Uninsured Motorist Coverage

Last Wednesday Bailey and I were stopped at a red light in Chattanooga when we were rear ended by an uninsured motorist. 
The police rendered her car undrivable at the scene and her insurance company rendered the car totaled. 
Physically, both of us are fine, so please don't worry. 
Emotionally it was tough as this was her first car, a high school graduation present. She felt safe in that car and had planned on keeping it for at least ten years. 
The uninsured driver told police that he took his eyes on the road for a moment. We believe he was on his cell phone as it was in his lap when his door was opened. 
Bailey has had auto insurance through our local insurance company from the first day she owned the car. Driving without insurance is not an option in our home. 
Having full coverage/uninsured motorists coverage, when you have a newer car that you couldn't replace financially, is the responsible thing to do to protect yourself.
Bailey has already replaced her car with the check she received from her insurance company. 
This was a huge shock to both of us, but we are still counting our blessings. 
Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~

Frugal Week of March 12, 2018

I worked two days this week and brought lunch & drinks both days. 
My daughter is doing so well with her reselling that she has asked me to join her. So, on Saturday I started helping her because business has been doing so well. 
On Ebay I listed several more items for sale over the weekend. One of them sold on Thursday for $19.99. 
We were able to get in on an Angel Soft toilet paper deal at Dollar General this week. We used a $5 off $25 deal, plus a $5 off $15 Angel Soft deal, and $1.00 off coupons for each package.  We bought 5 packages of 12 rolls each and paid 91¢ for each 12 pack, which was a 92% savings.
I downloaded several free health videos and sewing tutorials to my computer to watch at a later time. 
On Thursday I had the day off, so we took the opportunity to drop off my daughter's car at her uncle's auto shop to get the oil changed. He also rotated her tires for her and only charged her $20 for supplies. 
While we were waiting on her car we went to the thrift store and picked out several items to resell. 
On Friday night I made a large taco salad for dinner on Friday and Saturday. I like making enough of one dish to have for the next day too. 
How was your frugal week?
Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~

Buying New Tires & Front End Alignment

This past February I knew it was time to start looking for tires for my car. 
The first thing I did was took a photo of my tires to get the right tire number. Mine was P235/50R18. 
I knew I also wanted to get the front end aligned. 
When I first started this search four months ago I searched online for tire sales and tire coupons. 
What I found was that if I applied for a Discount Tire credit card and paid for the tires using it, I would be eligible for a $60 Prepaid Visa card. 
And, if I bought four tires I would receive a $100 Prepaid Visa. 
Of course, I would pay the credit card in full the same month I charged the tires as I have no credit card debt and want to keep it that way. 
During the last few months I've searched several places around my hometown and made several phone calls and sent mails looking to get the best deal on tires and a front end alignment. 
My brother-in-law is an auto mechanic and I spoke to him about what I needed. He suggested someone who would do a good job for me and also be affordable. 
My BIL was also the one to suggest Discount Tire to me a while back. 
It pays to put out the word or speak with someone who is familiar with whatever it is you are needing in order to try and save some money. 
Most of the places I called were asking $79.95 or more for a front end alignment, but I ended up paying $45 plus tax for mine thanks to my BIL who is involved in this type of business every day. 
In case you're wondering, the place my BIL works does not do front end alignments or he would have done mine for me. 
I did not jump on the buy four tires get $100 back in February because I did not need four tires. I only needed three due to a flat tire I had last winter when  I ended up replacing the flat tire with a brand new one, bought at Discount Tire. 
Since school is out right now this is the perfect time to get my car into the shop. So, today I took my car for the front end alignment and the mechanic said I definitely needed new tires. 
So, after he was finished, I drove over to Discount Tire and bought three new tires and I charged them on my new Discount Tire credit card because they are going to offer me six months no interest on the purchase. 
Now I have the money to pay for the tires in my emergency fund, but for right now I am going to take advantage of this interest free deal at least for the summer time while my income is lower than usual. 
Total spent for three new tires was $606.15. 
Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~

