Since PA does inspections every year, dad and I are going to have trouble with our trucks. Mine I planned to take off the road anyway and start working on it (they want no rust at all, wtf?), and Dads we’re probably just going to tear the bed off of and put a wooden flatbed on it.

But a guy my dad knows just bought a new Chevy and wants to give us his old Ford. Apparently it’s in pretty good shape, not sure what year it is, but dad says it will pass inspection, so that’s good We also might have a buyer for the blue bronco, but only for $500. I don’t really want to get rid of it, but I’m not going to do anything with it anytime soon. My bronco is always first priority.

Also I’m trying to work it so I can vote in the state of PA during this next election since it is a swing state. You have to have proof that you’ve been living here for a month, so I’m trying to sort that out. I will be living here as of October 1st, even though I’ve been living here literally since the end of July. The only bill I get that comes here in my name is the cable bill, and I don’t know if that would count. Our driver’s licenses are all still in the state of MD.

It says a piece of identification is required to vote, and that’s the only one I have. I guess I’ll have to get that switched over sooner than later. Anyone have experience with dealing with identification while voting? Is it different in every state, I assume?

I called the two gentlemen who stopped by and asked to buy my 1979 F-150 short-bed, and told them they could have it for $500, and they agreed It has a blown 460 engine (which only got 7 miles to the gallon anyway), flat tires, and needs some body work. Not to mention part of the frame was cut out by the previous owner to put the 460 in it (dumbass).

They will be setting up an appointment with my father sometime this week to stop by and pick it up. Which means I don’t have to pay $100 to haul it wherever we end up, nor do I have to worry about fixing it up or putting in a new engine. I can just be rid of it.

I’m curious, however… the guy I spoke with said he -really- wanted this truck. I don’t know what could really be so special about it except that it’s a short-bed, and 79 short-beds weren’t very popular and are kinda rare. It sorta peaked my interest in keeping it, but I wouldn’t have the time to deal with that anyway.

As much as I’d like to keep it and restore it, it’s just not worth it to me for several years. The bronco will come first as far as restoration, and that will take several years on its own.

Bye bye F-150, I will miss you.

10 things you shouldn’t buy new, by Liz Weston.

Few people really enjoy wasting their hard-earned money, but many of us do it every day by buying new. We could do our pocketbooks, and the environment, a big favor by opting to be the second owner of some of the stuff we buy.

Obviously, some things are best purchased new; lingerie pops to mind (see my companion piece, “10 things you should never buy used” for more). But lots of other stuff depreciates quickly while still having plenty of useable life left. Here are 10 items where the cost vs. use equation strongly tilts toward buying used.

• Books, books, books. Now this is awkward, because I wrote a book. (Warning! Shameless plug ahead!) It’s called, “Your Credit Score: How to Fix, Improve and Protect the 3-Digit Number that Shapes Your Financial Future,” and of course, I’d love for you to go out and purchase a new copy. (End of shameless plug.)

But the reality is that most books don’t get read more than once, if that, and they’re astonishingly easy to find used at steep discounts — if not absolutely free.

Your local library, for example, may allow you to reserve titles online and then deliver them to your nearest branch for pick-up. Used book stores abound, both in your town and online. If you’re looking for a potboiler to get you through your next cross-country flight, just stop by almost any yard sale and pick up four for $1.

Exception: Reference books you’ll use again and again. For example, I bought a deeply-discounted copy of Cheryl Mendelson’s excellent “Home Comforts.” That was after checking the book out at the library and running up a small fortune in fines because I couldn’t bear to part with it.

• DVDs and CDs. Some online retailers, like MSN Shopping and Amazon.com, now surface used versions of many of the DVD movies they sell new. You can find similar deals for online CDs (yes, Virginia, some of us dinosaurs still buy CDs). Other good hunting grounds for purchase of used items: movie rental chains like Blockbuster; used record stores; yard sales.

Exception: When you simply must have the latest release by your favorite singer/director/actor, right now. It can take a few days or weeks for the used versions to show up, and perhaps a few months for the price to get discounted enough to compensate for the greater hassle you might face trying to return a defective or unsatisfactory purchase.

• Little kids’ toys. Parents know: it’s all but impossible to predict which toy will be a hit and which will lie forlorn at the bottom of the toy box. So rather than gamble at full price, cruise consignment shops and yard sales for bargains. My husband’s latest score: a plastic Push, Pedal ‘N Ride Trike (retails for $28, he paid $10) that looks like new after a brief scrub.

Better than cheap, though, is free. Some parents set up regular toy-swapping meets, or you might be lucky enough to score hand-me-downs from friends and relatives.

Exception: Some parents get away with giving used toys for birthdays and holidays, but most of us (and our kids) have been fairly well brainwashed into believing that gifts should be purchased new. Try to opt, though, for classics, like sturdy wooden toys.

• Jewelry. Fat markups on most gems (100% or more is fairly common) means that you’d be lucky to get one-third of what you paid at a retail store, should you ever need to sell.

