By now everyone knows that you can save fuel and minimize tire wear by keeping them properly inflated and rotating them regularly. But to make the next huge leap in fuel efficiency, drivers can take advantage of next-generation energy efficient tires being rolled out by several industry leaders including Michelin, Goodyear, Continental and Toyo.

How much can you save?

Goodyear advertises their Assurance FuelMax tires will provide up to 4 percent more fuel efficiency than standard tires. This could very well be a conservative estimate when you consider a tale on iStockAnalyst’s website. It chronicled how economy driving champions, Helen and John Taylor, squeezed out an additional 9 miles per gallon just by switching to a set of Goodyear Assurance FuelMax tires.

Recent manufacturer’s tests have also shown that Michelin’s Energy Saver A/S tires offer a whopping 8 percent better fuel efficiency than competing tires. When you do the math, this translates to a savings of about a hundred dollars at the pump every year. (More if fuel prices continue to rise above $2.50/gal.) After the first year, the fuel savings should more than offset the slightly higher initial price of these advanced tires.

Handling

In the past, tire builders could decrease rolling resistance and improve fuel efficiency by increasing the mix of silica in their rubber compounds. But the more they improved economy, the more performance and even tire life decreased. More silica makes a tire harder and less flexible which decreases traction and cornering ability. But thanks to new advanced formulations, silica distribution strategies, and break-thru tread designs (some engineered from the molecular level-up), these new tires save fuel without sacrificing tire wear, all-weather traction and most importantly, safety. In fact, some of these new tires like the Michelin Energy Saver A/S have really improved stopping distance — by as much as 8 feet over standard tires, and decreased tire wear – resulting in an additional 16,000 miles of useable life over their standard tires.

A Greener Tire

Increasing fuel efficiency means that these tires also reduce harmful CO2 emissions. A typical car spews over 14,000 pounds of CO2 during the course of a year. Michelin estimates that installing a set of their Energy Saver A/S tires reduces CO2 emissions as much as 2,000 pounds per year — or about the same as planting 40 trees! When was the last time you could cut your carbon footprint without sacrificing performance or safety, and save money at the same time?

Consult a Professional

Most major tire retailers and chains should now have energy saving tires in stock. Also they will have the training, experience and computerized tools to help you quickly determine the best brand, size and style of tire for your vehicle, driving style…and your budget. Keep in mind, to achieve maximum performance and avoid uneven tire wear, you will need to replace all 4 tires at the same time, especially on all-wheel and four-wheel drive vehicles.

Also be sure to question if they have nitrogen inflation. Nitrogen helps maintain proper tire pressure (psi) longer and with less fluctuation in tire pressure due to temperature changes. After all, fuel saving tires can’t save much fuel (or last as long as they should) if they are under inflated.

By: G Roy

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It can really be quite challenging to know when the time is right to refinance mortgage loans. It is a timing thing more than anything else. Get it right and you lock in very favorable interest rates which will save you thousands of dollars over the life of the loan. Get it incorrect and you’re going to pay a lot more money than you need to.

To add to our financial stress we also have to deal with the fact that many lenders have greatly curtailed their activity due to the stressed economy. This is in fact the worst economic crisis we as a nation have faced since the Fantastic Depression finished in the 1930s. Credit lines are much more hard to come by now as compared to just a few years ago when it seemed as if anyone with a pulse could get a mortgage.

When considering mortgage loans it is vital that you take into account how much longer you plot on owning that property. All loan originations have fees that the lender charges. After all, they are in it to make money. Examples of these fees include attorney fees and appraisal fees. There can be more depending upon the lender.

The reason why this is so vital is that even if you do manage to get a more favorable interest rate which will lower your monthly payments, that savings could be wiped out because of all the fees that you have to pay. With that said if you are plotting to own the property you seek a mortgage on for 10 years or more then it is probably a wise choice, generally speaking, to go ahead and refinance.

If but you are plotting to own the property for less than 10 years then it may not be worth refinancing. Even though the interest rates will be lower, the fees to get the mortgage will have pretty much negated your savings. That is why it is so vital to carefully plot these things out and seek your best options.

