Edmunds has an article, What Really Saves Gas? And How Much?, about saving gas. How much? Enough to notice.

With gas prices so high, the media is awash with lists of gas-saving tips. Well how’s this for a tip? If you listen to us, you can see hybrid-type savings without having to buy a new car.

By changing your driving habits you can improve fuel economy up to 37 percent right away (depending on how you drive). Combine several tips and perform routine maintenance and you will save real dollars, not just pennies.

Does it work? Over the past few years, in my experience, yes. Definitely yes. If your car has a fuel economy gauge, reset after filling up the tank, then watch the average as you drive; idling will bring that average down faster than you think, as will mashing the accelerator. So don’t race to the red lights then race away when they turn green; coast into a stop and ease back up to speed. Slow down and use the cruise control when you can. Don’t just sit in your car at lunch and listen to the radio with engine running, unless you like wasting gas; listen with the car off or plug in and listen on the internet.

If you drive a truck that’s rated at 18-22 MPG and you normally only get 15 miles for that pricey gallon, take it easy, slow down, use cruise control, and watch the idling. Could save you a few bucks or more per tank. No kidding.

Posted by bill as Manage Your $, Misc. Info at 11:26 AM

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An educational game, initially developed by an anonymous businessman in Hong Kong, finally finished and now localized for Malaysia, claims that it teaches wise money management. Supposedly “like Monopoly, but for adults.” A US version doesn’t appear to exist (yet).

Success in the game depends on wise decision making and a small amount of luck; the goal is to steer your finances through the hills and valleys of life.

“This is a game that enables people to monitor their expenses and look at their debts more carefully.

“They’ll also be more open to opportunities when they come along. The most common reasons for turning them down are that they have no time, money, or that it’s too risky.”

What’s the worst that could happen?

“You could go bankrupt and be saddled with too much debt. It is very sobering when people learn the folly of spending or borrowing too much money, or taking too much risk.

The Smart Money Game website centers around a championship series, but offers advice on where to purchase the board game in Malaysia and surrounding areas. Let’s hope that it makes its way to the United States.

Posted by bill as Investments, Manage Your $ at 11:21 PM

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We don’t hear the word free spoken honestly much anymore. But it’s a word we’ve come to embrace and cherish in this day of increasing everything – especially when we drive past the gas pumps and think seriously about getting a third mortgage on our home just to purchase some petrol. So when we hear Free Checking, what is the first thing we think? “Yeah, whatever dude.”

This word free has almost become a myth because, as my Daddy always said, if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is. Oh, we all still have a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, one time it will sound too good but actually is everything we thought it could be. In all this madness, the last place we think free could be found is at the bank.

In a competitive economy like ours, it should come as no surprise that the almighty dollar still rules with an iron fist. However, our good friend Adam Smith wrote about an “invisible hand” and how market place competition can bring prices down. Such is the case with banking and the ever-present scramble over high profits found in money management.

Banks make their money the old fashioned way, they use what is yours and pay you bunk for the privilege. Financial institutions take the money on deposit, loan it out for a higher rate than they pay you back and what is left is the yield, or profit. And if your money sits there long enough, they can actually invest it if it isn’t being loaned out and once again use the difference in what they pay back as the profit. Sounds great, huh? Well, let’s get to the good part.

The competition for your money is actually quite fierce. So now, we see a lot of banks offering more free stuff, especially the offer of Free Checking. And here is the kicker… it really is free. There are some caveats of course, i.e. direct deposit, but most large banks simply say, keep your account in the positive and you’re free as a bird. Honestly, most of us don’t need the extras that come with the premier checking accounts anyway. The lure of interest on checking is appealing, but rates really aren’t good enough to justify paying a fee of $7-$20 dollars a month at this point. Free checking is really all we need to manage our money and pay the bills. Many don’t realize that free is really out there and continue paying monthly maintenance charges. So I urge everyone to test the waters and find something that maybe, just maybe, would be good enough to be true.

Posted by logan as Banking, Finance, Manage Your $ at 11:48 PM

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It’s a common story: an Average Joe ends up paying forty bucks for a “value” meal at his favorite gut-bomb chain. Curse you super sizing!!

