Even though it looks like high gas prices are here to stay for awhile, there are many things we can all do to save money on gasoline expenses. The best part is, not only will they save you money on fuel expenses, most of them are good habits that will improve your vehicle’s performance and longevity.

Improve Your Car to Increase Fuel Mileage

There are a lot of little things you can do to your car that will help improve gas mileage. The best part is, most of them are part of routine maintenance and should be done anyway.

Properly inflate your tires. This is a biggie. The firmer your tires, the more easily they roll across the pavement. Inflate them to the manufacturer’s specifications which are located on the inside of the driver side door. Be sure to check your air pressure at least 1-2 times per month, or more if the weather changes temperature often.

Remove excess weight. No, I’m not talking about your mother-in-law! Get rid of things you don’t need to haul around. An additional 100 pounds of weight uses up to an additional 2-4% more gas. Extra weight equals extra fuel!

Get a tune up. Your spark plugs and distributor cap are responsible for sending the “fire” to your engine. When they get old, they perform less efficiently which causes reduced fuel efficiency as well.

Change filters. Your air filter and fuel filter affect your gas mileage. A dirty air filter has less of an effect on newer cars because their computers can generally make adjustments on the go. But it is true of older cars. In general, dirty filters equals lower mileage.

Keep your tires aligned. Tires that are out of alignment can cause damage to your tires, suspension, alignment system, and decrease fuel efficiency.

Save Money By Driving with Fuel Efficiency in Mind

Accelerate smoothly. Hard starts and stops use a lot more fuel than gradually accelerating. It’s also easier on your passengers.

Coast to a stop. Coasting uses less gas and another added benefit is extended brake life.

Drive the speed limit (or close). The national speed limit was limited to 55 during oil crisis in the 70’s. This was done to limit the amount of fuel vehicles consumed. The limits have gone back up, but the principle remains the same. Driving slower generally improves gas mileage.

Drive at a steady speed or use cruise control. Quickly speeding up and slowing down uses more gas than driving at a steady speed. Utilize cruise control if your car has it. Otherwise, monitor your speed. Be sure to turn off your cruise control when going up large hills!

Combine trips. Most cars are more efficient when their engines are warm. Combining trips will also reduce the amount of back and forth driving, reducing your total mileage.

Park facing out. Backing in and out of a parking spot uses more gas than driving straight through a spot. I prefer to park so my car faces out in a parking lot. When I am ready to leave, I just get in my car and pull out. I usually have to park a little further from the entrance to find a spot where I can pull through, but I don’t mind. It’s usually quicker anyway because I don’t have to drive to the front of the store looking for “the best” spot, or sit in my car while the engine idles while waiting for someone to pull out of a “better” spot.

Avoid idling. An idling engine wastes gasoline. Turn your car off if you are going to be stopped more than 30 seconds (this is actually a law in many European locations). Unless you have an old carbureted engine, you won’t use more gas restarting your engine than you would have by idling.

Save Money At the Pump

Buy the right gas. Most modern cars don’t require premium gas unless they are sports cars, and buying the premium, high-octane gas won’t do anything extra for your gas mileage. heck your owner’s manual for the recommended gas and buy only that.

Join your gas station’s reward’s program. Some gas stations have nice loyalty programs. Last year Speedway had a program where customers saved $.05 per gallon with a Speedy Rewards card. Not a bad deal, especially when you use a cash back credit card in addition!

Use a gas rewards card. My wife and I each have a gas rewards credit card that we use to save money on gas purchases. It is easy to find a credit card that will give you 5% cash back on gas purchases, and at $4-5 per gallon, that equals a $.20-.25 savings per gallon . Not bad!

• My wife uses the Discover Open Road Card which pays 5% cash back on gas purchases and auto maintenance, and 1% on everything else.
• I have the Chase Freedom Visa card which gives 3% cash back on the 3 categories you spend the most in each month out of 15 categories (gas and groceries are two of the categories). There is currently a $50 sign-up bonus which you get after your first purchase with the card. I recently got this card to take advantage of a promotion to get $200 in free groceries . I’m halfway there .
• The Chase PerfectCard MasterCard also gives 3% cash back on gas purchases, and 6% for the first 90 days. Other purchases receive 1% cash back.
• You can earn up to 5% cash back with the Blue Cash from American Express .

Pay with cash. Some gas stations give fairly decent discounts if you pay with cash instead of a debit or credit card. I first saw this in CA - the difference was $.10 per gallon.

Check local gas prices. There are several websites that track national gas prices. Some of these include GasBuddy.com , Motor Trend.com , FuelMeUp.com , GasNearU.com , GasPriceWatch.com , and MSN Autos . For alternative fuels try AltFuelPrices.com .

Other ideas

Consider installing a mile per gallon meter. Mile per gallon meters won’t save you money by themselves, but they let you monitor your driving habits so you can see how well you are doing on your mission to improve gas mileage.

Drive less. Combine trips, carpool, walk, ride a bike, jog, or take the subway if available.

