Welcome! It looks like you're new here. Be sure to subscribe to my RSS feed so you don't miss a thing! Thanks for visiting!

There isn’t a driver in America right now who doesn’t cringe a little every time they drive up to the pump, I don’t care what you drive. So, in this world of daily rising fuel costs, tracking your gas consumption is a necessity if you want to ever see any relief from the pain. Enter FuelFrog, a new web application that launched last week, which aims to make tracking your gas mileage and consumption easier and thus (hopefully) eventually lower your bills.

FuelFrog is hugely simple, and incredibly useful which tons of potential. After each fill up, users enter their miles traveled since the last fill, the price paid, and the amount of gasoline in gallons. Then, over time, FuelFrog will track and graph your fuel consumption data so you can do things like identify trends in gas prices in your area, see how fuel efficient your car is, how much you’re driving, and how much you’re spending. Second Pixel (FuelFrog’s parent company) co-founder David Rasch said in a press release,

“We’re paying more attention to our impact on the environment today than we ever have before and FuelFrog is making it easier to track fuel consumption and the impact, not only on our wallets, but on the environment”.

Information can be entered via the web, or via Twitter (and, if you’re a Twitter user, go ahead and follow me here and Nate here), which means that you can log your fuel data immediately after filling up via your mobile phone.

For what its worth, FuelFrog also plans to give users access to aggregated data from other users, allowing you to compare your vehicle’s fuel consumption against another make and model, for instance, or your city’s average gas prices to those in another area.

Click here to check out FuelFrog for yourself.

Source: “FuelFrog: Track Your Gas Mileage” [ReadWriteWeb]

Popularity: 5% [?]

Messages have been circulating this week through text message, email and social networking sites about an organized gas strike for today, May 2nd. I myself have gotten several texts and a forwarded email about it in recent days. The premise of the strike is for everyone to avoid purchasing gas today to show our displeasure with the ever-escalating cost of fuel. Personally, I am all for any type of organized efforts to lower the price of gasoline and if you feel that not purchasing gas today is a way to achieve that, then by all means participate.

My issue with this tactic is that it doesn’t really effect the overall consumption of gasoline at all; since most people will get the gas they need before or after the strike. The key to making a statement (and affecting the bottom line of the oil companies) is not using any gasoline for a day or a weekend. That way, with reduced consumption, comes reduced need and hopefully lower prices. For instance, I won’t be doing any driving today and plan on walking anywhere I need to go; something I need to incorporate more into my daily life anyway. Since this strike was going on today I thought you all might like to hear about it, and act accordingly if it’s something you see as worthwhile.

On the subject of gas prices, I know we’ve mentioned ways to find the cheapest gas around to save money at the pumps, but I’ve recently discovered some additional ways that you can make your money work for you and show savings filling up your tank. Numerous grocery stores run programs where for every $X amount you spend using your store card, you will save 10 cents per gallon at participating gas stations on your next fill up. Both the Price Chopper and Stop & Shop have these programs down where I live, and are interesting options to consider.

Smarter grocery shopping is a great way to save money, but it may also make sense to find which of these (or other) stores has the best prices on the merchandise you want to buy and shop there exclusively. As you spend more at one store, your savings at the pump will increase. Over the course of a month, you could easily save upwards of 50 cents per gallon just by doing your shopping at one particular store. Something you should consider, at the very least - I know I am.

(image courtesy of planebuzz.com)

Popularity: 16% [?]

Who doesn’t like ice cream? How about when it’s free? I thought so. Well, in case you hadn’t heard, today only participating Ben & Jerry’s shops around the U.S. are giving away free ice cream cones. To find out if your local creamery is participating, click here (be sure and check off the “participating in free cone day” button). Now get out there and enjoy some ice cold treats. ‘Cause nothing beats free!

Popularity: 18% [?]

Here’s the situation - you reallllly want to leave any traces of Natty Lite in your life behind after graduation but you also can’t afford to shell out $65 for a good bottle of single-malt scotch, either. You realize that liquor and spirits are both classy and enjoyable but you can’t afford to break the bank choosing the highest end booze. So, what do you do?

