Starving in America

Starving in America. Never thought it would be as commonplace as it is now. Starving for relief from financial worries, gas problems, and medical problems. Gas is skyrocketing, with no end in sight, and nobody has a plan. Hilary has proposed one, but nothing will stop the oil companies from raising prices so we are still paying the same, and then the tax money will be gone from the road construction.

People are in the beginnings of a panic, some are even in full panic mode. Every day its a worry about providing for the family, getting to work, getting the kids to school, paying for gas and food. Where will the money come from? Getting a loan, if one is even accepted, will just provide temporary relief, then the first payment comes due, and its even more to worry about. Some people are losing their homes, some are losing their jobs, and others can't even provide food for their kids. Many parents are going without just to provide. Senior citizens are feeling the crunch on fixed incomes. Everything is increasing in price, but their incoming is staying the same.

Food prices are on the increase, causing even more stress and worry. Just to get a gallon of milk, loaf of bread, sandwich meat, and cheese is near $15 now. Its no longer a matter of getting by, its fast becoming a matter of survival. How many more Americans will be homeless by the end of the month? How many will go without their prescriptions just to eat? The travel industry will feel the sting by months end, because a vacation is out of reach. The thought of spending $1000+ just to get away for a week will discourage many from traveling.

What can be done about this? What should be done? For one, the government will have to step in and put their foot down. They need a mandatory decrease in gas prices, to below the $3/gal level. Force it there. The billion dollar profit of the oil companies will be fine. Second, instead of providing incentives to purchase foreclosure, they need to find a way to prevent them. Most mortgage companies and credit companies are going through bankruptcy. Its not going to matter to them, maybe they can not pay their executives multi-million dollar payouts. Institute a "debt forgiveness plan". Forgive x% of debt per american family, making less then $60k per single person, or $100k per family. Base it off their debt to income ratio.

Allow tax break finally for parents that pay child support. The handful that do pay are carrying the cost of the child, without the tax break that comes with it. This would also induce others to pay, knowing they are getting credit back.

Get the car manufactures to actually think for a second. No vehicle should get below 25mpg. No argument can be made that 16mpg is "good". Its bull and we know it. Also give rebates/tax breaks for people trading in the gas guzzlers for better mileage vehicles.

Quit taking our corn and grain for "alternate fuel". Its starving America. Thats more food that could be put on the table at a cheaper cost.

This is a suggestions. Some things we should not do is destroy the wilderness area's or begin coastal drilling for oil. I have seen this come up time and time again, and it seems to be a ploy by oil companies to open restricted drilling. So they can make more money of course.

Mailbox buying time

Darn kids smacking your mailbox around? Again? Tired of having to replace your mailbox time after time after time? Or maybe your subdivision has started some new stupid rule about "matching mailboxes" and its time to replace your decorative farm one?

Look no further, Mailboxixchange has what everybody is looking for in their mailbox. Residential, apartment, commercial, its all here. Building a new condo subdivision and want them all to look the same? No problem, mail boxes galore here.

Its just a fact of life, sometimes we have to replace our mailboxes, either due to vandalism, act of code, ordinance, or just tired of it. Contractors, home owners, and renters all need mailboxes. Many manufactures sell theirs through mailboxixchange, so there is a wide variety. They also even sell the post and other accessories needed to install your mailbox. So if the kid knocks your old flimsy one down, get a new sturdier one.

Check them out, they have great products, great prices, and ship in a reasonable amount of time.

Financial Terrorism

Financial terrorism is what this country is facing at the moment, led by big oil companies. By attacking the very nerve point of this country, it is causing ripple affects through the economy. Higher gas is leading to higher food, higher clothing, less travel, less spending and a crashing economy.

Why is this being allowed to continue? Why hasn't congress or the president stepped in? Why are average Americans working for gas money, so they can continue to work?

Many Americans drive SUV's and are now stuck with them for the simple reason that they have no resale value anymore, or are upside down in the payment, or are in such a credit mess they can't get financing.

The rich are getting richer even through this crisis. There can be no other explanation for the "foreclosure relief act" or whatever fancy name they called it. Given credit to people who buy foreclosures. How about doing something to keep them from being foreclosed? Rich are buying them up like candy, renting them out to people who lost their homes, and will re-sell them for double the amount in a few years. All the while enjoying their tax breaks.

It's disgusting. And whats more disgusting is that we as Americans are letting it happen.

Online savings with coupons

With riswing gas prices, cost of living increase, and even bread rising, its time to surf for some more savings. I found just the website. Couponchief.com has an abundance of much needed savings.

Spring is coming, so one area I am looking for savings is in lawn and garden. Lucky for me, couponchief has just what I need. Home depot is on there, with monster savings. Free shipping, 20 to 50% off in a clearance section, Plus even some 10% off + free shipping bargains. This will not only save money, by getting a nice savings, but it will also save gas, which as we all know is a priority.

So, lets see, now I have the yard taken care of, but what about my new camaro I just bought. I guess it would be too much to hope for that they have JCWhitney there. Yes, even JCWhitney is located on this page, with very nice savings.

Now, lets see, mothers day is coming up, as well as a few birthdays and such. What one store always says it best? Could they possibly have a hallmark section as well? Yep, surely they do. Hallmark coupons are online, making shopping for mom a breeze.

