We had to go to Wal-Mart today. I hate that store! My husband needed new tires for his car though, and they were the cheapest in town, and the only place that could do the job tonight. After waiting way too long in line, we finally dropped off his vehicle at 5pm, and it was only after we got back on the road that it occurred to us to find out what time we should come back to pick the car up. It was then that they said, oh, we close at 7pm! They’d have the vehicle done, but it sure would have been nice to know that going into the deal. We had to race through dinner to get back there in time, but Jim is now the proud owner of 4 new, shiny, lots of tread left on ‘em tires.

While driving through the suburbs of Boston tonight (in a limo, no less - that’s how I roll!) we passed a Bentley dealership. I’ve never seen one! I was tempted to tell our driver to pull over so that I could take one for a test drive. Most car dealers request a copy of your license when you go for atest drive…do you think the Bentley dealer requests a copy of your tax return as well?

More and more, I see people on the road using a GPS system. I’ve had friends and others coming to the house, and when I offer to give directions, I’m told, “No problem - I have a GPS!” Owning a GPS for your car is no longer a toy that only a few have, it’s becoming a lot more mainstream, and people are adding them for the big convenience factor. If you’ve looked at GPS navigation systems in your local big box electronics store, you’ve probably been surprised by the high prices and the lack of a selection. You also probably won’t get much information on the GPS system you’re eyeballing from the minimum wage big box employee. If you want product reviews, AND low prices, check out TigerGPS.com - they offer brand names like Garmin Magellan, and TomTom. Each product offers a thorough review, and if you’re not sure which system would work best for you, you can use the product selector to get a custom recommendation.

A GPS navigation system isn’t just for your car to get you from point A to point B without using a map. You can take one camping with you, keep one in your boat if you’re hitting the open seas, or even use one for fun while hiking and exploring. I’d personally love to get my hands on one to use for a scavenger hunt - wouldn’t it be neat to get your clues and then have to locate places with GPS?

My father is into cars in a big way. I spent a summer when I was younger helping him restore his 1968 Ford Falcon in our driveway. I can’t even tell you the number of times I was sent to the auto parts store on my bike to retrieve a part, or the times we had to stop and visit a junkyard on vacation to see if they had some obsolete bolt he needed.

I CAN tell you that it’s frustrating to not be able to find what you need when you’re working on your car, be it a 2006 Ford Explorer, or a 1968 Ford Falcon. I hate making multiple trips to auto parts store in search of some elusive part. I’m not sure why it’s taken someone so long to find a solution for that problem, but I’m happy that someone finally came up with a fix! MyUsedAutoParts.com is a new site that lets you submit a auto parts request online. It’s easy and free to use MyUsedAutoParts.com. If a vendor has the part, they can send you a message telling you the price. You can actually get multiple vendors to respond to your request, and then you pick the one you like the best! Whether you need a used transmission or an air filter, this is WAY easier than trucking around town to the auto parts stores.

My mother has never owned a new car, and she has notoriously bad lack with the used cars she’s bought. (That alone would make me buy a new car, HA!) She bought a Mustang a few years back, and then found out later it had been in a major wreck and the frame had been straightened. When she bought her Ford Freestyle, water started leaking into the car at the door frame a few weeks later. She’s just not lucky with her vehicles.

There’s “not lucky”, and there’s “lemon”. There are lemon laws to protect consumers who buy a new or used car and find out that it’s got major issues, and should you not be able to get the car dealer or manufacturer to help you out with your lemon, there are lawyers who will say all the right things to get the car dealers to bend over backwards for you. I’m quite sure that there are lemon law lawyers in every state in the nation, but should you have a problem in Ohio, contact the Burdge Law Office about how the car and truck lemon laws can help you. It also applies to RV and motorcycles as well, and they can provide you with a referral to a lawyer in your area if you’re NOT in Ohio.

Here’s an idea I wish more US based insurance companies would get behind - discounts up front. The CIS Motor Insurance company serves the UK right now, but they’d have my business if they wanted to start selling in the USA - why? They offer two discounts for new policies, and you get 10% off for buying online. I do ALL my car insurance online, from the quote, to following up on our claims, to paying my bill each month. I’d love to get a discount for being willing to not talk to a real person. Why don’t more US companies follow the great lead set by these guys?

I came across this website offering custom labels and stickers - I’m guessing that’s where every school in the freaking country makes those “My child is an honor student at…” stickers. You can make your own at this site though, and just order one. I’m tempted to order one saying, “My child is flunking out of…”

Yes, I’ve got a twisted sense of humor! My kids are honor students, but I don’t need to advertise it on my car…LOL! I’d rather put up something witty that gives people a little sign of how sarcastic I am…LOL!

