Most all of us are saving more money now than we did before all of this craziness, but we don’t have to stop there. Let’s talk about your car. There are a ton of ways you can save and in this episode, Felecia attempts to “Stump the Steve” on a few of them.
His tips are all, as a lifelong and friendly auto mechanic, very important to him, but what’s in it for us? Saving money!
Later in the show, Felecia finishes off her list of critical things you need to know if you are buying or selling a house in the Phoenix Market.
This is certainly a show worth turning in for. See you there.
Episode Recap
Happy Halloween from the gang! Felecia invented a new game, “Halloween Pong”, where instead of tossing ping pong balls into red cups, you toss candy from a distance into kid’s candy bags to be COVID-friendly. While this idea may not pan out, it’s still more likely than a Jets win this week against the Chiefs.
Tips for Saving on Towing
Towing can get really expensive really fast. A lot of basic insurance, however, covers a very minimal amount of towing. To save on this, get AAA with unlimited towing or an insurance deal that has unlimited towing.
This is especially important given the COVID-19 pandemic. More people are traveling in their cars these days with fear of flying. With more people traveling and using their cars, there is more demand for mechanics and towing services. Without a connection through your insurance, you could be waiting a while for support.
How Can I Save Money on Gas? Q+A
What’s the deal with air filters?
An engine runs on 15 parts air to 1 part fuel for perfect combustion. If your air filter is clogged, the engine works harder to get air in for complete combustion, or it doesn’t work harder and is inefficient. This can cause you to lose 1-2 miles per gallon. Luckily, this is a simple thing to fix by yourself with a screwdriver. Simply unscrew the filter from under the hood and hold it to a light. If the light can’t pass through, you need a new filter. These tend to clog more in the summer when there is more dirt and dust on the road. A new filter, however, only costs between 10 and 20 dollars and any reasonable mechanic will not charge for labor for such an easy task.
Why does it matter if there is stuff in my trunk?
The weight is like carrying extra people— it takes more work from the car to move. A full trunk of heavy items can cause a four gallon per mile difference.
What’s the deal with gas additives?
Professionals call it “fuel supplements”. Cars don’t have gas filters, so the gas in your car has passed from the tanker to the ground to the pump to the hose to the car without filtration of dirt and buildup. Because of that dirt and buildup that comes into your car from the gas, fuel injectors spray on full force and can cause cylinder misfires. By using a good fuel supplement, you can prevent the formation of carbon at the injector and flush out the dirt in the injector. This dirt and buildup is the most common cause of broken injectors. However, adding a fuel supplement that prevents this buildup is a lot cheaper than changing injectors, which are relatively expensive.
Is a “tune-up” still a thing people need?
The core question is why are you going to a mechanic? Not everyone has the same understanding of a tune-up. Sometimes you’re more likely in need of a diagnosis of an issue because the reason you were inspired to seek out a tune-up is actually a problem with your car.
Why do wheel alignments make a difference in gas mileage?
Tire pressure and wheel alignment are the biggest impact on gas mileage. Tires wear unevenly, and the uneven wear can cause an impact of 1-5 miles per gallon. Rubber isn’t going to grow back, so just rotating tires isn’t going to solve the problem. Alignment is critical.
Do you change the tire process when attaching a camper to your car/some other towing?
When you’re preparing your car to carry a camper or some other heavy attachment, put weight in the back of your car or truck bed to simulate the weight of the attachment. Use that weight to balance wheels in preparation for the camper.
Being Prepared to Buy a House in a Busy Market
The most competitive and most prepared are the ones who get the houses. Felecia has shared lots of strategies over the last few weeks to have the best experience buying or selling a house. Today, she wraps up her advice for buying in this sellers market.
Many people buy houses out of fatigue—they don’t want to keep looking and they haven’t found the perfect house. To prevent this problem, do more previewing and less in-person viewing. You don’t need your realtor to google houses and see them online. With this, you can easily find the deal-killers (Iike no walk-in closets) before you take time out of your day to go visit in person.
Don’t be afraid to negotiate, even if it says “as-is”. A misunderstanding about selling houses, people think you can make all these changes and sellers will make changes for you. But, that never happens, especially in a sellers market. You can try to negotiate on items, but it isn’t a guarantee. A way to identify whether you should negotiate, understand why the seller is selling and how motivated they are to sell. If they have a need to sell, they may be more willing to negotiate, but if the seller is more skeptical about selling, they may be less open to negotiation.
Do not think your closing date is set in stone. So, have a place to put your things if there is a gap between when you have to leave your former home and move to the new one. Even if you think they are aligned, sometimes things fall behind. There are so many houses moving that the banks, lenders, and others involved are struggling to keep up. Put money aside for a backup plan including storage and hotels.
Wrap Up
Until next time, Stay Healthy and Drive Friendly, Arizona!
