Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Tips To Improve Your Gas Mileage

With growing gas costs, it is no wonder that more drivers are interested in getting good gas mileage out of their cars. There are several ways to go about getting solid gas mileage from your motor vehicle. You can buy a car with good gas mileage in the first place, or you can get better gas mileage from your car by driving it in a manner that is fuel efficient.

Let's examine the first area. More critical than anything is the car you by. When you compare cars' gas mileage, you generally look at their city mpg and their highway mpg. If you are like most shoppers and are looking at half a dozen or so possible cars, these numbers can often become so jumbled in your head it is hard to remember what was what.

One tip is to just focus on the highway mpg. Most of the your actual miles you put on your car is on the highway. While you may spend more time on city streets, most of the car's gas is spent on the highway. So just compare the highway mpg between various cars. It'll be easier on yourself, and it is also a better way of analyzing the differences between the cars.

Another tip is to look at Japanese brands of cars. While American manufacturers are starting to improve th gas mileage of their vehicles, Japanese car makers have traditionally focused their cars more on efficiency and reliability, whereas American manufacturers have focused more on style.

The final tip goes without saying: the more boring the car, the better the gas mileage generally. Want a hot sports car with a lot of horse power? Be prepared to get terrible gas mileage. If you want good gas mileage, go for the sedan with 130 hp, not the SUV with a V8 engine.

You can also increase your gas mileage by driving your car in an efficient manner. Here are a few tips:

1. Avoid high speeds on the freeway: While going 80 mph might be fun and get you to your location faster, it also is much more costly in terms of gas mileage (not to mention the potential speeding tickets!)

2. Avoid braking or accelerating quickly. Sudden jerks on the pedals are terrible for saving gas. When slowing down, do so gradually and softly, not a sudden stop. Likewise, accelerate gradually, not like you are trying to win a race.

3. Carry a light load. Do you really need to drag your 6 bowling balls everywhere? Doing so will lead to more trips to the pump. So drop your stuff off at your house or apartment instead of dragging everything around town in your car.

4. Roll down your window instead of using air conditioning. The AC eats up a lot of gas, so a good way to save gas is to simply not use the AC. While this is not practical in the dead heat of summer, there's certainly nothing wrong with turning off the AC and rolling down the window and enjoying a nice breeze.

5. Get your friends to drive. Hey, what better way to save gas than not driving at all! Get your friends to pick you up and drive you places. They ought to be worth something after all right?

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Bad Credit? Improve It With These Tips

by Linda Seamore

In the times we’re living in, many people can easily attain consumer credit. People living in the United States are constantly finding themselves under a mound of debt that only seems to continue to grow. Being as much as $15,000 in debt is now more common than one might think.

People want a sure a proven way to improve their credit. This desire is certainly on the rise as people feel more and more pressure as they pile on more and more debt that they cannot afford. Going on a budget seems to be cruel and unusual punishment for many, as they often overlook the value of this system of financial planning. However, the use of a certain type of credit card may indeed help your credit and get rid of the idea that budgets are all bad.

These credit cards can be great, providing consumers an exit out of debt and out of hell, particularly if they have been unable to get a bank account or a regular credit card. In current times, it has become necessary for there to be two incomes in any household. Because of this, both men and women must work, leaving barely and time to spare for preparing budgets, or planning for the financial future.

They say that the way to eat an elephant is one bit at a time. Let’s take our first bit and analyze both secured and pre-paid credit cards, and the cons and pros with each for your situation.

Secured Credit Cards Pros - Obtaining a secured credit card account is a quick, easy, and affordable way to build your credit. These cards will also help to better your damaged credit by slowly rebuilding it. They are used the same way you use any other card and are taken by vendors anywhere a regular debit or credit card can be used.

Cons - One of the major drawbacks to this type of card is that to secure the card you must put down a $200 to $250 deposit with your application. For many this may be a tough requirement. These cards also tend to have much higher interest rates (15% or higher) and additional charges such as an annual fee (usually around $50). Despite these drawbacks, for many looking to rebuild their credit, these cards make sense.

Pre-Paid Credit Cards Pros - A pre-paid credit card can be a great way to provide you with the freedom and flexibility of having your own credit card, without having to be in debt. While these cards look and feel like every other credit card, and can be spent in all the same places, these cards require you to put money on the. In effect, you are spending your own money just like cash. The approval process for this type of card is easy and is a definite guarantee.