1. Change your brands: Pick something in the middle. There really is no difference between Smirnoff and Grey Goose beyond fancy packaging. Oh, and about $20. There’s no need to settle down with a bottle of $70 Laphroaig scotch after work when a $40 bottle of Glenfiddich will do the trick.

photo credit: kalwa

2. Change spirits: Rather than shelling out of premium vodka or scotch, think about bourbon or rum. Good, sippable bourbons start at $10 to $15 cheaper than scotch, and except for the absolute top-shelf, the premium bottles top out at a price-point where scotch and cognac are just starting to get respectable. Meanwhile, premium rums are incredibly cheap when compared to similarly aged spirits (such as whiskey and cognac), with sippable rums starting around just $20 a bottle.According to Paul Clarke of Imbibe Magazine,

Even better, the quality and range of excellent sipping rums has taken off in recent years, and some truly exceptional rums can be found for about the same price as a basic single-malt scotch or reposado tequila—think Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 Anos, which retails for around $35; or Barbancourt 15-year-old, which goes for around $40. Explore the rum category, and walk out with two bottles of top-of-the-line spirits for less than what you’d pay for a single bottle of mid-range cognac.

3. Become one with the cocktail: When you’re having company over (in large or small numbers) don’t go directly to breaking out “the good stuff”; instead, think about mixing some cocktails. You’ll find that cheaper premium stuff works even better in a cocktail than the top-shelf booze and you can prepare awesome drinks for a fraction of the cost. As Clarke explains,

Instead of opening that $40 bottle of Macallan, try mixing some Manhattans: you can pick up a bottle of Rittenhouse bonded rye—a double-gold winner at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and one of the best bargains out there—for around $15, plus a bottle of decent sweet vermouth for another $6; toss in some Angostura bitters—$6 for a bottle that’ll last for years—and you’ve got perfectly respectable drinks for a crowd for much cheaper than what you’d spend on a single bottle of good scotch.

There are plenty of fun cocktails to be made when throwing a party which won’t break the bank. If a Manhattan isn’t your style and margaritas are a little out of budget, think about making daiquiris. You can get a bottle of decent white rum, some fresh lime juice and sugar to make a great daiquiri for less than one bottle of decent tequila.

photo credit: Gunter Panzerfaust

Or even better - for your next party, try mixing the “Poor Man’s Sangria”. A staple in Spain, all you need for Poor Man’s Sangria is a punch bowl, a bottle of diet orange soda and a box of red wine. If you want to at least appear classy, slice a lemon and an orange and throw them in the bowl as well. I promise your guests will be asking for the recipe after the first glass.

Source: “Cheap(er) Drinks: Tips For Enjoyable Drinking Without Going Broke” [seriouseats.com]

Technorati Tags: money saver, cocktails, alcohol, frugal tips

Popularity: 23% [?]

I recently read a very interesting piece in the March 17th issue of Newsweek entitled “Not Just for Tree Huggers” (I know, I’m way behind in my reading). It talked about the housing market and how although the market itself is down, green homes were still hot commodities.

While I am sure most recent grads aren’t looking to buy or build a home at this point in our lives, there was a lot of useful information in the article. It’s also good to know that being eco-friendly is becoming a more attractive option in housing construction, as it is a great way to reduce both costs and wasted resources long-term. When the time comes to start looking at potentially getting your own home, going green could be something to consider.

photo credit: taberandrew

Here were some of the highlights of the article that you can implement in your current housing situation, or ask your landlord to look into.

- Installing low-voltage lights, which use less energy their normal-volted counterparts. This type of lighting can be installed both inside and outside the building.
- Couple those low voltage fixtures with fluorescent light bulbs, which last longer up to 10 times longer and use 2/3 less energy than a standard incandescent bulb.
- Using a ceiling fan to circulate air throughout the house, especially in large common areas keeps your home cooler and can be a much cheaper replacement for using your A/C unit.
- Maximize the windows you have, and let in as much natural light as possible. Not only does it reduce your reliance on artificial lighting, it doesn’t make your house feel like a cavern anymore!
- Low-flow faucets – especially in the kitchen sink – utilize less water and still will get your dishes just as clean. As for going low-flow in the shower, if you haven’t seen this Seinfeld episode, well, tread carefully. I’ll stick to shorter, high-flow showers myself.
- Installing Energy Star appliances that are certified to use less energy.
- Recycling: This can be as simple as returning cans & bottles (for a cash refund where applicable) or restoring and renovating older furniture instead of buying new.
- Specialized windows that reflect heat, keeping the house warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.

Not all of these options are necessarily cheap, or ones you should be implementing yourselves – especially if you are renting – but all are relatively easy ways to save some money and energy in your home by increasing efficiency.