Reducing fuel consumption is not difficult

All it takes is a little planning and some maintenance that needs doing anyway, and a few small changes to your habits. It won’t take long before you notice a significant savings which is good for your pocketbook and the environment.

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Here are a few things I do to save money on air conditioning costs:

Air Conditioning and Fans

Open windows when possible. Up until a couple days ago, my wife and I were able to open our windows to cool our house during the day. It’s a little too warm for that now, but we can still open the windows at night. There will be some nights when it will be too warm to do this, but hopefully there won’t be too many.

Use a programmable thermostat . A programmable thermostat can help you save 10-20% on your energy bill year round. We use a programmable thermostat at home. In the summer we set it at 78 degrees while we are home, and 85 when we leave the house. We set the thermostat to cool the house about 30 minutes before we get home. It works well and saves us a lot of money.

Use an air vent booster . I installed an air vent booster last year and it works wonderfully. You install it over an air vent and it works by pulling more air into the room. This is great for rooms that have low air flow. It can save you money because you don’t have to run the air conditioning or heating system as long to get that particular room as cool or warm as you want. The model I have is the AirFlow Breeze , which costs about $50. I use it year round in a room that has low airflow.

Make sure your vents are clean and uncovered. Dust and dirt can reduce your airflow causing your AC system to work overtime and severely reduce the airflow to your room. Covering them with furniture, drapes, or carpeting will have the same effect. Make sure the air flows freely and you will save a lot of energy and money.

Use ceiling fans and portable fans. Run ceiling fans so they push the air down toward the floor. This circulates the air in your house and will help cool your house more efficiently than running the air conditioner by itself. In the winter, run your fans in the opposite direction to more efficiently circulate the warm air throughout your house. Portable fans will also improve airflow in rooms that don’t get as cool.

Use attic vents. Your roof can contribute up to 30% of your house’s heat during the summer, so it is a good idea to have fans in place to ventilate the attic.

Install a whole house fan if appropriate for your climate. A whole house fan can change over the air in your house in a matter of minutes by pulling in the cooler air from the outside and expelling warmer air outside. We live in an area where they are fairly common, although our house doesn’t have one. I am considering installing one because it will save us a lot of money in the long run - and help us sleep more comfortably at night.

Change filters regularly. You want to change the filter in your furnace approximately once a month with heavy use, or when it is dirty. Hold the filter up to the light and if there is little light passing through, you know it is time to change the filter. This will save you money by increasing airflow and allowing your AC unit to run less often and more efficiently.

Service your AC unit annually. Regular maintenance will keep your AC unit running efficiently and help avoid costly repairs, or possibly give you advance notice that something is wrong - allowing you to fix the problem before it becomes a major issue.

Buy an efficient AC unit. When you’re shopping for a new central air conditioning system, pay attention to the SEER number (seasonal energy efficiency ratio). You want a SEER number of 13 or better, or 14 or better in warmer climates. If your current unit is an 8 or lower, consider upgrading. You will probably recuperate your expense in a couple years by drastically reducing your electricity bills.

More ways to save money on air conditioning

Close shades or curtains. Close curtains on south and west facing windows during the day to decrease the solar heat in your house. To let in more light, open the shades that are not facing the sun. If you need to use lights in the daytime, use cfl’s because they are more efficient and produce less heat than incandescent bulbs.

Seal windows, doors, and gaps. Sealing your house prevents leaks and keeps your house more energy efficient. Use caulk or weather stripping, which is available for just a few dollars at any home improvement or hardware store. Also make sure your fireplace damper and dryer vents are tightly closed.

Install good insulation. Insulation will prevent your home from losing cool air in the summer and warm air in the winter and increase the efficiency of your cooling and heating systems. Add insulation around air conditioning ducts when they are located in non-air conditioned spaces like as attics, crawl spaces and garages, and make sure there are no leaks in the duct joints.

Turn off unused lights and appliances. Lights and electronics create a lot of heat. When not in use turn off your lights and any unused electronics and appliances such as your television, radio, computer, kitchen appliances, etc.

Use heat producing appliances sparingly, or at night. Avoid using your oven in the day, and try to use an outdoor grill, microwave, or crockpot instead of the stove. Let your dishes in your dishwasher air dry instead of using heat to dry them, and use your clothes dryer at night.

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Last fall my wife and I took a cruise to celebrate our honeymoon. We were actually married a year before we took our honeymoon, but we had to delay it because my wife was in the military and deployed less than three weeks after our wedding. But it was well worth the wait!

The extra year between our wedding and the honeymoon actually turned out to be a blessing, even though our forced separation was not. We had more time to adjust to our married life and used the time to save for and plan our vacation. We decided to go on a Mediterranean cruise, which we took in late September and early October. The timing was perfect.

Reasons to vacation in the off-season

Save Money when booking. My wife and I looked at Mediterranean cruises at several times throughout the year, and finally settled on late September/early October. We chose this time because the tickets were much cheaper, there was more availability, and we wanted to make sure we would still have nice weather. We contemplated going around March/April, but realized the weather would still be a little cool, and possibly rainy. The months following that were much more expensive because people were no longer in school and were vacationing during the peak season. By booking later in the year, we saved over $1,000 per ticket.