Unofficial Start of Summer

Monday marked the unofficial start to summer. Last Monday was my last day subbing until school starts back in August. I always look forward to this time of year as I usually get more things done around the house, and some projects usually get put off until this time of year. 
This time of year brings with it a smaller income to our household and therefore, we make adjustments accordingly. We do have several different sources of passive income, which brings in needed funds. 
Recently I made $100.84 from my blog through Google Adsense. I had the money transferred to my regular checking account to start, and then transferred $15.89 into our emergency fund, and $10.00 into our new house fund, which was over 25% placed into savings. 
Mr. Money Mustache regularly saved over 66% of their income in order to retire early. If you are looking for inspiration, be sure to read his blog.  His family lives a frugal lifestyle that even Amy Dacyczyn would admire. 

We stopped by the Mennonite Farmer's Market this past week to pick up some fresh produce. We spent a total of $28 for all of this and have been enjoying it all week long. 
Tomorrow I will be taking my car to an auto shop for a front end alignment to the cost of $45, which is a great deal. My BIL, who is an auto mechanic, recommended this company to me. Asking around or putting out the word of what you are looking for will help to save you money. 
Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~

Frugal Spring Break

Spring Break was this past week, so I did not work, but did several fun things, and checked several things off my to do list which includes...
Sewing - I repaired several garments that were in need of sewing over Spring Break. I could have spent money and bought new items, but want to see how long I can make the ones I have last without spending any money. 
Oil Change - My daughter's car requires synthetic oil and therefore costs more money than a regular oil change. Even Walmart charges $48 for an oil change with synthetic oil.
Her uncle is a full time mechanic, so I suggested she check with him to see where she could get a good deal. He told her to bring it by the shop and he would change it for her. 
He only charged her $20 for the supplies he used, so she got a good deal and it was less expensive than having someone else do it for her. She also gifted him with some hand soap and shampoo that we had couponed for that day. 

Eating Out - We did not eat out over Spring Break, but we did go to the English Rose tea room in Chattanooga and had a pot of hot tea on Wednesday afternoon, which only cost $3.50 per person. 

A pair of turtle doves landed on the fence right outside the window while we were there. 

Thursday turned out to be a beautiful spring day, so we had a picnic in the park. I brought sandwiches and drinks from home and we had a good time together feeding birds as well as ourselves until it was time for her to return to school. 

Dinners this week have included Meatloaf, Cabbage Rolls, Homemade Chili, and Tacos and Chili Tacos. I've been finding some great prices on both marked down and on sale ground beef, so we have been having it on our menus more than we usually have. 

Yard Sales - On Friday we wanted to yard sale, but think the rain on Thursday night made most of them choose to not set out their items for sale. 
We did happen on one church yard sale and found something on our yard sale list, which was an office chair for $5.00 for my daughter. 

I was going to buy her a new one this year, but decided to shop around and wouldn't you know it? We found one right at the start of yard sale season. They even had several to choose from, so she was able to sit in all of them and find the one she liked best. 
On Saturday we were on our way to the library but decided to yard sale again first. I'm glad we did because we crossed off another thing on my yard sale list...a sewing machine!
If you recall, my sewing machine stopped working back in August of 2015, so I've waited patiently for 19 months to replace it. We found one at a barn sale on Friday, but the price with the cabinet was $150, so we declined. 
The one we found on Saturday had a tag on it marked $40 and works good, but this was close to the end of the day and my daughter heard they were going to start letting things go cheaper. So I offered up $20 and they counter offered with $25, so I bought it. 
Here is a photo of the tag and machine:

I'm so tickled. I have several projects that I want to do now that I am back in business with a sewing machine.  :)

Other things we found today include a towel for $1.00, a jacket for $2.00 (talked her down from $4.00), two umbrellas for $1.00, and two new blankets for my daughter. She would have blankets a mile high on her bed if she could. LOL

How was your weekend?
Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~

Update from the Frugal Workshop

Thanks to Carol over at CT on a  Budget, I have fixed the crack in my windshield. She sent me a link to the video above, which used the Permatex windshield repair kit. 
The kit was $13 at Auto Zone and here are some photos of the repair I did. 

