on OCautocoupons.com for up to $40. Entrants must reside in Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino or San Diego Counties to be eligible to win.
If OCAutoCoupons reaches 300 Facebook fans by May 31st, it will extend the free oil change giveaway into June as well! It’s a good bet that it will reach 300 fans as they are already at 198.
You can enter the giveaway on OCAutoCoupons.com’s Facebook page or on the oil change coupons blog. Winners are announced at 11 a.m. PST every day on the Facebook page and blog. Winners are also notified via email, which is required to enter per Facebook promotion guidelines.
Still wondering about OCautocoupons.com? Every shop on the site is screened by looking at reviews, speaking to the owners, and checking with the Better Business Bureau. If you live in the greater Orange County area, signing up for OCAutoCoupons.com could save you money in the long run!
This is paid content. Interested in an ad? Read my blog advertising page.
TJ's Next to Godliness Cleaner is tops!
The May issue of ShopSmart has a list of 27 amazing bargain products, 17 of which I’ve listed below. What are your favorite cheap products?
Laundry detergent - ERA 2x Ultra with Oxi Booster is $10, half the cost of top rated brand Tide and just as good.
Sunscreen – Find top rated sunscreen Up & Up Sport Sunscreen Continuous Spray SPF 30 at Target for $5.25. Love the spray!
Wine - Pick up Yosemite Road Chardonnay by the dozen at 7-Eleven, which sells it for $4 to $5. But hide the label from foodies and wino friends.
Lightbulbs – EcoSmart Soft White Bulbs at Home Depot are $6 for 4 and is the cheapest of ShopSmart’s top rated CFLs. Each one will save you $56 over the bulbs life compared to incandescents.
My latest video with WalletPop is on four car tricks that will save you a lot of money. I made this video partly for my own benefit! I figured the more I know about car repairs, the better I will be at fixing my car myself, knowing exactly what is wrong with my car, and knowing how much a mechanic should actually charge me to do the work. Hope you learn something from this video!
You have a party tonight and you finally found the perfect dress and accessories, but you’re missing one very important thing-‐the perfect shoes. You run around trying on shoes in various shapes, styles, and colors, but nothing seems to work. Right before you give up you FINALLY find the perfect pair, the shoe that fits just right.
At times, shopping for auto insurance can be comparably frustrating. You’ve tried various companies, with different policies, but none of them seem to fit. This is when online auto insurance quotes save the day.
Shopping Online: Convenience
What’s the best part about being able to shop online for outfits, shoes, handbags, and more? Convenience. You are able to see what multiple stores offer (even ones outside of your state) and purchase your insurance able to see what multiple companies are offering, cost, mouse. Pretty neat, right? It gets even better.
Shopping Online: Always A Sale
Everyone loves a good sale. Whether it’s a shirt you have been eyeing for months, or the you’re relieved. Finally you can make the purchase. ChoiceAutoInsurance.com is where insurance quotes are ALWAYS on sale. All you have to do is fill-‐out one form, and within minutes you get to see which companies are offering the best prices, (best sale) and watch your policy prices drop. A true shopaholic knows a steal when they see one. We help you find auto insurance at bargain rates. Don’t be left out, shop now and visit our auto insurance blog for more.
This is paid content. Interested in an ad? Read my blog advertising page.
Beep beep! Avoid these gas wasting pitfalls. Credit: ollesvensson/Flickr
The April 2011 issue of AAA’s Horizons newsletter has an article by “The Car Doctor” John Paul that outlined six pitfalls that reduce your fuel efficiency and gas mileage. How many are you guilty of?
- Old spark plugs and filters can reduce your gas efficiency by 5 percent.
- A lit check engine or service engine light means you are wasting gas. Modern cars have computers to monitor engine efficiency, so trust them.
- A faulty (more…)
UPDATE: This deal is valid at any Kia dealer nationwide, not just in California. Ends today!