So let somebody else get socked with that depreciation. Find a pawn shop that’s been in business for awhile, get to know the owner and ask him or her for recommendations. Some readers have had good results buying via newspaper ads, but I’d want to take the piece to a jeweler for an appraisal first.

Exception: You want something custom-made. Even then, consider buying used stones and getting them reset.

• Sports equipment. We may buy everything from badminton rackets to weight sets fully intending to wear them out, but too often they wind up collecting dust. Buy someone else’s good intention and you’ll save some bucks.

Happy hunting grounds: yard sales, newspaper and online ads, resale stores like Play It Again Sports.

Exception: Shoes, baseball mitts and anything else that will mold to the wearer’s body. In addition, some people shun buying anything used if it has a motor, like a treadmill. They worry they won’t get enough use out of the piece before it dies. Given how little use most such devices get before they’re sold, though, you might want to take the chance.

• Timeshares. You could call these a notoriously lousy investment if you could call them an investment at all, but you can’t — because what real investment is guaranteed to lose 30% to 70% right off the bat?

That is, unless you buy used. There’s a huge number of folks who caved in to three hours of hard sell and are now desperate to dump their shares.

Exception: Some of the higher-end properties in exclusive resorts don’t lose much value, and may offer benefits like frequent-flyer miles that could be worth the extra money if you buy from the developer. Before you buy, though, check resale values online; don’t take an agent’s word for how much depreciation to expect. Also, a relatively new type of expensive time share, called a fractional interest, may actually gain in value over time.

• Cars. The average new car loses 12.2% of its value in the first year, according to Edmunds.com; on a $20,000 car, that’s $2,440, or more than $200 a month. Some cars depreciate even faster, depending on demand, incentives offered and other factors.

Why not let someone else take that hit? Not only will you be able to save money (or buy more car), but you’ll pay less for insurance. Cars are better-built and last longer than ever before, which means you’re less likely to get a lemon. Companies like CarFax allow you to trace a car’s history. Many late-model used cars are still under warranty, and a trusted mechanic can give your potential purchase the once-over to spot any problems. Take a look at the Used Car Research section of MSN Autos for a lot of great information.

Exception: You can pay cash and you really, really want that new-car smell.

• Software and console games. Buy used, and you’ll pay half or less what the software cost new. Console games like those for the Xbox and Sony PS2 that list for $50 new, for instance, can often be purchased used for $20 or less a year after release.

But it’s more than just a matter of economy. Letting someone else be the early adopter also allows you to benefit from their experience. You’ll find more reviews and information on software that’s been out a year or more (and you won’t be that far behind the leading edge). The bugs will have been identified along with any workarounds, although you may have to live with some problems that are fixed in later versions.

Exception: If you do a lot of work with graphics, multimedia or image editing and you have a newer, more powerful computer, you’ll probably want the state-of-the-art version. Finally, some software restricts the number of computers on which it can be installed, which can make it difficult (but not impossible) to transfer the product license to a new owner.

• Office furniture. Built to take a beating and last a lifetime, good-quality office desks, filing cabinets and credenzas are relatively easy to find even when a recession isn’t cratering the local economy.

Exception: Some people balk at buying used chairs for the same reason they won’t buy a used catcher’s mitt — it’s had too many hours to mold to someone else’s body.

• Hand tools. Well-made tools with few or no moving parts — like hammers, wrenches, shovels, hoes, etc. — can last decades with proper maintenance and are relatively easy to find at yard sales. If you’re not going to use a tool frequently, you may be able to rent it or borrow from a friend or neighbor rather than buying something else to clutter up your garage. (Some neighborhoods even run tool-sharing cooperatives.)

Exception: You’re a hard-core do-it-yourselfer and you need power tools, especially cordless versions. These have a relatively limited life span and you may not know how much time they’ve got left. If the tool is cheap enough, of course, that may not matter, but most often you’ll want to buy new if the power tool will get substantial use.

This is actually a fairly accurate list. I stress the portion about cars myself, as I was -almost- the victim of purchasing a brand new 2005 mustang. Luckily I didn’t get approved, which though I didn’t realize it then, was actually a blessing. A year later, I find a used 2004 mustang with my exact specs (granted not the same design), and I pay $20,000 LESS than if I had bought that 2005 mustang. And it runs great, not to mention I still had the bumper to bumper warranty on it for another 9 months.

I will never buy a brand new car, even if I have the money, it’s just a waste. Used is by far the way to go.

Saturday: No explanation needed beyond what I wrote about my father/daughter date.

Sunday: Trekked to Gettysburg to get my taxes done. My aunt manages several of the local Jackson Hewitt franchises, and is awesome for doing my taxes every year. I really should think of a way to repay her kindness.

Since I claimed my father as a dependant for half of the year last year, instead of claiming nothing and getting it all back come tax time, my return is slightly lower than last year, but it’s still a hefty enough sum. $1500 which will go towards: minor credit cards balances (only two hundred or so), putting the car that was given to my dad on the road (maybe $300 total for this, inspection + tags), and the rest into savings. The car for my dad should hopefully save me on his gas total each week too.

