Monday Video!

After you have watched and LAUGHED at this Mayhem video, call us to get covered! Have a GREAT week! :)

Car Financing: Be Prepared Before You Visit the Dealer

Posted by patrick_olsen on Sep 20, 2011 7:06:10 AM

You know what car you want and you’re ready to visit the dealer. The best way to make this work out for you is to have all of your information and game plan set before you step out the door. Shoppers should know as many of the following points as possible before visiting dealerships, starting with the price you expect to pay. For an easy-to-use reminder, check out the Auto Financing Cheat Sheet that you can take with you to the dealership.

While it’s impossible for anyone to say in advance exactly what you should pay, you can do enough research to get a pretty good idea of what an appropriate price looks like. The closest we come is the Cars.com Smart Target Price, which is based on demand, availability and just a little bit of voodoo. It also considers the MSRP and invoice pricing, and so should you.

One of the best ways to determine the retail price of a car equipped with all the features and options you want is to use the “build your own” link in the Cars.com 'Buy' section. It lets you select a trim level and options, automatically calculates the price and alerts you if one selection requires you to give up (or add) something else. Once you've built the car you want, you'll see numbers for MSRP and invoice prices, between which the actual transaction price usually falls. Don't forget fees like the destination charge, taxes, title and licensing.

Once you have an idea of what the car should cost based on that research, we recommend coming up with four figures:

• A conservative price for the purpose of determining what you can afford: When estimating the sale price on which to base your affordability calculations, don’t assume you’ll get a deal closer to invoice than to sticker price. There’s always a chance that the cars on the lot will have different features or accessories to consider before the deal is done—or options and services you can add afterward—so you're better off assuming the purchase price will be on the high side.
• The price at which you'll start your negotiation: Even if you suggest a price that seems high to you, it's the salesperson’s job to try to “bump” you up, so you need to start low and reach a compromise between your starting figure and what salespeople tend to call their “best price.”
• The absolute maximum you will pay for the car: This amount, which could be close to your figure from No. 1, should be kept to yourself.
• The maximum you tell the dealer you will pay: The dealer may ask what you want to pay, or the most you're willing to pay. If you give a number, he’ll almost certainly say, “Up to...” Already he’s suggesting that your high isn’t a high; it’s the low end of a range. The appropriate answer is “yes,” as in, “up to the amount I just gave you.”

  

Car salespeople want to talk about what you can afford in a monthly payment. Why? Because it’s easier for you to lose sight of how much you’re paying for the car and the loan overall if the payments are low enough, and because many consumers themselves focus on the impact on their monthly budget.

Finally, make sure you know all about the available incentives on the car you want. They can come in the form of low-interest financing or cash rebates, and are almost always applied as a discount to the purchase price. It’s important for you to know your credit score, because the best advertised offers are usually reserved for those consumers with the best credit ratings.

Patrick Olsen heads the Cars.com editorial team and covers a wide range of topics in the automotive industry including industry news, analysis and consumer advice

Does RVing Always Require a Tow Vehicle?

Posted by rvadventures on Aug 2, 2011 1:51:10 PM

To Tow or Not to Tow

The Crazy Cooks have gone on many RV trips with a tow vehicle, and many without one. In fact, we traveled in “The Beast” for several months before we made the move to purchase our Jeep. Our very first trip in the RV was to Yellowstone  National Park. With no tow vehicle we closed down our campsite every morning, drove our large Class A RV all around the park to see the sights, and returned every night to set our campsite back up again…ugh. A tow vehicle would have really come in handy. Simply put, towing a vehicle gives you flexibility and options when you travel.

So how do you decide if you really need one? It really just depends on your destination and what you plan on doing once you arrive. For instance, when we traveled to Cajun Palms RV Resort in Henderson, Louisiana, we used our tow vehicle to drive ourselves and others to the Crawfish Festival in nearby Breaux Bridge. If we hadn’t towed our Jeep we would have missed the festival. And you just can’t visit Louisiana without throwing down some spicy crawfish while you tap your feet to some killer Cajun tunes.  

But not all trips require a tow vehicle. We have found that many parks and resorts offer local transportation, giving you the flexibility to leave your tow vehicle at home. For example, southern hospitality was in full swing at the French Quarter RV Resort in New Orleans, Louisiana, when shuttles lined up to take everyone to the Saints/Steelers football game at the Superdome. Cabs were also available to transport RVers to the French Quarter for local shopping and dining. Nicely done y’all! 