PREVIOUSLY: If you live in Orange County or are willing to drive to Irvine, CA, a reader who goes by 4sales4u sent in this tip:
I just received $25 in the mail! :) And there is still three days left for you to get yours, too! Get your FREE $25 Prepaid Visa gift card for test driving a Kia! Print the certificate, and bring it to a Kia dealer before the end of March. http://2011optimatestdriveoffer.cloudapp.net/
Thanks for sending in this tip! Sounds like a fun way to make a little extra spending cash. This deal ends Mar. 31, 2011. Before you head down to the dealer, make sure you fit these requirements:
- You must be 18 years or older with a valid driver’s license
- One $25 gift card per household
- After the test drive, you must mail in a completed e-certificate (available through the link above) with an original dealer signature and unique customer ID by Apr. 15, 2011 to get your $25 gift card
- Valid in the continental U.S. only
Use the card within six months, otherwise a monthly fee of $3 is deducted from the balance. Got a hot tip? Email me.
jwalsh/Flickr
I’m having second thoughts about giving up my car for Lent. Not because of my business trip to Los Angeles that will pose a particular public transportation challenge, but because a video shoot I’m doing that was moved from today to next week and the location is three hours away!
Three hours by car, that is. By bus, train, and foot I’m guessing it will take me five hours to get there. I need to be on location by 10 a.m. Yikes! It’s an all day shoot so I won’t start my trek home 5 p.m. Double yikes!
Also, it’s supposed to snow Thursday. Yikes, yikes, yikes.
I can throw in the towel, brace myself for a long commute and stick to my pledge, or exempt myself from autolessness for work. Thoughts?
Drivers won’t change their habits until gas costs more than $4 per gallon, says the car leasing website LeaseTrader.com. REALLY?
AAA calculates the national average price for a gallon of regular gas is already at $3.47. Last year the average was just $2.70. In my neighborhood, I’m already seeing $3.59 a gallon.
At what gas price do you start changing habits?
When filling my 12.5 gallon tank hit $50 two years ago, I freaked out. I began riding my bike to do errands around town and carpooling whenever possible. Incremental increases don’t seem so big until you realize how much it adds up to. I’m not the only one who took note back then. When gas prices spiked in the summer of 2008, 78% of all SUV/truck transfers were due to high gas prices, according to LeaseTrader. Now, gas prices are the reason behind just 16% of SUV/truck transfers.
I’m giving up my car for 40 days (for Lent) starting Mar. 9, so I won’t have to worry about gas prices in the short term. Scary thing is that I doubt gas prices will come back down before I start driving again on Easter Sunday, Apr. 24, 2011. The combination of rising gas prices and my temporary auto sacrifice may convince me to give up my car for good.
Are you content to pay $4 per gallon?
To rent or not to rent? Credit: dennis/Flickr
Perhaps as a sign that going car-less for Lent is a good idea, yesterday for the first time I saw a bus go by my house. I can’t pretend to need a car when there is a bus route at my doorstep, can I?
Didn’t think so. Where I was in doubt about this sacrifice, you had none. Other than Linda O., commenters unanimously want me to ditch my car keys.
Final answer? I’m going car-less for Lent, which starts Wednesday, Mar. 9 and ends on Easter Sunday, Apr. 24, 2011. (The end of Lent is debated, but I’m sticking to Easter). During my auto fast, I’m allowed to drive my car on Sundays, which is another issue hotly debated among Catholics. I’m not religious, so instead of giving up a sin for Lent, my twist is that I’m giving up a financial sin.
Owning a car is a financial sin? One calculation shows that driving takes $7,095 out of my community each year. Not only is that a lot of money leaving my pocket, it is a lot of money leaving my community. By riding my bike, I’m improving my health and reducing my pollution output. By taking the bus, I’m supporting local economy. By taking a taxi, I’m really supporting the local economy.
Just one problem. During my auto fast I have a business trip to Los Angeles. I no longer have a functioning bicycle in Los Angeles, so I may have to rely on buses. Or, I could exclude business needs from my fast, just like I did during my no-spend month, which means I could rent a car in Los Angeles.
Would renting a car on a business trip during my auto fast be cheating?