It is advisable that you use an online mortgage calculator which will allow you to run different scenarios as far as interest rates and duration in years of the loans go. You can even plug in the fees to get an thought of how your over all payments will compare to see if in fact it is in your best interest to refinance mortgage loans.

There are, of course, two types of mortgages. There is the fixed rate mortgage that locks in your interest rate for the life of the loan which is usually 15 years or 30 years. And there is the adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) that typically starts with a very low interest rate but adjusts as the Federal Reserve Board of the United States resets rates.

If you are going to be selling your property in the not too distant future then perhaps an adjustable rate mortgage would be best. I must warn you to be careful. Many people are enticed by the low interest rates at the beginning of an adjustable rate mortgage but soon find that they can no more afford the payments as interest rates go higher.

Once again, do your homework and account for all possible scenarios before you refinance mortgage loans. Whether you are plotting to own the property you are mortgaging for just a few years or for many, many years to come, you want to place yourself in the very best position possible to save money.

By: Morgan Hamilton

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Anthony P questioned:
I really want a laptop that costs $1000. I have to save up all that money. How can I make money and save it once I make it? What are the best ways to avoid spending the money I make?

vengeance101 questioned:
I want to save money for a Mac book Air and it is 1,799.00 and with sales tax it is nearly 2,000. I am not excellent at saving money at all so i also need tips on how to avoid the temptation to spend. So basically I just need a quick and simple way to save money. By the way I am only 13 so I don’t have a job.

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Most vital, when shopping for the best deal, base your cost comparison on the final costs, not the advertised base rate. Once all the extra, non-optional charges are factored-in, the best deal may really have had a higher base rental rate. Rental franchises are quite clever at tacking-on extra charges, making them sound as if they’re taxes, when in fact they’re not. Thus, you’ll see mysterious charges such as “Concession recovery fee” or “Customer Facility Charge”,”Vehicle License Recoupment Fee”, which translate to “our lease costs of our location”,”the cost of our infrastructure”,”our license plate cost”, respectively. These bogus charges are arbitrary and will vary greatly from one franchiser to the next, adding as much as 15 per cent or more to your bill, not including the real taxes that will go on top of all this. What this means in real terms is that an advertised rate of 30 dollars a day is really 35 dollars before taxes. Such costs, in a normal world, should be included in the base rate, but unfortunately the car rental industry as a whole is guilty of this dishonest behavior and I’m worried is does work at making people believe they’re paying less.

Don’t go for the pre-paid tank of gas deal. You’re not very likely to return the car completely empty and no matter what price per gallon/liter they quote, it’s their win. The inconvenience of refilling the tank before returning the car is a very small thing!

Don’t let them pressure you into buying optional features, such as insurance. Liability insurance is more than likely not necessary as your own policy probably already covers you. For example if you’re a Canadian or US driver and you’re renting in either country, your driver’s liability insurance takes care of you. Some credit and debit cards also include such coverage. Furthermore, the high priced option likely comes with a huge deductible. Life insurance is just money thrown out the window.

The loss/hurt waiver (LDW) isn’t insurance. The car they rent to you is covered by the their own insurance already, and the LDW is just a treaty between you and the franchisor whereby they absolve you of any responsibility if the vehicle is hurt. The problem is that the price of this option often exceeds the rental rate. LDW is a very vital source of profit for rental companies, and they’re quite keen to sell it to you. The usual recommendation is to decline the LDW, especially since your own insurance may already cover you for hurt to rental vehicles.

Rental car franchises also inclined to charge a weekly rate for what is really a 5 day rental. While sometimes the weekly rate might be a better deal than paying a daily rate for five days, verify first that that’s really the case. Verify that those bogus extra charges mentioned earlier as well as any other daily charges aren’t also charged for 7 days instead of 5.

Book via the Internet for the best rates. Competition amongst the car rental companies is most fierce on the Internet and there’s no simpler way to compare rates. Pay attention to the specials or “deals” on offer.

Most rental car franchises in the USA accept debit cards with the Master Card or Visa logo, instead of credit cards. But, few accept them in Canada and there are areas of the USA where nearly no rental companies will accept them, such as in New York City. If you reserve a vehicle, make sure to verify that they indeed accept your debit card, or you might have an embarrassing moment once you get there. Some states prohibit rental car companies from refusing debit cards. Such is the case with New York state, apparently NYC being exempt from that law.

