Shopping Smart - How To Save Money on Gas

Shopping Smart - How To Save Money on Gas

Most people are currently reeling from the rising mortgage rates and food costs.  Unfortunately gas prices are on the rise too. According to AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report, as of September 29, the national average price of a gallon of regular gas is $3.78 (AAA, 2012). If you are among those people who cringe every time they drive up to the pump, or if you are worried about how you can afford to continue filling your tank, it is time to relax. You do not have to put off the summer road trip which you have been planning for a long time. Below are a few tips you can use to cut back on your gas expenses.

You should Maintain Your Vehicle

According to the available published evidence, checking the tire pressure, replacing the air filter every 12,000 miles, changing the oil regularly, and conducting a tune-up as required  can help to maximize a car’s fuel efficiency. In addition, according to FuelEconomy.gov(a website that offers tips on improving fuel efficiency), fixing serious maintenance problems  can go a long way towards improving your gas mileage by almost 40 per cent. Stating the point more correctly,  you can save as much as 38 cents per gallon by checking and replacing old filters.

Use A Gas Reward Card

With a designated credit card, you can earn up to 5 percent rebate each time you buy a gas. If you use a Discover Open Road Card, you can also get as much as 5 percent cash back on all auto maintenance and fuel purchases. To see the benefits of other reward deals, go to cardratings.com – it is a website that has the listing of the best gas reward cards. Other great deals you can get on the web include the following:

·         GasPriceWatch.com – which you can find the lowest prices in your area by conducting a search by city, state or ZIP code.

·         GasBuddy.com – Here, you can find daily current prices  at gas stations around the country.

·         Freegashelp.com – Here you can get a gift card for free gas of up to $200. However, it comes with a condition, which is that you will agree to display their advertisements on your car.

Improve  Your Driving Habits

If you make small adjustments to your driving habit, you can save big bucks. Try as much as possible to consolidate all your trips. And, where possible, avoid sudden breaking and acceleration. Whenever you are  in a less-congested road, you should consider using your cruise control. If applied properly,  especially when it is done each time you are driving, these measures can maximize your vehicle’s fuel economy(Black Enterprise, 2008).

Buy A Hybrid Car

Even though  a sport utility vehicle(SUV) may be your dream car, don’t forget that they are gas guzzlers that will leave you with an empty tank as well as empty wallet. So, if you must have an SUV,  then you should consider getting a hybrid – the type of SUV which uses both a gasoline engine and an electric motor and hence can achieve as much as 45 per cent improvement in gas mileage. Note that even though a hybrid cost more than their non-hybrid counterparts, you will definitely save a lot of money in the long run by buying a hybrid SUV  or any hybrid car of your choice. I will illustrate my point  by presenting  one important example. Intellichoice.com, a website that helps car buyers make purchasing decisions, conducted a hybrid study in 2008. This study revealed that,  in terms of maintenance, repairs,  and higher re-sale values(based on five years of ownership), 50 percent of the 24 hybrids on the market at the time of the study performed better than their non-hybrid counterparts(Black Enterprise, 2008).

Alternative Transportation – Use It

You may consider parking your car sometimes and hitching a ride on the train or bus. This may surprise you: when you use public transportation and forgo the typical vehicle expenses, you can save up to $6000 each year. Participating in a car pool can also help you to save big bucks. Suggested websites in this regard include eRideShare.com and RideSearch.com.

References

AAA(2012): National Average Prices. AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report. Retrieved September 29, 2012 from http://fuelgaugereport.aaa.com/?redirectto=http://fuelgaugereport.opisnet.com/index.asp

Five Ways To Save Money on Gas(2008, July). Black Enterprise, p.120.

How to Recharge Your Career

One sensible question the working class people often ask is this: what does it take to recharge a career? Generally speaking, re-evaluating where you fit in the job market is a big part of it. Obviously, there are strategies that can be implemented. However, it is important to realize that there are some good advice or steps  that can steer you in the right direction. Here are a few of them.

Step 1:Self-Assessment

If you are a job hunter, you are going in the wrong direction if you don’t know what you really want. Once you do a self assessment, you will put yourself in a better position  to begin networking with those people who are already doing the kind of job or business you want to do – your dream job. This process will go a long way towards ensuring  that you have a better return on investment.

Step 2: Update Your Skills

In order to develop the skills you will need for your next opportunity you may need to volunteer in the place of your interest. For instance, if your interest is for a position with a company whose mission is in education, volunteering in your local church or school to assist them in developing their current program can be a good idea. Academic research documents that teaching can be a good way to stay current and relevant in an industry. You can also speak to recruiters and set up informational interviews or consult job boards if you are unsure about the requirements of a specific industry or the industry of your choice.

