Shopping Around for the Best Deal on Vehicles

One of the things that my parents taught me was that I needed to shop around to find the best deal on anything that I ever wanted to buy.  I know that some people would say that it would be too much work, but in most cases, with the amount of money that I save, it is worth it.

Take for example buying a new vehicle.  I have plenty of friends that just go to the first car dealer and buy the first thing that they see.  But in most cases, they don’t know the value of the vehicle that they are looking at and quite often they pay too much for it.

But when I went shopping for a new vehicle, I checked out the listings for new trucks in Weatherford as well as the many car dealers in Fort Worth.  This way, I had a good idea as to what price I should pay, and I gave myself many options to choose from.  In the end, I was able to get a good deal on the truck I wanted.

So, the next time that you are shopping around for a new vehicle (or anything else for that matter), do yourself a favor and shop around – you will be amazed at how much money you can save.

Caladium bulbs, endurance races and used cars in Florida

Have you ever heard of the Caladium Capital of the world? If not, you might be surprised to learn that it was named after the same town that once hosted the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. Lake Placid, Florida is a lovely tropical region found in the middle of the state, and amongst the lush growth is also well known for the high quality used cars that can be found in the area.

photo credit: la fattina

The general reason for better used cars in Florida usually stems from the thought that many of Florida's residents relocate from other states. As these folks migrate to the warmer climates, they bring with them their vehicles. A surprisingly large number of new residents have come to the Sunshine state to retire, and end up selling their low mileage vehicles into the used car market there in Florida.

While the above stated facts certainly are true, in this central part of the state, there is another factor that might not be as well known. The internationally known endurance races held at the track in Sebring, Fl bring auto afficiandos from all over the country and around the world. With this focused market, comes a lot of the highest quality used cars that Florida has ever seen. If you're in the area, this is definitely a place to look for a good car.

What a Way to Start Our Day!

This morning, I woke up to my husband telling me his car wouldn't start. I work at home, so I tend to sleep later than he does. Also, we share a car, so with his out of commission we were pretty much dead in the water.

Luckily, his brother was able to stop by on his way to work and take Hubby to the parts store to pick up some Toyota parts. It's pretty easy to find the Toyota Corolla parts we need, since he has a newer car, so luckily he only had to go to the one place and wasn't gone long.

Actually, we lucked out in many ways, because the only thing wrong was the battery. This is the second time in two years that the battery has quit abruptly, with pretty much no warning. It's somewhat disconcerting to have it happen when we only have one car, and to realize how vulnerable we are without a second car.

Good thing we live close to a parts store I guess — technically we are close enough to walk, though it would have been difficult to walk it while carrying a heavy battery!

This just goes to show though that we need to get my car up and running. I have an older car that hasn't been running for the past couple of years — I really don't need it since I work at home, and it's difficult to work on a car without a garage, so I just haven't bothered. Plus, it's expensive to buy parts for these older foreign cars, and oftentimes we just don't have the money!

This is a reminder, though, of why it would be a really good thing to get my car running, despite the expense and the hassle!

Getting Some New Wheels

I am almost embarrassed to say it, but I am still driving my first car. That’s right, if I was to pick you up to give you a ride, you would be driving around in an old 1993 Dodge Spirit – not a pretty sight. It is falling apart and on its last legs, but I can’t complain as it has served me well. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t have my eyes on a new car – in fact, I have been shopping around for the last couple of weeks.

I think that I have been to every Fort Worth Ford dealer and there have only been a few cars that have got me excited. Even though the Ford Explorer is really tempting to me, I just can’t see myself needing the 4x4, so I have been trying (really hard) to just look at cars. I have been looking at the Ford Focus, and I think that I am pretty much sold on it.
But before I take the plunge and buy a Ford, I thought that I should go check out the new Suzuki dealer in town. They have some really good prices, and from the reviews that I have read online, they have some good cars as well.

I am going to check them out today, but if I do find something that I like, I am going to sleep on it before I make an offer – I want to get a car that will last for a long time.

Rental cars Las Vegas Style!

I've had my fun in Las Vegas. I'm sure you have as well. If not, only you can do something about that. One thing I'm a bit tired of is that marketing slogan, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas". It is brilliant, no doubt. I'm just tire of it. During my last trip I spent way too much time in line for a car rental, Las Vegas. What's up with that?

photo credit: mandj98

If I had wanted to spend half of my time waiting for a Las Vegas rental car, I would have just taken a taxi. Or better yet, I would have not even considered rental cars in Las Vegas and would have driven myself. I'm only about 5 hours at just above the legal speed limit.

But that takes away from the fun and excitement of being there. Car rental Las Vegas style can be exciting and fun. If you splurge a little and go for one of the exotic rental cars, you may end up with one of those "stays in Vegas" memories.

Or you can be boring and just go for the cheap rental cars in Las Vegas. If you do that, however, make sure you spend all the money you save gambling. Only then will you get to create memories that you'll tell everyone about. And when I hear it, I'll cringe because you will tell me that it didn't really stay in Vegas!

Picking out the best truck boxes for your situation

If you're like me, you have about a million and one things you use your truck for. Owning my business means that I definitely have a lockable jobox. You just have to have these to transport and secure your tools. Try carting them to the job site, and into your garage at home at the end of a long day, and then back to the truck before you head to work in the morning. You'll soon understand that not having truck boxes means you've got tons of extra work on your hands. And don't forget about the added worry of theft and vandalism you'll be filled with.

Living in the Pacific Northwest, means that in addition to my daily grind, I spend a lot of time in the wilderness. My pals and I hunt, fish, and almost always take our dogs out with us.

Having seen way too many unfortunate accidents where a dog has jumped from the bed of a pick up truck, I vowed long ago to ensure that my dogs were transported in quality and comfortable dog boxes.

They may not be proudly hanging over the side lapping up the wind as the truck is streaming along, but this way I know my dogs will be safe when we get there.

Cheaper Style

I guess I’ve always been something of a gear head. In high school I envied the people who had their own cars, and I worked during the summer and after school until I could afford my own. A friend of mine got a car right around the same time as I did. He got a BMW and I got a used Toyota. I know what you’re thinking. But it was only three years old, and with all the money I saved, compared to him; I bought a lot of Toyota accessories. Sure it was still a Toyota and not a BMW, but it actually looked pretty gnarly. It was a blank canvas in my hands. And by the time we were seniors his BMW was a couple years old anyway, too. Today you can get any Toyota parts you can imagine online. I guess the point of the story I’m trying to make is that people get too caught up in labels and image. All it takes is a few television advertisements to make us drink Coke and disdain the generic equivalent that taste the same. That said, I’d like to make one final, ironic comment: be sure to find genuine Toyota parts and not low-quality imitations.