Review the rental agreement carefully before signing it. Some unscrupulous franchisers are known to add-on rental options without asking if you really want them. One even had me down for life insurance, as if that had anything to do with renting a car!

Now, a dirty small trick of your own: Always book “economy” cars, thus guaranteeing the lowest rate possible. If you book well in advance, it’s most likely that they won’t have any economy vehicles on the lot when you get there, and you’ll be upgraded to a compact, mid-size car or even a van at no extra charge. If you didn’t really want the economy car and they have one, then just change your mind on the spot and upgrade, although in this case you will pay a higher rate. In the long run, you’ll save a fortune, even if you’re being a bit dishonest in the process!

Some rental companies allow you to drop-off the vehicle at a different location within the same state at no extra charge. For example, I recently picked-up a vehicle from National rent-a-car at Westchester County airport and dropped it off at John F Kennedy airport at no extra cost. Normally, you would have to pick-up the vehicle at the same place as you drop it off, and in the case of JFK, that would have meant a much higher rental cost.

By: Tom Germain

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Brandon questioned:
I am a single male, and have a very hard time saving money. I am a spender. What is a excellent way to save money and budget my funds?

Insuring your car can be pretty expensive but because it is required by law there is really no way around it. You are required to have at least a minimum amount of liability coverage but there are some things you can do that will help you save money on car insurance. Place some of these tips into practice and you could delight in substantial savings.

One of the most vital things you can do to save money on your car insurance is to maintain a clean driving record. If you’re cited for any moving violation you will get points added to your driving record which will cause your insurance premiums to increase.

Raising your deductible is an simple way to lower your monthly premiums. The deductible is the amount you would be required to pay before your insurance company would pay for a claim. If you were at fault in an accident at some point in the future you would have to pay more money out of pocket with a higher deductible but by raising your deductible your monthly premiums can go down considerably, saving you a substantial amount of money.

Another simple way to save money is to take advantage of any discounts that might be available to you. A quick phone call to your insurance agent and a simple question could reveal opportunities to save money that you never would have thought about. Common discounts are available to people that maintain a clean driving record, complete a certified defensive driving course, bundle different types of insurance plans together, etc. Many companies offer discounts to married couples, people with excellent credit scores, there are discounts available for a lot of different things, all you have to do is question and you may be surprised by the types of discounts you could get.

The fastest and simplest way to save money on car insurance is by simply doing some comparison shopping. By comparing the prices and services of different companies it is simple to select the one that provides the coverage you need at the best price. There are a lot of websites that allow you to enter a small bit of information, click the button, and then nearly instantly get back multiple quotes from a number of insurance providers. There is no simpler way to find the best price and by taking a few minutes to compare prices you can save yourself a fortune.

By: Ryan Richardson

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When it comes to promoting your business to gain publicity you might want to have a look at your budget as well and advertise in a way that would not bankrupt you right after you have started you groundbreaking new catering business. So there are a lot of cheaper ways to rightly advertise your service that you ought to know about. Make the most out of the ad dollars you do have, no matter how limited you are.

Making your own flyer to advertise your business is simple, inexpensive and it’s a fantastic way to generate buzz about your company. If you really want to make your flyer an effective advertising tool, offer incentives or discounts to people who bring in your flyer. This also gives you an informal way to track how many people are coming in just because they saw your flyer.

You can always place your ads on cable. You should not reckon that it is just for those who can afford a TV commercial. You can advertise on cable through crawls, full screen ads and above program listings. These alternative advertising methods are very affordable. Crawls can cost under $10 a day.

You can cross promote your business through partnering. National companies partner every day because it’s an brilliant ad tool to reach new customers and cut the advertising costs at the same time. But partnering isn’t just for corporate giants. Going in with other businesses helps you save advertising money while increasing your exposure to customers.

If you are over the net then you can use YouTube as your advertisement medium. YouTube is an often-overlooked advertising vehicle. It costs nothing to post your commercial on the site and you can promote it on your own Web site so customers in your area can watch your commercial(s) online.