We’re not talking about the Time Value of Money and the cost of Big Macs 30 years from now. We’re talking about overdraft fees. Most of us have fallen for it, and maybe you have too. That medium fry just isn’t enough sometimes. You might be an Average Joe, or Bob, or Toucan Sam — it really doesn’t matter. All you can say is… crap. You get a $5 burger but wind up paying $40 because you got a $35 overdraft fee included with the meal. This is becoming a common place budgeting issue ever since those sweet pieces of plastic called Debit Cards came on the scene.

It does not necessarily have to be Debit Cards; but checks or even ATM withdrawals that cause that minus sign to appear next to some God-awful amounts. So, how do you avoid these punitive fees?

Why Do Overdraft Fees Occur?

Banks like to make money, which should come as no surprise considering this is America and the first rule of capitalism says “make money or die.” Banks are businesses – not charities – and like any business out there, they like hearing that cha-ching. Banks have computers and computers don’t have feelings. They are set up to automatically charge you for borrowing money, which is essentially what you are doing when you spend what you don’t have. They didn’t know you’re coming in tomorrow to make a deposit and they certainly didn’t know you had car trouble, food poisoning, or forgot that you ordered that great new kitchen knife that never needs sharpening… ever. At $30-$40 a pop, overdraft charges can get pricey and get you in the hole fast.

How to Avoid Overdraft Fees

As most of us know, day-to-day financial matters can be grueling and tough to keep track of. So here are some simple solutions to cut down on those costly mistakes – and maybe even maybe get you some money back.

1. Use online banking. This is an easy and quick way to reconcile your banking statements and remind you just how poor you really are. The great thing is that it is a free service at most financial institutions. If you are even the slightest bit computer literate, take advantage of online banking and use it.
2. Keep a check register. Yes, this is “old school” banking, but it is the only foolproof way of keeping tabs on what you spent. It also shows that you are trying to be responsible and helps the sympathy vote from bankers, if the need should arise.
3. Don’t depend on ATM bank balances. It can take up to five business days for transactions to hit your account. And guess what? They usually show up right after that rent check you wrote back when you thought you had all that money.
4. Ask about overdraft protection. This might be offered as a credit product, which allows you to have a small line of credit, attached to your account. Some banks allow you to link a Savings account to your checking just in case of such mishaps.
5. Don’t get upset at the bank. Sure, they took $120 for 4 small transactions, but remember: the banker is not up every night cackling with evil laughter. They want good accounts because it means they aren’t at risk of losing money. Getting mad at them won’t help your case.

Finally, if you do happen to pay $40 for that Big Mac, don’t be afraid to visit your financial institution. Often, if you have been a customer for a number of years and rarely have this happen, your bank might work with you to reduce your fees. It certainly can’t hurt as much as paying Prime Rib prices for a burger and fries that you shouldn’t be eating anyway.

Posted by logan as Banking, Finance, Manage Your $ at 9:34 PM

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Money Magazine has posted 50 Smartest Things to do with Your Money, spanning real estate, money management, saving, taxes, investing, consumer topics, and bettering yourself. Some good advice here. From the Real Estate section

Renovate Average cost to fix a dated or cramped kitchen: $42,660. Average fraction of that you’ll add to your home’s value: 80 percent. Pleasure derived by creating a gathering spot that fosters more family time: off the charts.

From the consumer section

Don’t carry a credit card balance If you have cash wallowing in a money fund or bank account at 1 percent and a credit-card balance at, say, today’s average rate of 13 percent, write a check for the balance immediately. That’s a 13 percent return — with no risk.

Posted by bill as Banking, Finance, Investments, Manage Your $ at 11:49 PM

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BusinessWeek has a short article by Amey Stone entitled The Get-Rich-Slow Scheme. From the article

The truth is it’s a lot easier to get rich — and stay rich — today by going it slow rather than latching onto a get-rich-quick scheme. Best-seller lists are clogged with books that explain in great detail how to Start Late, Finish Rich, or become The Millionaire Next Door. But much of the advice boils down to some pretty simple rules to live by. Here are five steps to slowly gaining the kind of financial security most people only dream of…

It’s all common sense, but the article offers a short distillation of a good plan. One obvious but often-overlooked tip is to “Pay Yourself First” by socking away a set amount each month, automatically. That’s part of step 1, Living Below Your Means, which is followed by taking risks, diversification, playing it clean, and remembering happiness is the goal– not money.

Posted by bill as Investments, Manage Your $ at 11:34 PM

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