For those social-networking addicts among us, you can even use the “I Am Green” Facebook application to display to your friends how environmentally friendly (and money conscious!) you are.

Popularity: 24% [?]

Since the price of gas continues to skyrocket and not all of us are lucky enough to have public transportation options for our daily commutes, finding “affordable” gas is an invaluable money saving endeavor.

photo credit: kbaird

Short of cruising around your town looking for the cheapest station, or siphoning gas from a neighbor, there are several websites that will search out the cheapest station in your area for you.

One such site is part of Mapquest – gasprices.mapquest.com – and not only provides search options for gasoline and diesel fuel, but alternative fuel options as such as Ethanol-85 and Biodiesel fuel too. Once you have searched your particular corner of the world for the cheapest gas, you can click on the link to the station and use mapquest to get directions right to the pumps. This is a pretty neat feature, since oftentimes the cheaper stations aren’t on right on Main St. and it would be a shame to get lost and burn gas looking for the place.

Another useful site to check is GasBuddy.com which, according to their website:

“can help you find cheap gas prices in your city. It is a network of more than 181+ gas price information websites that help you find low gasoline prices.”

This site is based on an extensive network of other gas pricing websites and relies on volunteer information from “Gas Price Spotters” who submit information to GasBuddy about low prices in their area. The site also has some other cool information, such as national gas price average, top 10 lowest average price lists by state and city as well as many others.

If you have a substantial commute to work like I do, or just want to save a few cents a gallon, do yourself a favor and check out one of these sites next time you need to fill up the tank.

Popularity: 19% [?]

photo credit: Roguey000

The monthly electric bill can really take a good chunk of change out of any recent grad’s wallet, but every wasted penny also does a number on this planet we all call home. Well, here are ten easy and cheap things you can do today to lower your bills, and your impact on the Earth:

1. Check the furnace or air conditioner filter each month, and clean or replace it as needed. Dirty filters block air flow through your heating and cooling systems, increasing your energy bill and shortening the equipment’s life.
2. Activate “sleep” features on computers and office equipment that power down when not in use for a while. Turn off equipment during longer periods of non-use to cut energy costs and improve longevity.
3. In summer, use fans whenever possible instead of AC, and ventilate at night this way when practical. Using fans to supplement AC allows you to raise the thermostat temperature, using less energy. Fans cost less to use than AC.
4. About 15 percent of an average home energy bill goes to heating water. To save hot water, take five-minute showers instead of baths. Do only full loads when using the clothes washer or dishwasher.
5. Replace light bulbs with fluorescent bulbs. Incandescent light bulbs are outdated; 95 percent of the energy used goes to heating the bulb, adding unwanted heat to your home in the summer. Replace your five most used light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs to save $60 each year in energy costs. These light bulbs use two-thirds less energy and last up to 10 times longer.
6. 75 percent of the energy used by home electronics is consumed when they’re turned off. Televisions, VCRs, stereos, computers and many kitchen appliances — basically anything that holds a time or other settings — continues to use electricity even when turned off. A simple solution? Plug all of these items into power strips, and then get in the habit of turning off the strips between uses.
7. Your washing machine and dishwasher use a TON of electricity. Minimize the drain by only washing full loads.
8. Replace you regular surge protectors with Smart Strip surge protectors, which automatically turn off power to plugs that are not in use.
9. Don’t Put Uncovered Foods/ Drinks in the Refrigerator. Condensation makes the fridge work harder, and costs you more money.
10. Use Your Microwave Instead of the Oven. Microwaves use less electricity, and don’t release as much heat into your home.

These (and many more) are simple steps anyone can take today to lower your bills, save you money, and do some good. For more ideas and resources, check out the Consumer Tips from the Alliance to Save Energy.

Technorati Tags: frugal, personal finance, money saver, go green, college, graduation, real world

Popularity: 21% [?]

Today being Friday, and a rainy one here at that, I decided that I didn’t feel like making myself a lunch to bring to work today. I’m all for rewarding yourself with some take-out on a Friday after a long workweek and a rainy day is an even better excuse to pick up some comfort food. This got me thinking though, how often do I opt to pick up lunch instead of bringing something with me - and how many other people are doing the same thing?