Avoid crowds. Almost as important as saving money is avoiding large crowds! Most Americans build their vacation schedules around the school year and take vacations during March and April for Spring Break, May-August for extended summer vacations, or around Christmas and the New Year for winter trips. Many Europeans also have a similar holiday schedule, and some countries, like Italy, take almost the entire month of August off. These are the most crowded, and expensive, times to go on vacation. Planning your vacation around this means fewer people (especially children), more space, and a more enjoyable experience.

Greater availability. Fewer travelers means more available airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, and other travel related items. Some tourist attractions require booking tours several months in advance during peak seasons, but reservations can often be made a few days in advance during the off season. It is also much easier to find local services such as tour guides, restaurants, taxis, and more.

Steep discounts. Fewer people means less money being spent at local businesses. Some places will slash prices in order to gain your business. This is common at restaurants, souvenir shops, and popular attractions. Some places even have different price lists depending on the season. Use this to your advantage - the best time to haggle on the price is when the store is empty!

Vacationing in the off-season isn’t perfect.

The main reason people take vacations during the high season is because the weather is usually nicer, children are off from school, and it is easier to fit it into your normal schedule. But if you are able to travel in the shoulder seasons, you may have a nicer experience - and at half the cost!

photo credit: protego.

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The main topics David covers on The Good Human are environmental topics such as sustainability, conservation, being “green,” environmental issues that affect your health, and being socially responsible.

At first, some people may think that the environment and money aren’t related. But I think they have more similarities than many people realize.

Conservation and frugality are very closely linked - they’re both about being frugal and maximizing your resources. One of the main topics I write about on Cash Money Life is doing more with less. I am a frugal person by nature: I like to find ways to save money, energy, time, and other resources. And I think many of these principles can be applied to conservation.

Conservation isn’t just for tree-hugging hippies. Conservation is for everyone. Our world has a finite supply of land, raw materials, and fuel, as recent increases in prices of oil, food, and other raw goods have shown. Part of the reason these prices are increasing is our faltering economy and the falling value of the dollar, but much of it is simple supply and demand. There simply aren’t enough resources to easily satisfy everyone’s needs.

Increasing productivity without increasing consumption is a hobby for me, but it is also borne out of necessity. Resources are not only in short supply for me, but they are in short supply for everyone. I know not everyone can live off the grid, use solar power, or drive vegetable oil fueled cars, but there are little things we can all do every day to lessen our environmental and financial footprint.

One of my favorite ways to do this is to apply the Three R’s - Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. There are dozens of ways I try to apply these principles at home, many of which may or may not apply to your situation. Think about a few ways you can apply the Three R’s to your daily life. Your changes might not have an immediate life-altering impact, but I guarantee you that over the long run your wallet will thank you, the earth will thank you, and your grandchildren will thank you.

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These gift ideas are creative and inexpensive ways young children can show Mom they love her.

Frugal Gift Ideas For Mother’s Day

A hand made card. Hand made Mother’s Day cards are a classic - I remember making these when I was a little kid! I’m sure these are something mothers never tire of receiving; a hand made card shows you took the time to create something special for the woman who helped create you.

Breakfast in bed. Sunday mornings were always a “special” breakfast day in our house when we were growing up. We ate as a family and always had eggs, or pancakes, or French toast, or something similar. On this special day, why not cook Mom’s favorite breakfast and bring it to her in bed. If there is room, the entire family can have a picnic on and around the bed. Just bring plenty of napkins!

A day off. Every Mother has one thing in common - she works hard and deserves a break! Have the family pitch in and clean the entire house, cook all the meals, do the laundry, and all the other little tasks mothers often do, but which may seem to go unnoticed. Even better - up the ante and give Mom a week off!

“Hand” made crafts. You’ve seen them - the t-shirts or aprons with the hand prints on them. The set up for this is very inexpensive. Just buy a few dollars worth of paint and a blank t-shirt or apron. The total cost can be well under $10.

Coupon Book. This gift works well for kids and husbands. Create a coupon book with “coupons” Mom can redeem for things such as cleaning your room, washing dishes, vacuuming, or even a massage.

Create a story book. My Mom often read to me when I was growing up, and I’m sure there are a lot of Moms out there who read to their children most nights. Why not write Mom a book, complete with story and illustrations? Then, the children can read it to her, and she will have a nice gift to keep.

Create a scrapbook or memory book. Moms love pictures - that’s why they always have a camera nearby! Take some time to create a scrapbook or photo album with your children’s favorite memories with their Mom. She’ll love it! So much in fact, that she will be sure to pull it out to show her child’s first date.

Grow Mom some flowers. Why buy flowers when you can grow them? Little flower pots are very inexpensive and so are paints. Have each child decorate a pot with his or her name, a hand print, or a drawing, then plant seeds in each pot. The children can then help take care of the plant through the year. It’s also a great learning experience.