And then there are the mechanics of it all. Do you know how to tow a car behind an RV?  Chances are if you are comfortable driving a “rolling house-on-wheels” you will be just fine pulling a few extra feet of tow vehicle. Which RV towing vehicle is right for you? RVers choose a wide variety of vehicles based on how many people travel, how the vehicle will be used (basic transport or blazing trails), and most important of all…budget constraints. Then there is the choice of RV towing equipment. Which RV tow bar setup do you prefer? Once you purchase your vehicle and connect the tow bar, always remember to test connections i.e. brake lights and turning signals prior to hitting the road.  

On our most recent RV adventure - the 2011 Father/Son Summer RV Tour - Bob and the boys had a crazy drive through Yosemite National  Park in California. The decline on highway 120 out of Groveland was so severe and the turns so tight, they had to disconnect the Jeep. Which brings up another item to consider: how long is your RV? Ours is 43’ long without the Jeep. If your RV is facing tight turns (where overall length needs to be considered) or steep inclines/declines (where additional weight may cause problems), you may occasionally need to detach and drive your tow vehicle behind the RV until conditions stabilize. In our case, Ray was able to drive the Jeep behind the RV for a little over 2 hours as they slowly made their descent down the highway. When road conditions improved the Jeep was reconnected. Even when towing a vehicle is the right choice for your trip, occasional adjustments may come into play. But hey, traveling on the road is always an adventure!

So to paraphrase Shakespeare (as I’m sure he would have loved RVing)… To Tow or Not To Tow, that is the question. So… do you?

Stay tuned… the adventure continues!

Karen Cook / RVAdventures

www.rvadventuresblog.com

Karen Cook is a guest blogger from RVAdventures Travel Blog. In  exchange for sharing this content, the Allstate Community has compensated her via cash payment.

Five Ways to Save Money on Everyday Expenditures

Posted by fantabandfrugal on Apr 1, 2011 8:43:00 AM

I love bargain shopping and it’s easy to save money by only shopping the sale racks or shopping at online sample sale sites. What is more challenging, however, is finding ways to save money on everyday life – those little things you do day in and day out. Here are my favorite five ways to save money on a daily basis.

1. Join Facebook

If you’re not on Facebook yet, sign up now. In addition to reconnecting with long-lost friends, Facebook gives you the ability to connect with businesses. “Like” your favorite companies and you’ll find that they often offer coupons, discounts, and freebies just for their fans. I’ve enjoyed free food and beverages, candy and even free nail polish!

2. Print Coupons from Online Sources

It’s easier than ever to get your hands on coupons, thanks to the internet. Not only is Facebook a great source, but sites like Coupons.com exist solely to let you print out coupons to redeem at the grocery store! Coupons.com is free and easy to use - just indicate which coupons you’d like and then print them out. Even stores like Targethave a coupon section on their website, and they’re not all grocery-related. For instance, they recently had a coupon that would save users $5 off the purchase of a pair of jeans. 

3. Make Your Coffee at Home

If you’re anything like me you need a cup of coffee in the morning to get yourself up and going. Stopping to pick up coffee every day can add up quickly. Last year I spent more than $20 per week on coffee! I was a little appalled when I took the time to do the math, and committed then and there to make a small pot of coffee each morning, and I haven’t looked back since. Not only do I save time each morning by not making an extra stop on the way to the office, but now I only spend about $20 per month on coffee.

4. Look for Dining Discounts

It used to be that it was difficult to save money when dining out unless you wanted to eat at a chain restaurant. Those days are over now, thanks to the advent of sites like Restaurant.com. Using Restaurant.com you can snag gift certificates to your favorite restaurants and pay a fraction of the full-price bill. For instance, you can often buy $25 gift certificates for just $2. You will need to spend $50 to use the gift certificate, but consider the savings: Instead of paying $50 for $50 worth of food, you will pay just $27for $50 worth of food. The Facebook rule above applies for restaurants, too – they will often provide special discounts just for their Facebook fans!

5. Use Cash Back Shopping Sites

Over the past couple of years there has been a rise in the number of websites that don’t offer coupons toward your online purchases, but instead offer a certain percentage of actual cash back based on what you spend! Sites like ShopatHome, Ebates, and Mr.Rebates are fantastic because not only can you still use your online promotional codes, but you can also earn cash back for double the savings. Here’s an insider’s tip: look for special days when they offer double or triple cash back at certain stores. For instance, a couple of times last year I saw that Ebates offered 20% cash back at Gap, but the offer was good for just two days so if you weren’t quick you would miss out.

Fantabandfrugal is a guest blogger from FantabulouslyFrugal.com. In exchange for sharing this content, GoodHandsCommunity.org has compensated her via cash payment. Although she is affiliated with several of the entities mentioned in this blog, she has not been compensated for mentioning said entities in this particular blo