Again over the net it does not matter what type of company you have, you need a Web site. Potential customers hit the Internet looking for companies in their local area. If your competitor’s online and you’re not, guess who has the advantage. Build a Web site that’s beneficial to customers, though. You want to make a positive, lasting impression and having a poorly built Web site is a terrible way to advertise your company.

Don’t let the advertising game intimidate you. There are so many opportunities out there for you to advertise your company that don’t involve thousands of dollars. If you’re willing to do a small legwork, you’ll save money and find the best, inexpensive way to advertise your service.

By: Richard Calvin Myers

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Shopping online has been a favorite activity for years, but nowadays people are really trying to watch their money and how they spend it. Sometimes though, you just gotta shop! Especially when it’s for items you either really need or really want. The cool thing about the Internet is that you can often find a lot more deals than you would in stores, especially when you know a few quick tips and tricks to find daily deals every single day of the week. Plus, since you are shopping online, you can often find bargains, variety, and convenience all at once. Here are some tips to help you find the best deals online:

First, check out sites that offer a deal a day. Sites like these are each going to offer something different, and they are all going to have awesome prices. Seriously, you can find all sorts of products on here — but given the giveaway of the day set up, if you miss something on one of these sites, you miss it forever. Still, if you visit every single day, you can end up seeing some pretty cool items at some even better prices.

Keep in mind that you may only be allowed to buy certain quantities of an item while shopping at some bargain sites. These services place these limitations in place so that nobody can buy up hundreds of products and resell them at a higher price.

Second, check out sites that offer refurbished products like electronics and furniture! Refurbished simply means that the item was brought back to the manufacture and renovated or repaired. It should still have all the same parts, accessories and papers (warranties and manuals) that the original product had. If it doesn’t, go on and find a new site! You can literally save hundreds of dollars on refurbished products. Recently I bought a PS3 and while it should have cost me close to $350, I got mine for $150 because I bought it from a person that sells them refurbished.

Third, check out sites that offer percentages off the price or free shipping when you order a specific amount of products or reach a certain total price. For example, you might find a site that you really like with a juice blender you really want to buy. The blender is $300, but if you buy it from them versus someone else, you can get free shipping and handling on the product or a percentage off the sale. Bonuses like these can be the difference between a excellent deal and a fantastic one!

By utilizing these sites and tips above, you can save money on products you buy for yourself as well as gifts for family and friends. In fact, online shopping is even more appealing around the holidays, as most regular stores are packed. But no matter what time of the year it is, daily deals are the way to go!

By: Mark Etinger

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Saving money is a task we could all improve on. After the bills have been paid, many people find themselves rewarding their hard work at the office with weekend getaways, dinners out, new gadgets and countless other forms of entertainment. The truth is, there’s absolutely nothing incorrect with this! But, saving and spending should be a game of balance, and the these tips will get you off to a fantastic start:

Set up an automatic weekly account transfer from your checking to savings account. This way, you’ll be forced to save. Keep a budget: With the advent of online banking, many of us forgo those Excel sheets that let us see our financial state for what it truly is. When you go grocery shopping, go with a list. How many of us have gone in empty-handed and come out with more than we wanted to? If you’re tempted to make an impulse buy, give yourself 24 hours to reckon it over. Chances are, that LCD TV won’t be as tempting when you’re not staring straight at it. Keep a separate savings account for long-term financial goals or rainy days…and don’t touch it. Don’t always turn to your credit cards. If you see your cash disappearing and find yourself making frequent ATM-run’s, you’ll certainly pick up on your spending habits. Make small-term goals: For instance, set a limit each week of what you can spend and don’t go beyond that figure.

Though these bits of advice will give you a sunnier financial situation, it’s inevitable that we all run into sticky money scenarios at times. StarReviews describes how paycheck advance services are a viable resource when all else fails. If your bills are due and you simply don’t have the funds, sites like PayDay OK can distribute cash into your accounts next-day if you’re approved. Though there are fees involved and you really shouldn’t get used to them, payday loans are a means to prevent late payments and interest on outstanding balances and bills.

By: Kelly Liyakasa

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