Put on a show. My wife told me she loved to put on song and dance shows, or make up plays. This is a great way to entertain Mom and show her you care. You can even write in a part for her if you want, but since it’s her day, you should probably make her the heroine!

Spend time doing her favorite activities. It’s Mom’s day, so do some things she enjoys. Pick some fun activities you know she loves to do, and spend time as a family enjoying each other’s company. If the weather is nice you can go for a picnic or to the lake or beach, or if the weather is bad you can stay inside and have movie marathon complete with popcorn and purple Kool-Aid. Yeah, my Mom likes the purple kind.

Decorate a picture frame. Have each of the children decorate a picture frame for Mom. Then they can present it to their Mom with a picture of them in it. Mom is sure to love it!

A Memory Box. Have your children write down their favorite memories of a time they had with their mother and place them in a small box. Then, Mom can read through them whenever she likes. Chances are, some of her children’s favorite memories will be some of hers as well.

Bake cookies. Everyone loves homemade cookies! If the children are old enough, they can make a batch from scratch and serve them to Mom when they are still warm and soft.

Write a letter. One of the most beautiful things you can do for your Mom is to let her know how much you love her and how much she means to you. She probably knows it already, but actually saying it or putting it on paper will mean more to her than you think it will.

Be creative. There are hundreds of ways you can show your Mother how much you care about her and appreciate her, and many of them don’t cost anything. And if none of these ideas work, you can always resort to Plan B: buy your Mom some special Mother’s Day toilet paper.

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Mother’s Day next week.

photo credit: flaivoloka.

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Refurbished does not mean used

The common misconception is that refurbished items are used and will not last as long as buying a new item. The opposite is usually true. Many refurbished items are actually new items that often come with a full factory warranty (though some may not; always double check the warranty before purchase). Yes, you read that correctly - brand new, fully warranted electronics products at 20-50% off. What a deal!

What should I look for when buying refurbished electronics?

Why is the product labeled “refurbished?” The price is probably the first thing you notice, but look more carefully before you buy! There are many reasons why electronics will be sold at steep discounts, and many of them are good enough to spend your time and money. But sometimes the item is not what it appears to be. Find out why the item is being sold at a discount.

Some common reasons for big discounts on electronics include:

• Customer returns - These cannot be resold as new, and are often fully tested and come with a complete warranty.
• Use as a floor model - Again, these cannot be sold as new and come with the full warranty.
• Open box / damaged box items - When a box has been opened or damaged, the stores can’t sell the item as new, even if it never left the box.
• Factory refurbishment - Electronics that were returned to the manufacturer where they were repaired and tested.
• Shipping damage - These usually include dents or scratches to the exterior, but nothing wrong with the unit.
• Factory seconds - These are usually minor, often cosmetic defects that the consumer may not even notice.
• Production defects - These are usually defects that hit an entire batch of units. They are repaired, tested, and sold as refurbished.
• Overstock items -These are often sent to stores as refurbished units to clear way for new products.

What kind of warranty comes with the item? Many refurbs come with a full manufacturer’s warranty, but some stores or outlets will only give a reduced warranty, or no warranty at all. Many will also let you purchase the extended manufacturer’s warranty, or offer to sell a service package. Before you buy, be sure to examine the warranty!

Check the return policy. Return policies vary by store - some allow returns, while others do not. Keep in mind many electronics retailers charge a restocking fee of around 15% for returns.

Where can you find refurbished, open box, or discounted electronics?

Retailers. Retail outlets such as Fry’, Best Buy, Circuit City and other stores often have refurbished items, but sometimes they aren’t on the floor. It helps to ask the salespeople if they have any items that are discounted. They often do.

Online Outlets. I like to search for discounted electronics at discount retailers such as TigerDirect.com and newegg.com. I have purchased quite a few computer accessories there, and I always saved a lot of money. My most recent purchase was 2 refurbished wireless cards for my laptops. The wireless cards were normally priced at $60 each, and I paid $9.99 each. That is a savings of $100! The cards did not come in the factory box and did not come with the software CD, but I was able to download the software from the manufacturer’s website. Well worth $100!

Direct from the manufacturer. Apple and Dell are two major electronics companies who are well known for selling refurbished electronics at great discounts. Dell has a great online outlet. The inventory is often changing, so you either need to check back often, or know exactly what you are looking for.

If you are familiar with Apple products, you are aware that they are often fairly expensive, but worth the price. Because they have a monopoly on their products and set the price, they don’t always go on sale when you want them to! However, you can save big on the Apple products if you buy them from their factory outlet.

Apple is currently offering big discounts on the Refurbished iPod nano. The current offer is for a 4G iPod for only $99 (regularly priced at $149). You can get an 8GB nano for $149 (regular price: $199). You can easily save 20-40% on the purchase of a refurbished iMac (that can be $200-600!). The best part is - all refurbished Apple products come with a one year warranty, and shipping is included. That’s a great deal!

