Let me just say up front that I’m not advocating buying (leasing) a new car every time a new model comes out. I am, however, saying that money shouldn’t be the ONLY factor in some decisions.

Part of the reason we decided to purchase my (late) Toyata Matrix was because our old Ford Explorer simply wasn’t as safe as newer cars. Sure, the excellent gas mileage and cheaper repairs were a nice bonus, but the truth was that the Explorer was a tipping hazard, had outdated airbags, the brakes kept going and it lacked the newer safety features like curtain airbags, side reinforcements, auto door locks, etc.

It’s kinda hard to tell from the picture I posted, but I used pretty much every single one of my shiny, new safety features.

The crash was 100% not my fault. Some d-bag didn’t attach the hitch to his car correctly, and the trailer (hitch and all) fell out of the back of the car while we  in the left-most lane, trying to merge onto I-95 around exit 169.  If you know Virginia, you know that this is a very busy road with 5 lanes of traffic at this point.  Sometimes it doesn’t matter how great a driver you are,  shit happens. I’m lucky I was able to steer the crash into the shoulder rather than back out into traffic.

Buying the Matrix was a strain on our budget. We ended up borrowing around $12k and making $275 payments. If we kept the old car, we could probably have put the hardwood floors in last month, but I wonder how much money we’d be paying on my long term medical bills if I had rolled the Explorer. My life insurance policy is only work about $44k, but I’m sure Mr. would rather have me than the money.

How much is your safety worth? Car payments aren’t fun and neither is scrimping to buy a used car in cash, but sometimes it’s worth it. Your 15 year old car may be all paid off, but you honestly need to think about more than just money when it comes to the safety of you and your loved ones.

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My car

So how was your weekend?

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I’ve been very good about getting my shopping done throughout the year to take advantage of sales, but sometimes you do end up with the need to get a last minute gift. It’s usually hard to get a nice gift at the end of the Christmas rush, but if you think outside the box, you’ll do fine.

1. Inside every guy is a little boy who still likes toys. (And there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, I wish more women would let themselves have ‘kiddie’ fun.) Buy him a fun little toy, like a small Lego set, an action figure, or silly, novelty office toy.

2. Every guy wants to feel special and spoiled. Find out what his favorite sweet is and make an entire batch just for him. When in doubt, fudge and chocolate chip cookies are easy and almost universally liked. (Tip: This also works for lady-types.)

3. Offer him a service provided for you. If you’re an awesome cook, maybe you can do a weeks worth of cooking (he pays for the ingredients) and freeze them for him. Maybe you’ll do an post New Years Party apartment cleanup. Tech girls (and guys) can help set up a wireless network. And if the guy in question is your ‘significant other’, the services can be much more interesting.

4. Make him comfortable. Crafty ladies would do well skipping the handmade knickknacks and going straight for something useful and comfy. Scarves and hats are always good, if a little commonplace. If you can sew in a straight line, dig through the clearance sections in the fabric district and make him a comfy throw pillow or two. If you can’t sew, you can always make a fleece blanket.

So what’s your favorite last-minute, go-to gift.

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If you’re like me, half the time you don’t use coupons because it seems like way too much work for too little reward. Here’s a great post on using coupons on big ticket items to make it all seem worthwhile:  <a href=”http://www.erica.biz/2008/save-thousands-of-dollars-in-five-minutes-or-less-with-my-secret-coupon-hacks”>Coupons in 5 Minutes or Less</a>

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via ICanHasCheezburger.com

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1. How To Fix A Toilet – You should be able to lift off the top to the tank and flip the flapper so the valve closes or replace those innards. It’s easy and can save you from many sleepless nights because of running toilets and thinking about that ridiculous bill from the plumber. (Remember, the tank is filled with clean water so it’s not as gross as you think.)
2. How To Properly Paint A Room – The next time you get sick of your furniture and have the urge to hit IKEA, try painting and rearranging your stuff instead. The change can be drastic and decent quality paint costs around $25-35 a gallon vs. $500 for a new couch.
3. Hot To Unclog a Drain – Sure, sometimes it’s so bad you need to call in a professional, but most clogs can be solved by baking soda, vinegar and boiling water. If you’re not eco-friendly, chemical solvents work too.
4. How To Maintain a Computer -You should know how to defragment your computer, how to run a virus and spyware scan, how to install automatic updates, how to clean your keyboard/monitor and how to keep the fans in your tower clear.
5. How To Check You Oil – It’s not hard, really. And you should do it before any long car journey.
6. How To Change A Tire – I have and use AAA, but in an emergency I do know how to change one. Make sure you have the proper equipment (including a spare or donut.)

So what DIY knowledge do you think everyone should have?

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I’m amazed at how many people claim they don’t have “time” to be frugal, but they have plenty of time to watch 8-10 hours of TV a week. I’m not saying that everyone needs to give up their relaxation time, but people definitely need to take stock of what they’re doing and how much time they really have.

For example: Someone who claims they have ‘no time’ to cook healthy meals for themselves could easily mass cook food for the coming week(s) in the commercial breaks of American Idol. 2lbs of skinless, boneless chicken breast can be salted/peppered and placed in a baking pan within 3 minutes, or the prep work could be broken up during two breaks. While that’s baking, they could go back to the judges mocking people. Next commercial break, start rice cooking (the real stuff, not Minute.) Towards the end of the show, a bag of frozen veggies could be steamed in the microwave. Split all that into single portions and freeze 8 meals at once. The next day, they could make Breakfast Burritos, then make meatloaves and mashed potatoes to freeze the next night, sauce for pasta the next…

A lot of people don’t seem to realize that they manage to make time for the things they WANT to do, but somehow all that free time disappears when they don’t want to do something. I know that I mysteriously don’t have time to do the dishes some days, but I usually manage to read my blogroll. Amazing how the space/time continuum warps for these things.

Sure, there are people out there working 16 hours a day just to make ends meet and they really just do not have the time to be frugal. But most of us working long hours are doing so because we are paying for the new laptop, the iPod, the HDTV, the fancy new car, those fabulous new shoes… If you’re really that short on time, it’s time that you take stock of your life and rethink whether you’re overworking yourself for the necessities, or because you’re trying to keep up with your neighbors. No sense working yourself to the bone if you don’t have the time to enjoy what you’ve bought.

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