Buying a car isn’t always logical-The Conclusion

I completely expected my chronicles of an illogical car purchase to extent through this entire week. There was, as usual, a lot of back and forth, should we—shouldn’t we, what if’s—how about’s, maybe this one—maybe that one stuff going on in our heads, on the computer and on paper. Then Monday night we made the decision to keep the Ford. I was happy with that. And then came Tuesday...the Ford broke down.


We took it in late that day, so of course it couldn't be looked at until Wednesday. As if that wasn't enough, on Wednesday I borrowed my husband's car to go to Denver and one minute I was happily driving down the road and the next the engine just stopped. I'll skip the details on this one and tell that I am so glad I was prepared--knitting helps the time go by.


The Ford came back yesterday. It turns out that last week's minor repair to the Ford was a symptom of another problem. We're still keeping it. The other car was also minor, but it's still acting a little weird.


We are planning to drive to Yellowstone on Sunday. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this week isn't a precursor of things to come. Or maybe all five of us will end up somewhere in Wyoming living off the land in a pop-up camper and give up cars.


For now let's hope that the vehicle drama is over I can focus on keeping two teenagers and a preschooler happy during a 10 hour drive?

Take a Vacation (Cheap Fun Week)

Having fun doesn't have to ruin your finances. This week we're exploring the offbeat, new and old means of entertainment. And if these don't do it for you, well you can just take a hike--for free!

Okay this might seem like the craziest idea during a down economy, but jeeze don't you just need to getaway?

Actual there are quite a few deals available particularly on what most people think of as luxury or superfluous vacations like Las Vegas or a cruise. Bookings for both have been down. Vegas was actually believed to be recession proof but that's not proving to be true. Cruises are available for as little as $200/person for the Caribbean. That's because in 2008 many people planned close-to-home vacations due to high fuel prices which translated to high airfare.

The deals may not last for long as fuel prices are on their way back up. But if you want to get away for spring break or have a flexible schedule now is a good time. Expedia and Kayak have some nice deals for cruises and I'm sure there are others out there.

Jet Blue just announced Recession-Proof Vacation Tickets. If you are worried about losing your job, JetBlue is trying to make it easier for you to gamble on that vacation. The airline said on that customers who buy a ticket between February 1 and June 1 and lose their jobs could be eligible for a full refund if they notify the airline two weeks before the flight. They've also got some nice deals on their site.

At our house we're gearing up for a big camping trip this summer. I've found a cargo box for the top of the car on Craig's list for $35. I'll also invest in some good walkie-talkies so the kids can explore and keep in touch. Other than that we've got all the stuff and lots of destinations to choose from. And maybe, just maybe I'll sneak away with a friend on one of those cruise deals.

To Check or Not to Check

photo by hoyasmeg

Some friends and I were lamenting the woes of the new in your face fees from airlines. I say "in your face" because really do they need to be so blatant? We all get it that fuel prices are climbing so anyone who can do common math understands that this also effects how much we'll pay to fly. Right?

Okay, I haven't exactly been watching ticket prices closely so I can't comment on how much they've gone up. But it just seems like poor strategy to break out fees for things such as bags. Nearly everyone who travels is going to bring something on to the plane. I guess punishing travelers who check a bag seems fair to those who don't, but why not just spread out costs among travelers and stuff it into the ticket price? The majority of those that don't check a bag are squeezing something into the overhead bin, thus still adding to weight and fuel consumption. Sorry, I've started ranting.

So back to the conversation...

What if instead of checking that first bag for $15 and a second for $25 (though I don't know why you need a second bag, just do laundry) you shipped all your stuff to your destination? Could work for vacations. And it would be nice not to haul luggage around. Heck, you could even have UPS or FedEx pick it up at your house.

Well, I decided to explore this option and did some online estimating. I used quick estimators for both companies. I plugged in travel from my home in Colorado to my friend's house in Malvern, PA and used a package size of 25 lbs. Here's what I got:

UPS Ground = $29.44

FedEx End of day (3 Business Days ) = $20.85

Either way not such a great deal over the $15 first bag fee.

P.S. For the above estimate I used "schedule a pickup" for both companies. I went back to see if the price would change by how I sent the package. It did!! If I drop my FedEx package off at FedEx staffed location the bill goes UP $5.00. If I use a self-service location it goes DOWN $2. If I use an authorized FedEx shipper it goes UP $3.00.