What to look out for when buying refurbished electronics

If the deal is too good to be true, it usually is! Buy from reputable dealers and know the return policy and warranty status before purchasing anything. Ebay is a great place to find deals, but unless you know exactly what you are buying, you may not get what you thought you were getting.

Another thing to look for is the country code - some electronics are designated for different regions and may have different software or hardware than what is normally found in products designed for the US market.

Pros and Cons of Buying Refurbished Electronics

As with most things, there are pros and cons to purchasing refurbished electronics.

Pros: Save money, often full manufacturer’s warranty

Cons: Limited selection; limited supply; often without boxes, manuals, CD’s, or other accessories; sometimes different warranty or return policy

To protect yourself, be sure to understand why the product has the refurbished label, know and understand the warranty and return policy for the item you are purchasing, and make sure you are buying from an authorized dealer. And don’t just buy an item because it is on sale - buy it because you want it or need it and will get full use from it!

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We bought a Dell because we have both used Dell computers for several years, we are familiar with their products, and we found a great deal on Dell’s website. We are also comfortable with Microsoft products because that is what we know. The computer we bought has a 2.4 Ghz Core 2 Duo chip, 2 GB RAM, 320GB hard drive, DVD burner, XP Professional, and a 22 in flat screen monitor. The total price including tax and shipping was $708. However, it would have been a lot higher if we didn’t remove a few items from the standard setup (mostly software). We also followed a few of the tips outlined below.

How to save money when buying a new computer

These tips can help you save a lot of money on your next computer:

• Understand your needs
• Don’t buy too much computer
• Don’t buy unnecessary software
• Reuse software if possible
• Shop around
• Skip the extras
• Consider an open box or refurbished computer
• Build your own computer (if you have the time and knowledge)
• Skip the extended warranty unless you really need it

Understand your needs

Do you need a desktop or a laptop? Laptop performance nowadays is almost as good as desktops, although you may spend a little more money on them. But if you know you won’t need the portability, then you might be able to get a little more computer for the same amount of money by purchasing a desktop. It’s important to know your needs so you don’t make the mistake of buying the wrong computer.

Don’t buy too much computer

Today’s computers are incredibly powerful compared to those made just a few years ago. But that doesn’t mean you need to buy the best computer on the market. Determine your needs and buy only those features. It doesn’t make sense to purchase a several hundred dollar graphics card designed for high end video games when all you do is surf the web.

Don’t buy too much software, and shop around for the software you need

When we bought our computer, the only thing we purchased with it was the operating system - Windows XP Professional (I don’t want Vista, and I read Windows will stop supporting Windows XP for home use).

We didn’t add Microsoft Office because it was a $150 upgrade through Dell. We often use the MS Office software, but we could easily get it for less than $150 (A quick Amazon search has Microsoft Office for $120). Both of our employers offer an employee purchase plan for MS Office (we can get it for less than $50). You may also be able to find a cheaper version for students or teachers.

If you need software similar to Microsoft Office there is free option, Open Office, which is an open source business suite designed to work with MS Office and several other productivity suites. We downloaded Open Office when our new computer arrived, and we haven’t even purchased MS Office yet. We may or may not depending on how well we like Open Office (so far so good).

My company also provides us with a free copy of Norton AntiVirus. Many companies will do this because they know you will bring files back and forth from work. If you look around, you should be able to find many alternative means of finding software either cheaper than from the retailer, or possibly even free.

Reuse software from your old computer

If you are replacing an old computer, you may be able to transfer the software from your old computer to your new one. Beware of licensing issues though - some software programs can only be used on one computer at a time.

Shop around for the best deal

Sometimes a big box retailer will have the best deals, sometimes it is best to buy it from an outlet such as TigerDirect.com, and sometimes it is best to buy a computer direct from the manufacturer (like Dell). Some people even find great deals on Ebay. I’ve never bought a computer there, but I have purchased computer accessories. Just be careful when making purchases on Ebay. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

Skip the extras

Many computer bundles are convenient because everything is ready to go right out of the box. But if you buy extras such as software, speakers, printers, and other goodies, you may end up spending more than you need to spend. It is often true that retailers will often give you a discount for buying a “bundle,” but you can often do much better than that by shopping around and buying each piece individually. You also aren’t saving money if you are buying something you already have and don’t need to replace, such as speakers, printer, software, etc.

Consider an open box or a refurbished computer

Open box computers: Many stores such as Best Buy or CompUSA will sell the floor models to customers at a reduced price. It is possible to receive discounts of 10-30% off the current sale price. The best part is that these computers come with the full manufacturer’s warranty.

Refurbished computers: Many times refurbished computers also come with the full manufacturer’s warranty, and you can often find them at substantial discounts as well. (Many times the deals are so good, the stores are not allowed to advertise them). One of the best places I have found that sells refurbished computers is TigerDirect.com. I haven’t purchased a computer through their site before, but I have purchased things like RAM and other accessories.