Now, I have found the three things I was going to drive all over the city for, saving myself time, money, and gas.

Vampire Electronics

Vampire electronics, energy sucking denizens of the night, stealing pennies from our very pockets. These electronic devices consume power even when you think they are safely turned off. Everything from your cell phone charger to the cable box on your tv, they are all guilty of this crime.

In recent years, the term vampire electronics has become something of a catch name for electronic devices that still consume power even when turned off. There may be a difference as small as a single watt, all the way up to possible over 100 watts of power. Little by little, this adds up, creating a higher then necessary electric bill. Here are a few handy tips to help cut down on the amount of electronics causing this, and how to be more aware of what is gnawing pennies from your pocket.

1. 1. Consumer electronics. TV's, DVD's, stereo systems, and even just the cable box are all guilty. When the switch is turned to the off position, these devices still consume power. There are two solutions to this. One solution is to plug them all into a surge protector strip, and when they are not being used, turn the strip off. Another solution for those that may not want to do this, is to install a timed strip, and have it turn off when you are not around the house, or overnight when sleeping.

2. Battery Chargers. All types, cell phone, razor, cordless drills, cameras, anything that charges some sort of a battery needs to be unplugged from the wall once the battery is charged. Just a quick walk through my house the other day discovered 5 separate chargers plugged in, consuming power. It's a habit we have gotten into, and one we need to break.

3. Computers. A lot of people leave their computers on all the time. This is bad from an energy conservation standpoint. With power supplies approaching and surpassing 800 watts, that is just power going down the drain.

These are a few simple ways to save energy in your home, and to keep your pennies in your own pocket.

Tired of the official polls?

So, I am very tired of all the polls that focus on a select few demographics. Naturally, being the number crunching nerd I am, I created a nice little online survey, that takes less then a minute to complete. I am going to run it for two weeks, then repost the results, in all its excel glory to this blog

Please, feel free to take it, then check back in to see what an unbiased poll looks like!

The link is Our Next president.

Buying a used car

With gas prices skyrocketing, and no end in sight, a lot of people are trying to get out of their gas guzzler and get into something a little better on gas, or cheaper payments, or anything they can to save some money. Here are a few tips I found during my latest car buying adventure.

Trade: If you are going to trade your car in, here is some vital information for you. You won't get anything for your car. I talked to several dealers, and they are giving either "fair" or poor" trade in value for cars. And they use whichever is cheaper, KBB or edmunds. So, that $25k new car you bought last summer, is now valued at around $12k. If you have a gas guzzler, good luck with that as well. Of course this leave a majority of the people what is called upside down in the payment.

1. Option 1: Sell it yourself to a private buyer. This will get you more for your car, and give you cash to take to the dealer. With credit the way it is, cash is a huge bargaining point.
2. Option 2: Trade it in and take what they give you. This is mostly for people who don't have the patience to sell one on their own. And if you are selling a gas guzzler, you will be competing with the others trying to sell theirs as well.

So, we have your older car taken care of, its either been sold and you have cash in hand, or you are going down to the dealer with it as a trade. Before you go, browse the internet sites of the dealers you will be going to. A lot of time they have "special internet pricing" available if you contact them online. This helps many ways, it saves gas, lets you get an idea of whats in your price range, and most importantly, gives you the opportunity to research what they are selling.

Once you have found a couple of cars you are interested in, do the following things.

1. Go to Edmunds.com, or KBB.com and get the retail sale price of that car. Compare it with what they are offering for it, try and find some buying leverage. Know exactly what the dealer should be selling that car for.
2. Go to your bank/credit union. Talk to the loan officer, find out interest rates, what you qualify for, and a guestimate on the payment and terms of that car. Its best to do your own financing with your own bank, instead of the car lot doing it for you. You will probably get a better rate, and if you go in to the lot, saying you have financing, you can haggle a bit more.
3. Call your insurance provider. The last thing you want is to find out your insurance is going up $60 or so a month because that car is a "high theft" risk, or something else silly.

Now that you have cash/trade, financing, and you know your payment, and insurance, take a few minutes and do a quick analysis of your monthly finances. Make sure you can afford it. Once you have, and you can, its time to head to the dealer. Hopefully, you contacted them through internet sales and have an appointment.

Once you arrive, don't reveal all your cards, don't talk down payment, don't talk trade, anything. If they are pushy, leave, or ask for another sales person. Don't play their game. Its their rules, their game. Ask to see the car, ask to test drive it. Drive it with the windows up, radio down, and listen. Roll the windows down and listen. Check the A/C, heat, fans, turn signals, etc. Depending on the dealer, take it to a mechanic of your choice to check it out.

When you get back to the dealer, and you decide you want it, show them the value of their car if it is priced higher then what it should be, ask them to come down. Chances are they will have to ask their boss, don't let them go alone! Go with them and show the boss the paper work. Sometimes they will, because they know they can get it back in fee's etc. Get that price on a deal sheet. Once they have it on a deal sheet, make your down payment offer. After they subtract it, get it signed, call your credit union before they can add the other fees. Pay for the title and tags yourself at the courthouse, no need to pay their fees.

There are many ways to play the game with them, but the main one is don't give away too much upfront, drop it on them once they give you the lowest price on the vehicle you want.