After taking a look at my checking account statement, the results were astounding as to both the frequency with which I chose to get fast food and how much it was costing me each week. While it seems stupid when I look at it now, at the time it made sense that if I grabbed a sub from Subway, or a few items of the dollar menu for lunch that it wasn’t going to cost me much more than what it would in resources bringing my own lunch.

photo credit: daveynin

Not only is this just wrong, as it turns out I was spending nearly $20-$25 per week on lunch (obviously getting going in the mornings is a daily issue for me) but it wasn’t remotely healthy either. Consider that you can buy a loaf of bread, pound of lunchmeat and cheese at the grocery store for about $10 and you can see that there is a considerable amount of savings to be had here, not to mention health benefits. If you have similar AM motivation problems as I do, prepare a lunch the night before and put it in the fridge.

After doing some quick searching, I found I am not alone. According to Cynthia Sass of the American Dietetic Association:

“People who don’t plan to either bring in a healthy meal or go out for one, or wait too long before eating, find themselves rushed and starving and will often opt for the most convenient foods — those from a vending machine, the office candy bowl or a nearby fast-food joint.”

While many of you may not be spending as much as I have been, or even leaving the office - opting for a cafeteria on site instead – the point still remains that you need to be conscious of your lunch choices. Once in awhile, sure, treat yourself to some take-out instead of a bag lunch. Day-to-day though you are better off making yourself a lunch or bringing leftovers to re-heat with you. Not only will you save money, but odds are it’ll be much better for you too.

Source: Pitfalls of Desktop Dining [herladtribune.com]

Popularity: 23% [?]

Ladies & Gentlemen, there’s a new financial website taking the Interwebs by storm: SmartyPig.

What is SmartyPig? Well, essentially, SmartyPig is a social networking (of sorts) financial site which allows you to deposit any amount of money you’d like (over the $25 minimum) in the West Bank bank — an FDIC insured bank with $1.3 billion in assets — where it will earn a whopping 4.30% (APY) interest.

From there, you can set up “savings goals” for various projects (e.g. a trip to New York or a new Nintendo Wii), and activate automatic monthly ACH transfers until the goal is met. SmartyPig also offers incentive boosts from top retailers (like Amazon.com) who sell exactly what you’re saving for. But here’s the twist: you can make your account public and invite friends and family to help you achieve your goal.

For more on SmartyPig, check out this brief introduction video:

Popularity: 24% [?]

photo credit: Lightmash

One of the biggest expenses for us recent grads, outside of rent, utilities and insurance, is food. Taking a trip to the grocery store can put a serious hurt on your wallet if you aren’t careful and don’t go in with a plan. Luckily for you, I’ve got a few easy tips you can follow to not only make your grocery shopping experience faster, but also less costly.

1. Make a List:
One of the biggest mistakes everyone makes when grocery shopping is not writing down what they need when they go shopping. Sure, you may feel a little bit like your parents making a list of things to buy, but it will prevent you from wandering up and down every aisle aimlessly and impulse buying things you didn’t need. Stick to your list and you’ll come out ahead every time.

2. Be Realistic:
When taking stock of what you have on hand at the house make a point to pick up only the things you’ll need in the next 1-2 weeks. Doing this will reduce the amount of food that spoils before you can eat it, and will prevent you from having a bloated pantry that looks like my mother’s – eerily reminiscent of an emergency bunker. While I’ll always encourage buying in bulk to reduce the unit price (more on this later) sometimes you just won’t physically drink a gallon of milk before it spoils. Keep in mind what you need and how much you use when making your selections.

3. Comparison Shop:
Every store will have varying sales week-to-week and it may be worth your while to see where you can get the best prices on the items you buy frequently. While Shaw’s has the best prices on some products, Stop & Shop or Hannaford is cheaper in others. Look around for the best deal you can get and do your shopping there; it could change each week. Also, make a point to look at the unit price and compare it to the larger packages on your non-perishable items. For instance, it may make some sense to buy a 24-pack of toilet paper instead of the 12-pack, since it will be cheaper per roll that way.

4. Buy Store Brand:
In my experience, buying the store brand on most products is the most cost-effective way to go and I’ve noticed little difference in taste or quality from the “name brands.” Everyone has different tastes and so this may not work for you, but if you hadn’t considered it before try out the generic brand once. Since the generic brand is often considerably lower in price, big savings can be had.

5. Use Coupons:
I talked about coupons the other day, so feel free to refer to this post for more info, The thing to remember is, coupons are a great way to save on things you already buy!

Technorati Tags: personal finance, frugal, groceries, budget, college, graduation, real world

Popularity: 22% [?]