 The crack during the repair...

After the repair, it is not perfect, but looks much better and hopefully will prevent the windshield from cracking further. 

Looking through the windshield, you probably cannot even see the repair. I am very excited about this repair as I was very concerned about the windshield cracking further.

 So, thank you to Carol for suggesting this repair. I'm grateful because I did not know such a thing existed until she mentioned it to me. 

Carol also mentioned that I should put an ad on Craigslist for a free, working microwave, which I did, and we had a "working" microwave within the hour! 
Unfortunately, I think the move was hard on it because it did not work once we brought it into the house. It was an older model microwave (1984), but the lady who owned it took good care of it and it was super clean. 
We do have another person offering one though and we are in the process of making arrangements to pick that one up. 
So, I wanted to let you know of these updates and to thank Carol for making these great suggestions to me.  :)

Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~

My Frugal Week

This week went by quickly! Here are some frugal things we've done...
- Earned $25 Paypal card from Swagbucks this week. 
- Earned $30 from Inbox Dollars this week. 
- The air pressure in one of my tires went from 30 to 15 in just under an hour one day this week and I knew I must have gotten something in it. 
I dropped it off at the auto shop where my brother-in-law works. He fixed it for me and didn't charge me for it. We tend to help each other out when we can. I recently gave him a twin size bed for his son who needed a bed. 
I'm very grateful to have him in our lives and also grateful that I didn't have to spend any money on this repair at a time when I am watching every expense. 
- Today I was looking through the Craigslist ads and found this...

- If you recall, I just stated the other day I was waiting for a sale or coupon on a haircut. Then this pops up on Craigslist. So, I made an appointment for both of us and we got our hair cut for free today. How neat is that? That saved us at least $26 plus tip. 
Be sure to check the free section of Craig's List where you live. You never know just what you might find. :)
My friend that occasionally gifts us with free food gifted us this past week also. We received multiple items for the freezer, corn on the cob, numerous baked items and bread items. 
I know in my heart that we have been blessed beyond measure and it especially feels so this week. 
Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~

Updates from the Frugal Workshop

This is a photo my daughter took on her Spring Break. They had just gotten off the ship in Nassau. Her grandmother took her on a Carnival cruise to the Bahamas as an early graduation present. 

My Spring Break was a little disappointing because I came down with a stomach virus, which lasted about five days, which explains my absence from my blog. 

Anyway, my daughter got her drivers license this week and we have been car shopping everyday after school. She finally settled on this one:

It is a Ford Fiesta that gets 40 miles to the gallon, which will help a great deal as she starts college this fall. I'm very happy to report that we were able to pay cash in full for the car, so she will have no car payments.


Yesterday we spent the day decluttering around the house and took off a carload of garbage to the dump and donated items to our local charity shop. Afterwards we cleaned the house, including laundry, and getting ready for the work/school week. Other than that we spent the whole day at home, which felt great after car shopping all week. 

One thing I noticed when car shopping was the fact that many cars had almost 100,000 miles on them, which to me was a sure sign of the economic times. People are holding onto their cars much longer than they used to hold onto them. I know I held onto my last car for 15 years and it had over 200,000 miles on it when I replaced it with a newer one for work. I still have the old car, which I use to haul off garbage. 

This week I will be adding another car to my auto insurance policy or getting a policy for my daughter all her own. I will do a price comparison in the office to see which one will save us the most money. I've already seen an increase in price of $200 when I added her last week after she received her driver's license. Any advice from those who have been through this already will be very welcome. 

