By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
TFDuesing/flickr
If you want something you don’t have the money for, figure out how to make it. (I’ve already talked about getting things by swapping or repurposing).
Personally, I have found that learning to make something is the best way to go. I get what I need, and I know how to repair it. Here are my five favorite sites to go to when I want to learn new things:
- General instructions - Instructables - You can learn anything from how to carve a pumpkin to how to build your own computer to how to construct a rocket ship. Instructables has more pictures and instructions than videos. (more…)
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
Soft, soft cashmere - photo by Bobbi Burger Brunoehler
I just scored a cashmere sweater for 99 cents at the 99 cent store. Yep. A cashmere sweater for less than a dollar! This unbelievable discount got me thinking about my Bargain Hall of Fame.
I find bargains every day, but sometimes my finds are special. Here are my personal top 10 best buys:
- Brand new original Leatherman tool for $1.50. Retailed for $50 (but it is retired and you can’t even buy it anymore except as a collector’s item).
- Sewing machine (like new) for free on Freecycle. (more…)
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
Daquella Manera/flickr
I am a firm believer in returning products. If I get it home and find out that it doesn’t fit, work, or do what the advertising promised, I return it. However, I hate the time, effort, and gas it takes to make a return.
Most stores have very good return policies. However, it often costs more to return the item than its purchase price. For instance,
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
We all know that we should do research before making a major purchase. We know about comparison shopping, haggling, and looking for discounts. But do you know how to mentally prepare? Here are my 10 tips for shopping preparedness.
- Be well rested. If you have small children, it is possible that the idea of getting a good night’s sleep is but a vague memory and dream. If that is the case, take a nap prior to going shopping. If this is a big item you are purchasing, you may consider hiring a babysitter to watch the kids so that you definitely get a nap. I know it is hard, but shopping while exhausted is bad for your budget.
KB35/Flickr
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There are 11 common mistakes people make when buying or selling a used car, according to the October 2011 issue of ShopSmart, published by Consumer Reports. All of them add up to lost money. Summarized below. About to buy a new car? Here’s how to negotiate a good price and the three steps of haggling. Did you know you can save a lot of money buying car parts from a junk yard? Make sure to check this car recall site before you pay for any repairs.
Seller mistakes
1. Settling on price. Trading in your car is quicker and easier than selling it yourself, but the dealer price will be lower than if you sell it on AutoTrader.com, Cars.com, or Ebay.
2. Risking your privacy. Don’t list your address or full name or you may attract unwanted visitors. It’s a good idea to meet potential buyers in a public place, instead of your driveway.
3. Combining buying and selling. Trading in your car and buying one at the dealer is a super
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
I have a 14-year-old car that I adore. Despite the allure of a beautiful, new, high-MPG eco-friendly compact, I want to keep my comfy Dodge Grand Caravan running smoothly. It is paid-in-full, has low insurance rates, and can easily transport all our stuff.
I was strongly considering buying another, more recent used car to replace my van. However, after extensive research and test drives, I decided to keep my beloved caravan and fix anything that was wrong. I know the history of the car’s breakdowns and repairs. And I know what will soon need fixing. I already took advantage of a free recall replacement on a defective air bag indicator.
Since I figured I would have paid at least $5,000 to get a new-used van, I figured I could spend that much on fixing my current car and still be ahead of the game.
My first items on my to-do list:
- Driver’s side electric mirror
- Rear brake/turn signal/back up light unit
- Silencer pad (that sheet of asbestos on the inside of your car’s hood)
I called the dealer and found out that to buy the parts and have them installed would cost $688. Way too much.
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
We all make good and bad financial decisions. Overall, I am pretty happy with mine. They have allowed me to live the kind of life that is important to me. I get to be an at-home mom and have been there to raise my kids. The trade off? Used cars and no fancy address.
Looking back at my choices, my worst financial decisions have been:
- Not buying a house 30 years ago. I knew that I would be moving a lot, so I didn’t want to buy a house. But in fact, I always stayed longer in each place than I meant to and with the rising housing market all those years, I would have made a lot of money on each turn over and I’d own my house now.
- Not putting money into
© Pavel Losevsky - Fotolia.com
A list from the used car listing site web2carz of the best used cars costing less than $10,000 intrigued me. The used car market is hot right now because so few people are willing to shell out cash for a brand new one. I’m a big fan of used cars, and my husband and I are toying with the idea of getting rid of our two cars for one family car. Convincing him to buy used is not a given but would save us thousands. I summarized the web2carz list below.
Fuel Efficient – 2004 Toyota Prius
Used fuel-efficient cars are in growing demand. Even the newest hybrid technologies can be found used. A 2004 Toyota Prius is a great buy if you are looking to save money at the pump, but you will certainly pay for it in the pedal. A used 2004 Prius will average you 48mpg-city/45mpg-hwy.
Luxury Cars – 2003 Lexus ES300
Used luxury cars retain their value more than their
The Vespa gathering dust.
Bobbi’s posts about buying used cars got me thinking about selling my husband’s Vespa scooter because we almost never use it. It came out once last summer, to be exact. I’ve never even driven the two-wheeler myself! But its potential for fun and gas savings makes us hesitant to sell. Are we being foolish by not selling it – or by not using it? What would you do?
Pros of selling
Cash – Nada Guides values the 2007 LX50 Vespa scooter at $2,310, a nice chunk of change. (Edmunds and KBB do not value scooters). That would more than cover a summer vacation next month or go halfway to maxing out one of our ROTH IRAs.
No guilt – We won’t feel guilty every time we see the Vespa gathering dust in the basement. And we won’t be bogged down by the Vespa’s inertia, currently greater than our motivation to get it
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
digitizedchaos/flickr
A couple years ago, I knew NOTHING about cars. They appeared in my life (from my parents) when I needed them. This lovely, but unsustainable situation, disappeared with the passing of my folks. I had to learn about a subject that interested me as much as fantasy football.
Two years later, I am a used car buying guru. As a follow up to my post about free car repair via recalls, here are ten key websites that I have found necessary to educate myself prior to buying an “out of warranty” vehicle.
Don’t forget to check out Who Can Fix My Car, the UK’s specialist in Car Repairs, which brought you this post.
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
Robert Couse-Baker/flickr
Several years ago I had a minivan that I LOVED. It was the first car that I had ever purchased myself. Unfortunately, one part kept breaking. I must have fixed it four times. I finally just gave the car away. A few months later, I was talking to a mechanic and mentioned how many times I had fixed that part. “Oh yes,” he said, “that part was a factory recall.”
“A factory recall?” What is that?
Turns out that every car has a list of problems that so many people have had with that particular year, make and model, that the factory agrees it screwed up and will replace it FOR FREE!
Instead of paying to fix a part four times, I could have
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
zoetnet/Flickr
Got vacation time coming your way? Trying to decide what to do? I’ve got 10 steps for a great staycation (a vacation at home, so no hotel and travel costs), plus specific things to do in 80 towns across the country below.
I’m always amazed by people who haven’t been to some of the interesting places in their hometown. Don’t wait for visitors to be a tourist in your own town!
Snazzo / Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
With gas prices on the rise, finding ways to save money on transportation expenses is a must. Last year, my dad came home and announced he was going to start biking to work. He was tired of paying $160 a month to fill up his car.
“Part of your route to work is uphill. How are you going to do that?”
My skepticism didn’t discourage him. He shopped around and found an electrical bicycle for
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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.