Step 3: Network! Network!! Network!!!

You should rely on your networks as you search and prepare for your next opportunity. You can send a quick text or email to the members of your network and say “Hey, just thinking about you. Everything okay? Shoot me an email if something comes up. Let’s touch base soon.”

Step 4 – Researching is the Key!

Choose about 10 companies or institutions that you really want to work for. Ask around to find out if anyone in your network  have information about each company, or knows someone at the company. It is also important that you learn as much about the company’s culture as you can. One of the ways you can do your research is to use LinkedIn to identify employees who not only work at your company of interest but who also could offer more insight on the company’s culture, including opportunities and challenges. In order to stay abreast of what is happening in the industry, you should also know the company’s competition.

Step 5: Speak the Language of the Company

Before sending your resume to the company of your interest, you should ensure that your cover letter and resume establishes  a clear match between the  needs of the organization and your skills. Note that it is really  not about what you have done in the past; its about what you can do for the company in the near future. So you should do a serious research to find  out what the gaps in the company are and speak how you can use your skills to fill those gaps.

Step 6: Move Away from Your Comfort Zone

To find the right opportunity, you may need to change industry or location. Hence you may move from education to finance, or move to a new location. In some cases, you may even need to move to a foreign country.

Step 7: Be Confident

Confidence have immense power. Of course, suffering from any form of unexpected blow to your career  can be a very devastating experience. However,  it is best to maintain a positive attitude as you move forward to your next opportunity. This can be the bridge between you and your dream job.   

The Advantages of Getting A Degree in Public Health

In United States, public health problems involve complex as well as  interrelated social, behavioral, legal, medical, and economic issues. Hence for those people who are interested in pursuing a career in public health, career opportunities that will make an impact on people’s lives abound. Some of the job titles in the field of public health include the following:

• Health Educator
• Hospital/Managed Care Administrator, Health Facilities
• Program Evaluator & Planner, State Health Dept.
• Information Systems Manager, Industry/Corporate
• Health Services Research Analyst, University
• Policy Analyst, Federal Government
• Healthcare Analyst
• Project Specialist
• Health Economist
• Administrative Assistant
• Director of Public Health Studies
• Principle Policy Analyst
• Activity Manager
• Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences

Job Settings

With a degree in Public Health, you can work for the following institutions and organizations:

• Colleges and universities
• Public and private secondary schools
• Consumer advocacy organizations
• International organizations
• Consulting firms
• State legislative committees
• Health service delivery organizations
• Community organizations
• Federal and state health agencies
• Voluntary health agencies
• Hospitals and clinics
• Managed care organizations
• Insurance companies
• International agencies
• Pharmaceutical and hospital supply firms
• Professional organizations
• Federal, state, and local government agencies
• Industry and business
• Colleges and universities
• Consulting firms

Job Trends

• The AIDS epidemic with its related complex medical, legal, economic, and social issues is expected to substantially increase the need for qualified health educators throughout the world.
• The rising cost of health insurance is causing corporations to increasingly sponsor healthier lifestyle programs for employees. Consequently, the demand for health educators in this sector is expected to grow rapidly in the next decade.
• The need for interdisciplinary faculty in secondary and higher education is expanding rapidly to keep pace with ever changing public health technologies.
• Educators trained in maternal and child health, nutrition, sanitation, industrial hygiene, population dynamics, and prevention of disease will increasingly find career opportunities in developing countries.
• Health care is the largest industry in the U.S. and will continue to grow.
• Employment opportunities in nontraditional settings such as ambulatory care and out-patient surgery clinics, home health, and other alternative delivery systems will outpace demand in traditional settings.
• Greater emphasis will be placed on cost-containment, requiring innovative leaders in finance and economics.
• The demand for marketing expertise will increase with competition.
• Exportation of public health technologies to developing nations will expand well into the future.
• The demand for qualified managers and administrators will grow as 

                                      The Golden Rules of Saving Money

When it comes to saving money, the Golden Law of savings still rule supreme: you should tuck away at least six months’ worth of living expenses in your savings account. The reality, however, is that only very few people do this. And of course this attitude always put them into trouble whenever the proverbial rainy day comes. The bottom line here is that, you need to be serious about saving money because the rainy day will surely come. Here are a few tips to get you started.

Make A Budget

If you are serious about saving money, the first step to take is to set a budget and stick to it. To set a budget, you should choose a specific goal, which may be, to spend(say) only $20 on fruits and drinks in a month. Note that budget can work for you only if you are serious about it. You can’t act like a 10^thgrader who blew off doing his English homework. No excuses. In a spending mood? You stick to your budget. Going to a club tonight?  You stick to your budget. Only by doing this will budgeting work for you.