Build your own computer

Admittedly, this takes a little bit of knowledge, and isn’t for the faint of heart. But if you have the knowledge to build your own system, you can probably do it for anywhere from 50-70% of the cost of a new system. You can often reuse your old computer parts when building a new computer, so you are only spending money where it is needed the most - upgrades such as RAM, a better hard drive, or enhanced graphics cards.

Here is a quick example of how building a new computer to the same specs as one of Dell’s top of the line gaming computers can save you about 1/3 of the price. (If you are reading through a feedreader, please click through to watch the video):

Think twice about the extended warranty

The extended warranty is not always a good deal and you should consider whether you need it or not before purchasing it. If you have good knowledge of computers, you may be able to repair and problems that arise after the initial warranty period expires.

You may want to consider an extended warranty for a laptop, particularly if you anticipate traveling often. I purchased the extended warranty on my laptop when I bought it 6 years ago. I was in the USAF at the time, and knew I would take it with me wherever I went. I ended up taking it with me to around the world, and even though I never had a problem with it, I felt reassured knowing I had the extended warranty. Since I don’t travel nearly as often anymore, I doubt I would purchase the extended warranty for a laptop (we didn’t purchase it for our desktop either).

Good luck saving money on your next computer purchase

Remember these tips, and you should save a lot of money on your next computer. Good luck!

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In then end, we decided one of them was still too slow, so we replaced it. But we were able to do a few quick fixes on the other computer to double it’s speed - saving us several hundred dollars in replacement costs! In another article (soon to follow!) I’ll share a few tips on how to save money when buying a new computer.

Tips on how to improve your computer’s performance (Windows only):

Mac owner? Here is a great article with frugal tips to make your Mac last forever.

Scan your computer system for viruses, spyware, and other malware

Spyware and viruses can cause many problems with your computer including slowing down your system, corrupting or erasing data, causing system crashes, or stealing data. These are horrible and can cause irreparable damage to your computer, data, and on-line safety.

If you ever access the internet, keeping up to date on your anti-virus software is one of the most important things you can do to extend your computer’s life, safeguard your information, and prevent identity theft. You can use commercial software such as Norton AntiVirus or McAfee VirusScan, or free software such as Spybot - Search and Destroy. It is recommended to set up an automatic scan to occur at least once a week.

Move all unnecessary files to an external hard drive, CD, or DVD

The fewer items you have on your hard drive, the quicker it will be for your computer to locate the files you need on a regular basis. Move pictures, mP3’s, large databases, and other large files to an external hard drive or CD to free up space and to make it easier and faster for your computer to perform functions.

Remove unused programs

Unnecessary programs use up valuable disk space and consume resources, especially if the program automatically runs on startup. Remove these to free up hard drive space and resources - and speed up your computer.

How to remove unused programs:

• Click Start –> Control Panel –> Add or Remove Programs
• Select the program to remove

You may have to restart your computer after removing a program. I usually do this after I have removed every program I intend to remove, instead of doing them one at a time.

Remove autostart programs

Many programs are designed to automatically start when the computer boots up. This sucks up your computer’s processing power and slows it down tremendously. Many times you don’t even want/need the program to constantly run in the background. Removing the program from your start up will improve your computer’s performance.

A good utility to see what is running at start up (and at other times) is AutoRuns, which is a free Microsoft product. It does not need to be installed - just download, then run it (execute it). It will display everything that starts automatically, the order it starts, where the file is located and more.

How to remove autostart programs:

• Click Start –> Run –> type msconfig –> Click OK
• Select Startup Tab –> this displays a list of programs that run on startup
• Uncheck those you don’t want to run on startup (do a Google search to identify those you aren’t familiar with, or check out sysinfo.org).

The programs you unchecked will not load the next startup and your computer will start faster next time. You can still run the programs by starting them as normal.

Turn off programs you aren’t using

If all you are doing is checking your e-mail you probably don’t need 5-10 applications running. Turn off programs that constantly run in the background, and close other programs when you have finished with them. This will free up processing power for other applications and your computer will perform faster.

Clean up Disk Space with the Disk Cleanup Tool

Freeing space on your hard drive will improve your computer’s performance. The Disk Cleanup tool helps you do that by identifying files that you can safely delete, then enabling you to choose whether you want to delete some or all of the identified files. This is a great way to remove your temporary internet files and other data that just takes up space.

How to clean up disk space:

• Click Start –> All Programs –> Accessories –> System Tools –> Disk Cleanup.
• or Open My Computer –> right-click Local Disk –> and then click Properties.
• Select which files you want to delete. You may have to do this for each drive if you have more than one hard drive.

The system will spend a few minutes analyzing how much space will be saved. Click run. The process will take a few minutes.

Run Scandisk or Check Disk to check your hard drive for errors

Scandisk is a Windows utility which you can use to scan your hard disk for errors caused by improper shut-downs, viruses, and other problems. It can also clean your hard drive of the miscellaneous errors caused by software conflicts. Using Scandisk will help you check the integrity of a computer hard drive drive to help prevent issues with your computer data. It can also help isolate and correct errors that slow down your computer.

