College tuition savings may be closer than you think.

With college tuition costs on the rise, the answer to your college budget woes may be close to home.

Here are 5 reasons why community colleges can be a great deal and still get you where you need to be in your career.

1. Of course the tuition costs are much lower.
2. It is likely that your instructors will be from the real career world vs. being taught by a grad student.
3. You can still live at home and keep the housing and food costs down.
4. Many community colleges offer schedules conducive to keeping at least a part-time job.
5. Some states will automatically consider your lower division requirements fulfilled when you transfer to a 4-year institution upon completion of your associates degree at a community college within the same state.

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Debit card risks that everyone should know about

According to the Federal Trade Commission your liability under federal law for unauthorized use of your ATM or debit card depends on how quickly you report the loss.

If you report  that your ATM or debit card is missing before it’s used without your permission, the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA) states that  the card issuer can’t hold you responsible for any unauthorized transactions.

If unauthorized transactions occur before you report it to the card issuer, your liability under federal law will vary depending on how quickly you report the loss.

According to the Federal Trade Commission:  “If you report the loss within two business days after you realize your card is missing, you will not be responsible for more than $50 for unauthorized use. However, if you don’t report the loss within two business days after you discover the loss, you could lose up to $500 because of an unauthorized transfer. You also risk unlimited loss if you fail to report an unauthorized transfer within 60 days after your bank statement containing unauthorized use is mailed to you. That means you could lose all the money in your bank account and the unused portion of your line of credit established for overdrafts. However, for unauthorized transfers involving only your debit card number (not the loss of the card), you are liable only for transfers that occur after 60 days following the mailing of your bank statement containing the unauthorized use and before you report the loss.”

For more information, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s Credit, ATM and Debit Cards web page

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How to get a cheap starbucks mocha coffee

Step I.  Order a Grande Pike Place  (or whatever you like that they have on tap) coffee in a Venti sized cup to allow extra room for other stuff.

Step II.  Fill in the empty space with the free half and half that they provide at the  creamer/sugar/napkins counter.

Step III.  Add in the provided Chocolate/Mocha power provided free.

Step IV.  Add in sugar.

Step V.    Stir well and enjoy!

There you have it.  You’ve now created your own creamy, chocolaty and sweet simulated mocha coffee for significantly less money and probably much less time waiting for the fancier version to be made.

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How to drive down costs on your next car rental

List out potential rental car companies

• Make  a list of at least seven rent a car companies that offer competitive prices in the city that you want to rent in.   For example  Avis, Alamo, Hertz, Thrifty, Dollar, Budget, National, Enterprise rent-a-car, etc.

Look for discounts on rental cars

• If you are a costco member, check out the costco web site under their travel section.  They offer really great discounts from most rental car companies.  Discounts will vary by care hire company.
• Are you a AAA member?  If so, you may be entitled to discounts.
• Have you purchased an Entertainment  Book?  If so, look for coupons inside your book.
• Are you an airline frequent flier member?  If so, you may qualify for discounts.  It’s also possible that  can redeem your airline mileage points for free car rentals.

Compare car rental car value (questions to ask).

• Will the car rental company waive the additional driver fee?
• Will the car rental company allow you to personally select the car you want at pick up time?  Some companies will check you in, send you to the garage and let you choose the vehicle that you want to drive.  The keys are left in the car, so you just hop in and give the guy at the gate the paper work and off you go.
• Are the vehicles that that the company rents  safe, fuel efficient, clean and in good overall repair?
• Will the car rental company provide you with a free car seat?  If not, this could add on a significant cost to your daily rental charges.  So, you may want to bring your own car seat with you.
• Can you earn frequent flyer bonus points for the airline program(s) that you are a member of?

Insurance costs.

• Contact your auto insurance company ahead of time and ask them if they will fully cover you in your rental car.  If so, you may choose to waive the coverage that the rent a car company offers.   Remember, make sure that you confirmed that you are already covered by your auto insurance carrier (be sure to get it in writing).

Fuel costs.

• Consider the mileage of the vehicle that you are renting and how that will impact your overall rental car expenses.
• Figure out if the pre-paid fuel option makes good “Cents”.   To do this you need to know the average cost of the gas in the city that you will be driving the car in.  Also, consider if you will be able set aside enough time to re-fuel the car on the day that you will  return the car.   Finding out if there is a well priced gas station on the airport grounds may help you to make up your mind.