Be Cash Friendly

It is better to make cash payments for all your purchases. Generally speaking, you will spend less and make fewer unplanned purchases if you count out bills instead of paying with credit cards or debit cards.

Beware of Memberships and Subscriptions

It may be cheaper for you to pay as you go and cancel subscriptions and memberships for things like magazines, newspapers, books, DVDs,  and so on. In most  cases, you can read  these  magazines, newspapers, and so on at your local library.  

Redeem Reward Points

Check your credit card statements to see if they offer reward points as well as how many of them that you have. You can then check the websites of the companies that offers the reward points to find out if it is possible to convert them into gift cards or cash.

Look for Special Offers

Before you make a purchase from a major retailer such as Wal-Mart, Home Depot, J.C. Penny and Staples, check out their websites for deals. You will save a lot of money by doing so because many of them often offer as much 30% off the prices of  some of their  products.

Selling Stuff

If you go down to your basement, you will discover that there are many things you do not need in your house. Hold a yard sale or auction off every items you don’t need on eBay.

Save Every Windfall

Sometimes, you may receive extra cash in the form of bonus, birthday gifts, proceeds from your yard sale or tax return. When this happens, do not indulge in a splurge. It is better to save the windfall in your bank account.

Avoid Temptation

Temptation may come to you in different forms. For instance, many retailers can send special offers to you through email. It is better to click on the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of such emails if you are the sort of shopper  that is easily tempted to overspend on an impulse. By clicking on the “unsubscribe” link, you will no longer receive such emails.

Knowing Your Financial IQ – Important Questions

If you are not financially savvy, you are making yourself vulnerable to any breath of adversity. Generally speaking, most people get into trouble with their finances due to one simple reason: procrastination.  It is thus very important  to break that bad habit now. To do that, you will need to learn your financial IQ  by  answering the following questions . What is clear, though, is that these questions can help you to turn your thinking inside out in a way that will yield new insights into how you rate financially. The answers to the questions are also presented below.

1. How long do you expect to live (based on actuarial charts)?

2. If you are a worker born between 1943 and 1954, at what age  will you be eligible for full Social Security benefits?

          A. 62                 B. 64               C. 66               D. 68

Source: Baltimore Sun Media Group, 2011

3. On average, what percent of a retiree’s income will be spent on healthcare?

        A. 5  percent                   B. 10 percent   C. 15 percent   D. 20 percent

Source: Baltimore Sun Media Group, 2011

4. When a worker retires, his or her income taxes go away.

                 A. True                               B. False

Source: Baltimore Sun Media Group, 2011

5. On average, how many years  will you spend in retirement(assuming you are a U.S. citizen)?

                    A. 10                   B. 15               C. 20               D. 25

Source: Baltimore Sun Media Group, 2011

6. Some early baby boomers (age 56 to 62) are expected to run out of money to cover basic retirement living expenses. What  percent of them belong to this category?

                    A. 17 percent      B. 23 percent               C. 42 percent               D. 47 percent

Source: Baltimore Sun Media Group, 2011

7. Your surviving spouse  will be granted all or most of your assets if you die without a will.

                  A. True                  B. False.

Source: Baltimore Sun Media Group, 2011

8. Insurance is considered to be a way of:

A.    Saving for a rainy day

B.     Preventing unplanned events

C.     Handling risk

D.    All of the above.

Source: Baltimore Sun Media Group, 2011

9. Your credit history or credit score is:

A.    a snapshot of your credit risk

B.     an objective measurement  used by lenders

C.     available to you  upon request

D.    All of the above

Source: Baltimore Sun Media Group, 2011

10. You can improve your credit rating:

A.    By correcting inaccurate information as soon as possible

B.     By disputing negative information in your credit report

C.     By correcting only the worst credit report

D.    By asking that negative information not be included in your credit report.

Source: Baltimore Sun Media Group, 2011

Your Grade Book

10 Correct: Excellent - You are financially smart

9 Correct: Satisfactory

8 or less correct: Unsatisfactory – you need to do more homework on personal finance.

Answer Key

1. According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, you can expect to live until age 85 if you are a woman turning age 65 today. In addition, you can expect to live, on average,  until age 83 if you are a man reaching age 65 today. Go to the following website to calculate your expected lifespan:

http://www.ssa.gov/planners/lifeexpectancy.htm

2.  C

3. D

4. False. Pre-tax money  a worker contributed to a retirement plan  is subject to income taxes  when it is withdrawn  during retirement years.

5. C

6. D

7. False. Every U.S. state  has unique laws  governing who will  own the property.  To calculate the outcome  in your state, go to   www.mystatewill.com

8. C

9. D

10. A

Reference

How Do You Rate?(2011, November 6). Baltimore Sun Media Group, p. 2