How to run Scandisk:

• Close all applications and programs and turn off your screensaver
• Click Start –> Run –> type in: scandisk
• You will have an option of choosing a “standard” or a “thorough” scandisk.
• If you have never done a scandisk before, choose the “thorough” option.

Be prepared to wait… this may take awhile!

Check Disk: Accoring to Wikipedia, ScanDisk is similar to Check Disk.

How to run Check Disk:

• Click Start –> Run –> type in: chkdsk
• To automatically fix any errors that are found, Type “chkdsk /F” (note space).
• You must restart your computer for it to run

Again, this may take awhile!

Defrag your hard drive

Disk fragmentation slows the overall performance of your system. Data on your hard drive gets fragmented the more often you install new programs, delete data, and move data to new folders and locations. This causes data to be broken up (fragmented) and stored in different locations. When this happens, your computer’s performance slows down because it has to search in more places to retrieve the data.

Run a system defrag to arrange your files better so your PC can access them faster, which will increase your computer’s speed and performance. If it has been awhile since you have done this, you may need to perform a system defrag several times to gain full benefit. I like to run a system defrag about once a month on my home computer. I run it more often at work because I deal with large databases.

How to run a system defrag:

• Click Start –> All Programs –> Accessories –> System Tools –> Disk Defragmenter.
• In the Disk Defragmenter dialog box, click the drives that you want to defragment, and then click the Analyze button.
• After the disk is analyzed, a dialog box appears, letting you know whether you should defragment the analyzed drives.

Keep in mind, this process can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. If it takes a few hours that means your disk is highly fragmented and you will probably want to run a system defrag several times until a defrag completes in just a few minutes.

Install additional RAM (Memory)

The amount of RAM in your computer has a direct impact on your computer’s processing speed. The larger your computer’s RAM, the quicker it is able to perform certain functions. If you don’t have enough RAM, your computer will use temporary disk space instead (virtual memory), which will substantially slow down performance.

How much RAM do you need? Computers running Windows XP need a minimum of 256MB and 512MB is recommended. If you use a photo editing program like PhotoShop, play graphic intensive computer games, or if you often have several programs open simultaneously you will need more. I have 512MB one our laptop, and 2GB on our new computer.

How to check the size of your computer’s RAM: go to Start — > Control Panel –> System. It will be shown on the bottom of the page.

How to upgrade your RAM (memory): Each computer has a different method for upgrading your memory, so I recommend reading your user manual, look at the memory upgrade instructions by Microsoft, or doing a Google search for a user forum where you can find instructions for your model computer. In most cases, it only involves accessing the area where the RAM is located and clicking it into place.

I added RAM to one of our laptops, and the process involved removing 4 screws, inserting the new stick of RAM, and starting the computer. It was extremely simple, and something anyone can do (keep in mind, however, it may be more difficult depending on your computer setup). After adding additional RAM, our laptop seemed almost new again.

How much does RAM cost? The RAM for my computer was only $30 (including shipping), and it was well worth the expense. Depending on where you purchase the RAM, you should expect to spend anywhere from $20-100, depending on the type of RAM you buy. I found a great deal on a memory stick on eBay and saved over 50%. Another great place to find inexpensive computer components is TigerDirect.com.

These tips should improve your computer’s performance

Using these tips, I was able to extend the life of one of our computers. The biggest difference maker was upgrading the RAM. The other actions - performing anti-virus scans, system defrags, and removing unnecessary files, are good things to do on a regular basis and will help your computer maintain its performance. They will make your computer run smoother and faster, and possibly last longer.

If these tips don’t work, you may need to consider buying a new computer. After doing these things, we were still not able to get one of our computers running fast enough to do everything I wanted it to. We still have it, but it isn’t good for much more than word processing or basic web surfing at this point. We will keep it around as a backup for the time being.

The new computer we bought is incredibly fast, and we got a nice deal on it. I will write about it soon and explain a few ways you can save money on a new computer.

Photo credit: fedek6.

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1. Drive a fuel efficient car. My car gets close to 30 mpg, which is well above average. Less gas, less money, fewer emissions. Win, win, win.

2. Drive efficiently. Your car’s engine is an important factor in how much fuel you use, but so is the way you drive. Accelerate and brake smoothly. Use cruise control. Combine your trips. These small actions will decrease the amount of gas you use as well as your carbon footprint.

3. Use CFL’s. Compact fluorescent light bulbs use 25% of the energy of standard incandescent bulbs and they last much longer.

4. Take showers instead of baths. The average 5 minute shower uses 20 gallons of water. The average bath uses 37 gallons. If you want to conserve even more water, turn off the faucet while lathering. Here are some more fun water facts.

5. Recycle. My wife and I recycle just about everything we can. Every week we fill our recycle bin (sometimes overflowing), and we usually only have one bag of trash. We also recycle all those coupon flyers we receive in the mail…

6. Stop receiving junk mail. You can choose to opt out of credit card offers, and you can also have your name and address removed from advertisers’ mailing lists (junk mail). You save time and clutter on your end, and fewer resources are used.