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El Cheapo Travel Tips – Part I

Take a deep breath and get ready to dive into savings.

Tip #I – Many Costco members are unaware of the fantastic deals that they can snag on rental cars. Costco offers discounts on all of the major rental car players.  We have had great luck with Alamo and ended with a few extra United Mileage Plus miles to boot.

Tip #II – While Costco is great for rental cars, we prefer hotels.com for deals on hotel rooms.  We really like their comprehensive hotel reviews as well as their overall customer service.  Of course, you should go direct to each hotels web site to see if they will offer lower prices.   If you decide to book with hotels.com, be sure to sign up for their free welcome rewards program first.

Tip #III – We’re not too crazy about paying big bucks for airport food.  So, if we’re in a hurry, we snag a sandwich
at Quiznos and wait to eat it until we are on the plane (where we can avail ourselves of free beverages. Well ….. at least on Southwest airlines).

Tip #IV – If  you plan on checking a bag, consider packing your own soda, water bottles and snacks.  This will save you from paying higher prices for these items at the hotel.  Just grab some ice from the ice machine and you’re good to go.

Tip #V – Use google maps to locate restaurants and grocery store options before you depart.  It’s much easier to locate cheaptastic dinning options ahead of time.   This tip is even more important if you’re staying in an area where low priced dining is scarce.    Of course if you book a hotel room with a refrigerator and microwave, you could do a bit of  local grocery market shopping and save big.

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New car buying secrets (is sticker really quicker?)

Secrets to finding great deals on new car prices

Most people don’t look forward to buying their next new car.  As you might have guessed, the back and forth price negotiations can frustrate even the most patient person.  Well, we couldn’t agree more.  That’s why  we’re sharing our  buying secrets to help you find great prices on new vehicles.

So here goes:

1. Figure out what you really need in a vehicle and write it down.  Here are some example considerations
   
   • Determine how much money are you prepared to spend.
   • Write down the criteria that the vehicle must meet (e.g. good gas mileage, ability to tow, ability  to carry lots of equipment and/or people,  etc.).
2. Research various types and models of vehicles.
   
   • Visit edmunds.com to sort through vehicle choices.
   • Visit consumer reports to research quality.
   • Visit safercar.gov and www.iihs.org to research crash test results.
   • Research government fuel economy at fueleconomy.gov

3. Test Drive Your Vehicle choices
   
   • Visit several dealers to test drive vehicles.  Make sure that you let the salesman know that you will not be buying today and stick with that decision .  Dealing with a manager will probably be less painful since they are typically not paid on commission.
   • Once you narrow down your vehicle choices, you should consider renting the same type of vehicle for a day or two to ensure that the vehicle will really fit you well.
4. Locate the dealers in your area.
   
   • Search the news papers and the internet for dealers within an hour of your house (or farther away if you prefer).  Write down the contact information for each dealer, then call them to find out who the dealer manager(s) are. Try to obtain a phone number, email address and fax number for these folks.
5. Research vehicle financing options.
   
   • Check the rates and conditions at your bank or credit union before you consider a dealer financing offer.  Remember,  dealers really want you to finance with them because it can  increase their profit margin.
   • If you can pay cash, they will save you the most in the long run.  But if you need to finance, make sure you calculate the complete cost of the vehicle.   You may be shocked at the sum of:
     the vehicle price, the taxes and add-on fees and the total interest that you will over the years.
6. Fax and/email respectable offers before showing up.
   
   • Write a form letter  stating that you are ready to purchase a vehicle within the next X number of weeks and that you will be going with the lowest price.  Be sure to enumerate all of the options that you do or don’t want (including paint color).   Also, be sure that  you have your funding in order before contacting the dealer.   And lastly,  let them know how much time they have to respond to you.
7. Read the paperwork carefully at least twice before you sign anything (make sure that you clearly understand everything in the contract.
   
8. Inspect the vehicle carefully.
   
   • Bring someone else with you and literally take your time to inspect every inch of the vehicle before signing the contract. It’s not unusual to find paint defects, body dings, stains on seats upholstery, etc on new vehicles. If you expect the dealer to do right by you, you must point out what you find before driving off the lot.

9. Make sure to perform all scheduled maintenance to keep the vehicle in warranty compliance.

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