Thank you for reading,


Belinda ~ Living within my means in Southern Tennessee ~
Earn with Swagbucks

Sunday

The air conditioner in my car is working again. I checked it before I went down there yesterday morning and it was still not working, but when they pulled it into the garage it was working. (???) The mechanic put it on the diagnostic machine and could not find anything wrong with it. It worked fine when I got it back, and it's a mystery to me. He did ask me if I knew it was in the off position and I simply said yes to him. I've been operating it since March and know how it works. :)

Dinner tonight is Mexican Rice and Bean & Cheese Enchiladas. I wanted to use up some of the fresh salsa we had in the refrigerator and the Mexican Rice fit the bill for that and I was able to use up the can of refried beans I found in the pantry last weekend. 

So far I am scheduled to work four days this week, so I may or may not post very much, but I will be back asap.  Hope you all have a great week.  :)

Belinda
Live simply by not spending money you don't have.
© Belinda & Frugal Workshop, 2011 - 2015.

Cars that go the Distance

For many shoppers,  choosing a car that can go the distance is an important way to save money. Keeping a car running beyond the 200,000 mile mark is possible with the proper care. 

That is good news for drivers, who are keeping their cars longer than ever before. There are long-term financial benefits of keeping a car for 200,000 miles. Research shows that reaching that milestone could result in savings of $30,000 or more. 

1. Find a Mechanic You Can Trust - One of the best ways to ensure that your car will be well taken care of for the long haul is to find a mechanic you trust. Building a relationship with him will help you push your car towards a long life. 

Believe it or not, not all mechanics have your best interest at heart. For example, Sears, Roebuck & Company has often been been accused of defrauding customers by performing unnecessary car repairs. When I was a new driver I bought one of their "free brake pads for the life of your car" promotions. The only problem with that was every time I went in to get new brake pads, they told me I needed new rotors. Eventually, Sears ended up paying huge fines for this practice. 

My mechanic told me recently that the problem lies with companies who pay their employees minimum wage to work on automobiles. The place I normally get my oil changed once told me that many times they get cars driven in there fresh from an oil change at Walmart, some without oil and some without a filter. These employees may not always have your best interest at heart. You don't build a relationship with these employees like a mechanic you use regularly and who knows your car inside out. 

2. Regular Maintenance - A car that is serviced regularly will last much longer than one where regular maintenance has been ignored. 

3. Change the Oil Regularly -  In addition to lubricating vital engine parts, oil traps contaminants and prevents them from harming your engine. Changing the oil gets rid of all that trapped gnarly stuff. Oil also breaks down over time, so it’s necessary to replace it at regular intervals. 

4. Read Your owner's Manual - Included is a schedule of maintenance, which will help you and your car go the distance. 

5. Check, Check, Check - Check the coolant and power steering fluids on schedule. Also, check the filters, belts, brakes, and windshield wipers. Inspect them for any wear and tear that might help you avoid a breakdown. 

6. Pay attention to your vehicle

I could usually tell when something was wrong with my car due to the sound it would make. For example, just last week mine was making an odd whirring sound. I knew something was up and sure enough, a few days later the motor went out of my air conditioning/heater vent. 

Properly maintaining your car will keep it on the road longer and will get you a higher price when it’s time to sell it or trade it in. It’s a long way to 200,000 miles.

Not every vehicle will make it to that impressive milestone, but by being a responsible vehicle owner, you can increase the likelihood that yours will. 

My car, a 1998 Olds Cutlass, which I bought in January 2000, recently hit the 200,000 milestone. Because I kept the car so many years, based on what I paid for the car it cost me less than $1,000 to drive it each year. I was diligent about changing the oil and keeping it maintained. Last week I bought a new to me car, but I will be keeping my old one for various reasons, but it has been a good car for us. 

How about you? Do you have a car that has gone the distance for you?

Belinda
Simply live by the rule of not spending money you don't have.
© Belinda & Frugal Workshop, 2011 - 2015.