7. Turn things off. Don’t leave your TV or radio on when you sleep or when you leave the house. If you want to take it a step further, use a power strip for all appliances or electronics other than your clocks.

8. Use a programmable thermostat. My wife and I set our thermostat to function only when we are home so we don’t needlessly heat or cool an empty house.

9. Open windows. When the weather is nice (I love the spring and fall!) my wife and I leave the windows open as long as possible. This not only airs out the house and leaves a clean scent all day, but a nice breeze reduces our need to run the air conditioner - saving us money.

10. Dress appropriately for the season when indoors. If you need to wear long pants and a sweatshirt in the summertime while you are indoors, you are wasting energy. And if you can wear a short sleeve shirt and shorts indoors in the winter time, you are spending too much money on heat.

11. Run your dishwasher on energy saving mode. We run our dishwasher on the “glasses” cycle, which is the shortest cycle. This uses less water and energy. There is also an option to let the dishes dry without heat. It takes energy to create that heat - which uses more resources and money than letting your dishes air dry. I’ll deal with a few spots if I know that I am saving money and helping our earth.

12. Use cold water to wash clothes. Your clothes come out just as clean and you won’t use energy heating water for your water heater.

It all boils down to the 3 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. The more we conserve now, the less we spend in terms of dollars, and the more resources we leave for our children. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.

photo credit: barunpatro.

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I love to shop. The mall is my friend and until recently, my refuge. If I was sad I shopped, if I was happy I shopped, if I was bored I shopped. I began my shopping training as a little girl. Every weekend, my mom and I would go to the mall and shop. I always looked forward to having that time with my mom; my mom is a great bargain hunter and we were always looking for the great deal. So from an early age my love of shopping was born.

In light of these difficult economic times, I had to reassess my financial priorities and shopping habits. I decided that I needed to go on a shopping diet. So for the first quarter of 2008, I exercised a spending freeze with no excessive, unnecessary shopping. It was my own little social experiment on myself. It was actually not as hard as I thought it would be. I also learned a few key strategies to help me along the way.

Stay away from temptations.

My first step was to stay away from temptations by finding different uses for my time. I often shopped out of boredom or for retail therapy, so I had to find other ways to remedy my boredom. This meant no more shopping simply for fun. I started a blog, I exercised, I found projects to work on around the house, and I deliberately did anything but go to the mall.

Go in with a shopping list and stick to it.

Anytime I needed to go shopping for household needs or groceries, I went in with a list and I stuck to my list. (I will be honest, there were a few times when I would pick something up that wasn’t on my list. I would walk around the entire store with it in my basket but before checking out, I ended up putting the item back, so I never did buy anything that was not on my list. But I often came very close).

Consider your needs vs. your wants.

What helped me put the item back was really thinking things through. Did I really NEED this item? After all, it was not on my list before, so I didn’t think I needed it. I decided that if I truly needed it, I could add it to my list for the next shopping trip. Not once did something I put back go on next week’s shopping list. This was a good strategy for me to determine what I needed vs. what I wanted. This helped me stick to my goal.

Budget and save for the things you really want.

For the items I wanted that were not on my list, I decided to add them to a different list, my wish list. I decided that if there was room in my budget I would set aside money to save for those items and buy them after my shopping diet. By giving myself that time to cool down, I realized that I really didn’t want some of those things. And for other things, waiting allowed me to comparison shop to get an even better deal!!

Shop with a purpose or goal; don’t shop mindlessly.

I also became more mindful about how I spent my money. It was nice to have the extra money to allocate toward debts and savings rather than mindless spending. In many ways, personal finance is a lot like being healthy. You have to be cognizant of your eating habits to stay healthy. Eating mindlessly leads to bad food choices and spending mindlessly leads to bad financial choices. It’s amazing how those little things end up in your basket while walking around the store or when you just go “window shopping.” Those little things add up quickly and the next thing you know, you’ve spent hundreds of dollars on miscellaneous items.

Allow small splurges on occasion, but practice moderation.

I thought that once my self-imposed shopping diet was over that I would end up binge shopping. Luckily, that was not the case. As a result of my shopping diet, I was able to put more money toward my debts, which helped me feel successful. I believe it was that feeling of success and using my strategy of saving for my wish list that kept me from a shopping binge. I could never completely give up shopping (who can?); but like health it is all about balance and moderation. A diet that deprives you of things you want inevitably leads to failure in the end. I know that I will need to allow myself a treat here and there. Practicing moderation along with mindfulness will help keep me satisfied and successful.

I learned a lot about myself from my little social experiment. The next time I want to buy something unnecessary, I will think it through more carefully and use the strategies that I learned. I know that from time to time I will really want that new pair of shoes or something else that I do not truly need. I am human and I am not perfect. And on occasion it will be okay; it is all about moderation and being mindful of your spending. Thinking more about my needs and wants will help me be in better control of my spending habits and keep me from shopping mindlessly.

photo credit: pipp.

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