Weekly Roundup: Bad Car Luck Edition
If you’ve been following me for a while you know that I am nearly finished paying off our family vehicle. As luck would have it, my old van died again today in the work parking lot, so it looks like my final push toward car loan freedom may be in jeopardy.
Of course, I’m also nearing the point where I wonder how many more usable months the old van has in it. At twenty years old, some of the parts are beginning to look pretty bad and there are parts of the exterior are nearly rusted through.
This presents a dilemma - without a fully funded “car fund” I can’t buy anything else with cash. On the other hand, as repairs become more frequent, I’m paying nearly enough for a new (used) vehicle in accumulated repairs. My mind is made up though; I refuse to borrow money for another car. So it looks like I’ll either be repairing the van again, hitching a ride, or commuting by bicycle.
The Fab Five
Amish Finances. I’ve always been intrigued by the Amish culture, particularly their frugality. This is a great piece from someone with first-hand experience living and working closely by the Amish community in Lancaster County, PA. (@Houston Chronicle)
Best Places to Retire Cheap. I am not a world traveler. In fact, I’ve only been out of the country once, and that was to Canada. Though I don’t personally aspire to see the world (I’d still like to explore my own backyard), I recognize that there are some incredibly beautiful places to live on the cheap (in US dollars). (@The Digerati Life)
Create a Financial Mission Statement to Stay Focused. It’s funny; we often suggest people create a written list of goals to accomplish a given task, but how many of us think to put our financial mission down on paper? (@Money Relationship)
Don’t Wait for Things to Get Back to Normal Because Normal May Never Return. People will argue the future success of the markets, and the broader economy, but I like the overall tone of this post. Don’t sit around for things to “get back to normal” to get on with your life - get on with it now! (@Generation X Finance)
Is There A Downside to Gazelle Intensity? Short answer, yes. I think there is a downside with to being too intense chasing any goal. It often involves sacrificing a natural balance in your life required for some level of happiness. I tend to get really gazelle intense when within striking distance of paying off a debt (i.e. our car payment), and then back off a bit while continuing to move steadily towards my goal. (@Being Frugal)
Best of the Rest
- Credit Card Tips for College Graduates
- Save Money with Yard Sales
- Debt free
- Readers Share Lending Club Returns
- A Brief History of General Motors
- 8 Ways to Keep Your Kids Busy this Summer Without Going Broke
Site of the Week
Ten Practical Uses for Your Credit Card. This was an amusing post over at Scavenging, a site I recently discovered. I’ve heard there is a new card out that is supposedly safe for landfills, which sounds like a pretty good place for them.
Post from: Frugal Dad
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