Love the address labels there too - I could make some featuring the family for this year’s Christmas cards!

Jim’s lamenting that we haven’t blown any money on “fun things” for the bike. I think he’s referring to a one use jacket. We did go to WalMart and buy helmets - nothing fancy, just basic helmets. After our windy ride last weekend, I was wishing I had gotten the one with the face shield! I was surprised that WalMart even sold helmets, but they do - actually, they sell a whole line of Bell bike accessories. And the helmet was a bargain…only $35!

Jim and I experienced some good customer service today. We went to pick up his car from the repair shop, and they had neglected to do the alignment ordered by the insurance company. When we pointed that out, they took the car they had up on the lift down, and put Jim’s car right in, so that he wouldn’t need to wait as long. True, he still had to wait a bit, but at least they acknowledged that it was their fault and tried to expedite the wait for us!

Looks like I’ll need to get one of those motorcycle covers for Jim, maybe for our anniversary? Yep, we bought a bike today! We looked at a few used bikes and made our decision, and the seller just dropped it off at my house. Now this shopaholic gets to go shopping for bike accessories…helmets for each of us, a one use jacket (ha!) and Jim wants saddlebags. And I think as a gag I’ll get him on of those t-shirts that says “If you can read this, the bitch fell off.”

Spring is here. How can I tell? The birds singing, the bees buzzing? Nope, it’s the fact that my husband is talking about buying a motorcycle again. He’s actively looking. I guess the blue skies and open roads are calling to him! I’m totally cool with getting one…but I just wonder where he’s going to park it. Our garage is a bit full right now, with my SUV, the tools, the extra fridge, and the kids bikes and toys. He can park it outside, but then he’ll need to cover it to protect it from the elements. I came across a site selling truck covers that also has motorcycle covers - I didn’t know such a thing existed! Sounds like just what we need, should he buy the bike he’s eyeballing. The basic cover is only $30, and that’s a deal to protect a motocycle from the rain and heat.

Rut roh! The last time I drove Jim’s car, I noticed a chip in his windshield glass. That’s not good! Lucky for us, our insurance will cover that repair, and they’ll send a local company right out to our house to do the repair in our driveway. Most local auto glass repair shops work with the insurance companies, so don’t be afraid to use a locally owned shop the next time you develop a crack in your windshield. And most, like the one we used before, and like this San Diego auto glass repair shop, will send a trained tech right to your house to do the repair. Sitting inside watching TV while the work is done sure beats waiting around in an auto shop waiting room! Don’t let that little chip or crack develop into something worse - nip it in the bud!

Let’s talk about cars for a minute. Buying a new car, while fun, isn’t always the best choice financially. You know the saying about how new cars depreciate as soon as you drive them off the lot! A smart option is to check out the used car market where you live. You may even find something with a bit of warranty left. As far as used cars go, dealers add their own markup to the vehicles they take in trade, so the cheapest use car purchase is one where you buy directly from the seller - no middleman. One such site where you can find used cars for salein your area is LemonFree.com. Perhaps your family is growing, and you need to sell your four door compact car and get a minivan instead? A quick search for the Honda Odyssey in my area gave me 2 pages of listings to look through - which can be sorted by price, mileage, or vehicle year. If you need to sell a vehicle, you can create a free vehicle listing (yep, completely free!) and post up to ten pictures of your automobile for sale! The site also offers car reviews, so if you find a few deals on cars you like, you can investigate the reviews from the pros on each make and model.

My husband is outside right now doing his chores, one of which is washing and waxing our cars. My truck stays a lot cleaner now that we have a garage to park it in every night, but we have friends who live on acreage off a dirt road…and you can’t drive to their houses without your vehicle getting COVERED in dust. Blech! Jim parks his car outside, and it ends up with quite a bit of dust on it just from sitting out there daily. We still have construction going on in our neighborhood, and the sand gets everywhere. Don’t leave your windows open if you park in front of our house! We’ve made that mistake and we don’t plan on doing it again.

If you’ve got some of the same problems we have with dust or dirt, or even worse, you have to deal with sleet and snow, consider trying a car cover, like these Wolf car covers. When you think about it, your car is a major investment. Whether you plan to keep it forever or trade it in for a newer model, you want it to look sharp. Why let the weather and UV rays ruin your paint and finish? Or the birds! If you wash your car, two things will happen - a bird will hit it, or it will rain. Isn’t that always the way it goes? Wolf car covers even come with a lock, so you can protect your car cover to boot! An elastic hem stretches around the bottom of your ride to keep the wind from blowing it up, or off too.