I thought about putting the rest into my car loan, but I’d rather have a larger nest egg earning interest at 4.5% and overpaying my monthly payments to reduce the total, than give it all to the car, and then run into a problem 2 or 3 months down the road that puts me into some financial difficulty. Which is bound to happen, because it always does.

In addition to this, I had also thought about trading in my mustang for a Toyota Prius. I did some research around for a used Prius (or forgive me, certified pre-owned), but even those rack up to $20,000. I paid $14,000 for my 2004 mustang last January, and I think the $6,000 price increase in order to save on gas cost isn’t worth it. By the time I spend $6,000 in gas in the mustang to total the extra cost for trading in for a Prius, it will most likely be time to buy a new car anyway.

It should also be noted that one of the financial blogs I’ve been reading talks about how people pay for cars in cash. That when you pay in cash it gives you more of a bargaining chip over the price, because you can pay in cash right then and there. Not to mention it takes care of any interest fees you would be paying for a 5 year loan. And the way they suggest doing this, is to pay yourself a car payment every month into your emergency fund. Obviously this can only be done if you don’t already have a car payment each month. So when the mustang is paid off, I’ll continue to pay the $300-$400/month to myself, and eventually I’ll have the money to pay for a car in cash when the time comes. Not to mention the interest you could get for having that balance with an online bank.

This learning to be frugal and researching how to be smarter with my finances thing is actually quite easy.

Edit: If anyone has any finance tips/thoughts they’d like to share, feel free!

I’ve created a truck blog called “MudBloggin” to help me “remember” things.

So, I love my mustang. I really do. Granted it’s not my 2005 mustang dream car, but I love just having a car that doesn’t break down every 2 weeks. I love only spending $20-$30/week on gas rather than $80-$100 like I was doing in my broncos. And though I intend to keep the broncos, I am thinking of trading in my mustang for something more “functional”.

I haul a lot of stuff, instruments, wood, camping gear, etc. And I want something that, despite not being a true off-road vehicle, will be able to hold its own in the snow. I’m not looking for something to replace the power behind my bronco, just something for day-to-day functionality with the added bonus of partial “work truck” features.

Here enters, my current favorite, the Jeep Liberty:

Read the rest of this entry »

The hyperbaric chamber is doing wonders for my dads leg. The ulcer is almost healed, and I suspect will be healed by November. After a year of an open festering ulcer on my dads leg (and not the first time), we’ll finally have it healed.

Wish they would have thought of this before they made us do the surgery last spring, which we’re still paying off.

Hopefully soon, no more daily doctor visits and bandage changes. Hopefully soon. We’ll still have to be careful, but at least this hurdle will finally be cleared.

My dads friend that gave us the 83 bronco is now giving us an 85 monte carlo for free. It works, and hopefully will be better on gas mileage than the 83 bronco or 79 F-150 he drives now, otherwise we’ll just sell it. If it’s better with gas, this will be one more prayer that has been answered.

I took my sister out to dinner last night to try and help heal the bad blood that’s been happening lately. It went surprisingly well, much like old times before my mother started with her duplicitous influence.

We went to Casa Rico, my favorite local Mexican Restaurant. I decided we would splurge and she could have whatever she wanted. Virgin Pina Colada Daquiries, fried icecream, excellent nachos and salsa (though I did forget to buy their salsa to take home). The waitress was excellent so I gave her a large tip and she reduced our bill.

It was just like old times. She laughed, we told jokes, I made weird faces and an overall fool of myself, but it’s what I do best. She even mentioned “Sissy, you spoil me” which was nice to hear.

So I think the current drama is, for now, over. I think my sister realizes that I’m not an enemy, even though that doesn’t stop all the BS my mother was doing/is doing. It’s one less thing to worry about. I just have to make sure I keep in regular contact with my sister from now on.

My dad took my bronco to the emissions yesterday, since I finally got it back from the mechanic friend of my fathers. For the first time since I’ve owned it (maybe one other time, but it’s been so long I don’t remember) I actually passed. I’ll probably get historic tags on it anyway, since it’s 27 years old now, and hopefully that’ll prevent me from having to do emissions anymore.

I’m going to start up a mechanic’s journal for my vehicles, to help me keep track of restorations I intend to do, regular maintenance, etc.

My dads hyperbaric chamber is going well, they think it may be helping, but we won’t know for a few more weeks yet I’m sure. However the other day it caused his sugar to drop really low, so they had to give him a lot of orange juice and such. It worries me that all this oxygen might be messing with his system, but there’s really not much I can do about it.

My MUD started limited alpha testing on Monday. The first day was somewhat rocky with a few crashes, but since then we haven’t crashed and are knocking out a lot of bugs and errors. I still don’t intend to advertise yet because we’re just not ready. But at least we are now testing and even more motivated now than ever to complete areas and get the train rolling.

On the way home from work last night, near the New Market Route 70 junction, they are doing some bulldozing, no doubt to create more shopping malls and such. Searching through the bulldozed debris was a young doe, no doubt confused about where her home was relocated. I hate construction. I hate seeing such open gaping wounds that just eat up everything in sight.