Cons - The problem with these kinds of cards is that they may or may not actually report your repayment history to the credit bureaus. If they do not do this, than you are not doing anything to help your credit. Therefore, buyer be ware about the ones that you choose, especially if your goal is to rebuild your credit. Select a card company with precaution and do your homework please!

Remember also that pre-paid cards may not necessarily be accepted in all situation especially for hotel or car rentals. They also may not allow you to secure the reservation with on of these cards. To be on the safe side, always call ahead of time to verify that a particular vendor accepts the kind of card with which you wish to pay.
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Protecting Yourself with Credit Counseling Agencies

by Paul J. Easton

Protect yourself with credit counseling agencies! That’s the main concern right now with the financial meltdown. With your hard earned cash, it is time to only trust with a legitimate and the sincerest credit counseling service you can find. Always be careful with credit counseling organizations that charge high monthly fees, or even excessive upfront money, just for enrolling in their credit counseling services or a debt management plan.

Most so called non-profit organizations will likely pressure you to give voluntary contributions. Be wary as these are just another name for their fees. Others will not send you free information regarding their services without you to providing personal financial information such as credit card account numbers. These companies have high motive at the very beginning and these are signals for red flags.

With the haste of making you commit with their service, some companies will just simple recommend to enroll you in a debt management plan without spending a good amount of time reviewing your personal financial situation. This can have certain consequences on your credit report and you have to protect it yourself. The companies don’t mind about your financial situation, but you should.

As one of the requirements before enrolling in a debt management plan, ask a counselor to teach you budgeting and money management skills. If the company or the counselor refuses, you refuse their service right away too. In addition to a free information that are valuable, companies should never demand immediate payments from you into a debt management plan. Much more if they demand payments even before your creditors have accepted you into the program. Run as fast as you can if they do, they are only after your money.

Personal bankruptcy can be long-lasting and far reaching. Thus, it is generally the last option in your management of your debt. As a last resort, do not let your credit counseling agency make your route to bankruptcy a little faster than you thought. At this time when you are seeking their help, you only should trust companies that truly care for you and those that will help you with your troubles.

Play your cards well; let them build first a relationship with you. It is their responsibility to do so as it is their business. Talk to them in person. Ask for free information and let them present to you their service. From their words and actions without you paying first, you will know if they can be trusted.

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About the Author:
How to get Rid of Credit Card Debt Fast with FREE Articles Tips at DollarGuides.com. Help tips and more plus Credit Card Debt Information

Sunday, February 15, 2009

A Bit Of Free Advice On How To Get My Ex Back

Here is some free advice on how to get my ex back if you have just gone through a breakup and are determined to restore your relationship. The first thing you need to consider is why you broke up in the first place and then you can start to try to rebuild your relationship.

Most people experience at least one break up during their lives but few of us realise that most breakups are entirely reversible. The most important place to start is by learning how it came to be in the first place, so that you can make some changes and not repeat the same mistakes again.

Coming across as too needy will only put your ex off even more and make the situation even more uncomfortable. You need to be patient and diplomatic and avoid looking weak and helpless by saying to him or her that you cannot live without them etc.

A lot of people make deliberate attempts at making their exes jealous which is the worst thing that you can attempt since the ex will likely end up believing that you have moved on and that he or she should do the same. Even worse, you may well find your ex trying to make you jealous and it becomes a vicious circle in which nothing is achieved but suffering on both sides.

Being rational and patient are the most important aspects of getting your ex back. You should arrange to meet them on a friendly and casual basis, but only when you are both prepared, otherwise you will only make everything worse.

The key to getting your ex back is to behave correctly while making the other half realise that he or she is better off staying with you than being without you. Just avoid acting obsessive or childish otherwise you will achieve nothing. Free advice on how to get my ex back is not hard to come by on the Internet.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Americas processing

Need a credit card processor? Americaprocessing.com can help all types of businesses are setting a merchant processing and can work with the placing of all types of companies from new companies to establish large volume companies get the lowest possible rates in the industry.

Americas processing operates in 50 states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan , Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee , Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Americaprocessing.com simply charge the customer with lower taxes. You do not have to pay other pay anmreicaprocesing.com, it would not charge you with hidden fees and other charges as the other company does.