DaLee_pl/Flickr
A provocative ad in my Feb. 14, 2011 issue of Time magazine charges that every car you own extracts $7,095 per year from your local economy. The total includes gas, insurance, the purchase price, and finance charges. A measly $1,390 per year stays in your community, including the cost of your license, taxes, repair, tires, registration, and maintenance. The total yearly car spending – $8,485 – is based on a AAA stat. The ad is paid for by Intelligent Cities, a project from National Building Museum, was created by an act of Congress in 1980 and is devoted to studying the built environment and its impact on people’s lives.
Give up your wheels, start walking, and spend more money in your hometown, is the message. If 15,000 people in one community gave up their cars, that would be an extra 127 million dollars to spend. How many jobs would that create? How much (more…)
This post was brought to you by Diesel Link. For even more Fuel savings use a Fuel Card, Diesel Link have a wide range of fuel cards to choose from.
A company called MyGallons.com offers regular drivers like you and me an intriguing way to save money. Buy gasoline at today’s rates and then use the fuel as needed. It sounds like a huge money-saving opportunity, but the process is semi-complicated.
You pay MyGallons upfront for the gas, including a 6-cent per gallon surcharge MyGallons takes to cover costs, then fill up at any station. MyGallons reimburses you for as many gallons as you pre-purchased.There are multiple ways to get reimbursed and you can buy as many – or as little – gasoline as you like. Joining costs $30 for one vehicle, plus $10 per year for each additional vehicle (up to 4).
Would you hedge your bets against rising gas prices with MyGallons? First consider these factors.
Pros
Ends result is great if (more…)
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of Bobbisbargains.
Thms.nl/Flickr
It’s the beginning of a new year and a great time to assess my financial actions and make new budgetary policy. Here are my top five financial New Year’s resolutions:
1. Make a separate gasoline fund for each car. As gas prices go up and the number of drivers and cars in my family also rises, the money I am spending on gasoline is getting out of control. Personally, I am very good at looking at my errands and piggybacking them for the most efficient route. However, the rest of the family (especially the teenagers) are not as driven to do this as I am. I am going to get them more motivated by giving them a certain amount of gas money per week to get to classes and run errands. After that cash is gone, they will have to pay for the gas with their own money, take the bus, or stay home. This resolution has the most complexities to it, but I really want to get the gas expenses under control.
2. Make weekly menu plans and only (more…)
You can get gas for sooo much cheaper with grocery discounts.
So many readers chimed in to share stores that offer a gasoline discount, which is how I saved $.80 off per gallon, that I wanted to re-post the information for everyone.
The gas programs vary, but basically the more you shop at a store, the bigger the gas discount. At my local Stop & Shop, I earn 1 point for every dollar I spend, with weekly bonuses that range from 200-400 points. For every 100 points I accumulate, I get $.10 off per gallon. The points last 30 days so my balance is constantly revolving.
Thanks to Camille, Christine, Barbara Sagat, Celia, Shannon, Iggy, Diane, Jennifer, JT Ward, Cathy, Aneta, Talliana, Linda, Dan, Florence, and Karyn for compiling this list! (more…)
UPDATE BELOW!
Have you ever heard of grocery stores that offer discounts on gasoline? The more food you buy, the cheaper the gas is. Yeah, right.
A reader left a comment months and months ago about how her Mom bought so many groceries she saved almost a dollar per gallon at the gas pump. I was highly skeptical, until I overheard a cashier tell a customer checking out in front of me that she had 325 gas points.
“That’s good for 30-cents off per gallon,” the cashier chirped. Huh? That was just, well, it was preposterous. As she rang me up, the words bumbled around in my head. Thirty cents off per gallon? PER gallon?
I stole a glance at my receipt. There at the bottom, in clear black type, (more…)
Hugo90/Flickr
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of Bobbisbargains.
Out of all of the things I never wanted to learn about, at the top of my list was CARS! But I spent the last three months learning how to get a great deal on a “new” used vehicle for my family.
I tried in every way imaginable to get someone else to take responsibility. But it became apparent that anyone else would head to a used car lot, find a car that they “loved” and could afford, and buy it without digging deeper into the history, maintenance and reliability of the car. I finally gave in and began what will be known as “my year of living dangerously learning about cars.”
Although my search is not over yet, I have gained valuable knowledge about how to buy a used car. (more…)
