Sigh.

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned my 15 (almost 16) year old 'beater' car, which I'm trying to keep running until I'm debt-free. Since I take public transportation, I put about 2,500 miles a year on it, if that. As far as maintenance, I get regular oil changes and that's about it.

For the last few months, I've noticed some 'sputtering' in the engine when I put my foot on the gas after changing gears. I knew I needed to get it into the shop, but I've been putting it off because I didn't want to spend the money. Well, now I have no choice!

While on my way to the grocery store yesterday it did its little number, but much, much worse than it ever has been. I was a few blocks from a dealership, and in my panic I drove in there and just left it in the service bay (but not before the salesmen tried to sell me a new car). I normally wouldn't go near a dealership for car service, because I just feel they charge more than the neighborhood mechanic (who really isn't in my neighborhood, but came well-recommended).

Anyway, I've just gotten the estimate, which will be about $500 for things that would have been fixed during the tuneups I never get (the last one was four years ago). And that's just to keep the car running! An additional $500 would fix the oil leak and a tear in the "CV joint" (whatever that is). Serious issues, but not in my budget, unfortunately.

I know I'll put this on my credit card (and immediately pay it off, of course), though I'm hemming and hawing about whether to take it out of my fairly healthy emergency fund (is it really an emergency if I could have prevented it by simply taking the car to MY mechanic weeks or months ago?) or whether to use the money from my extra jobs, thereby NOT sending that money to my debt.

Every time something like this happens (which, let's be honest, isn't all that often - the car is pretty reliable usually) I start to fantasize about buying a used Toyota and just dealing with the $150 a month payments. Bad, bad, bad.

NOTE: just had a thought. My emergency fund earns 1.10% interest. My debt 'earns' between 8.25% and 8.9% interest, depending on which on we're talking about. Seems intelligent to pay off the debt and take the $500 out of savings, no?

In defense of the beater. . . .

I drive a 15 year old car with almost 115,000 miles on it. Hey, it runs (mostly)! I did just replace the battery, it has regular oil changes, and it's definitely due for a tuneup, but it gets me where I want to go. In addition, it's basically free (minus the $80 or so a month for insurance and gas). And for someone who is bent on paying off old debt, that is a good thing!

I do go kind of crazy from time to time wondering about all of the knocks, creaks, and bumps that my car emits while driving. My mind immediately starts adding up the cost of a new alternator, or clutch, or brakes, or any number of crucial auto functions that might need to be fixed in the next few years (I do have the money in my emergency fund for these sorts of repairs, by the way, though I would love to have the extra room in my budget for a 'repair and maintenance fund').

This month, I was convinced that my gas gauge wasn't working. My speedometer and tachomoter haven't worked in years (you get used to it, believe me!) and I've always said that as long as I know how much gas I have left, I'm content to leave those issues alone, since the instrument cluster alone could cost up to $150 to replace, not including labor costs.

I usually spend about $35 to fill up my tank at the end of the month, and with normal driving to the transit station and the grocery store and to my teaching gigs (when the Max isn't convenient), I'm usually left with just a little more than an empty tank at the end of the month. Well, for the last two weeks my gas gauge has been on half-full. No matter where I drove, and for how long, that gauge didn't budge one little iota. Which freaked me out. I've only been stuck once with an empty gas tank, and I didn't like it one bit; I had no interest in repeating that particular fiasco!

So last Sunday, I went to the gas station and got a fill-up, although the gauge still sat at half full just as it has for weeks. And guess what? I only spent $20 and got 7 gallons of gas! Meaning that my gas gauge isn't actually broken, I've just (somehow) driven less this month than I thought I had! Eureka!

I mentally saved myself $400-500 dollars just by putting $20 into the tank! I do wish for a shiny new car now and then, but the value of getting by with my beater might be equal to $90,000 (my remaining debt) when all is said and done.

A frugal commute. . . .

Now that summer is almost here, it's almost time to begin my bus commute from the stop a couple of blocks from my house (rather than the car to train to bus commute that I usually do during colder or rainy weather). Each morning as I pass by the bus stop in my car, on the way to the MAX station, I consider the hour-long bus ride (including a transfer to another bus downtown) that is in my future.

Last year I did this bus commute day in and day out and while I didn't like it, gas prices were so high then (was gas really almost $4 a gallon last summer???) that taking the longer commute in a dirty, crowded bus seemed like a great deal. I was spending less than $20 on gas per month last summer, which was fabulous, considering how high gas was!

This year, I DREAD the thought of waiting at the bus stop (and exposing myself to car horns and cat calls, as it's on a major street) and then waiting again for a transfer to the university. Why is this? Maybe because gas is still less than $3 a gallon here in Portland, and I'm not going to save 'as much' money as I did last year?

Granted, I'm taking a class this summer that will preclude a late-night bus trip, so I'll only be commuting this way three times a week. I think next Tuesday will be my first day back on the bus, so I'll have to see how it goes then. I think my memories of the bus are clouded by the few hot, hot, hot days that I rode a bus without A/C and was simply miserable. For an hour.

I'm going to try to sell myself on the bus commute by reminding myself not only of the money I'll be saving but also by reminding myself that I'll get to listen to my digital books on a more frequent basis (which also helps tune out some of the rather unfortunate souls who also choose this particular bus line).

Frugal shame. . .

The other night, I was watching TV with some friends (friends with cable are a wonderful thing!) and a commercial for a new car lease came on. For only $2,500 down and $199 a month, I could be driving a brand new car!!! Ironically, the brand of car that was being advertised is the same brand as the 14 year old beater I drive now. For free. As in, no car payments.

As I was silently contemplating this, and also feeling a little bit ashamed at the way my car looks (it's not shiny, someone stole a hubcap a few months ago, and the electronic locks no longer work, among other failures) my friend turned to me and said: "When are YOU going to get a new car"? I looked around the room and realized that with one exception, the friends I was hanging out with all drove newer cars.

I laughed it off by saying: "I'll drive a new car in about 15 years, when my student loans are paid off". The subject soon changed, but my mind stayed with the topic of cars. Three of the people in that room are living on student loans and part-time work, and the fourth is a stay-at-home mom whose husband makes a healthy salary.

Although one of my friends paid cash for her car, that $15,000 of her now-depleted savings could have been used to live on while she's finishing school, rather than taking out more student loans! Sure, I'd love to have a beautiful car. But if I had the choice between taking out student loans to help make my car payment, or driving a beater to avoid the debt, I'd choose the latter, every time. That doesn't help with the shame I sometimes feel at my old, beat up car, or the fantasies I have about walking onto an car lot and picking out the prettiest car there.

Luckily, my friend Dave Ramsey has a wonderful video on his website that deals with the very issue I struggle with: wanting (and not being able to afford) a new car. He calls it Drive Free. Retire Rich. I highly recommend it if you need a pick-me-up and some additional motivation after watching TV commercials that pressure you to get into a lease or to finance a new car. . .

The ultimate frugal ride. . . .

When I first moved to Portland almost three years ago (!!!), I was awash in extra cash from the sale of my first house. One of the things I wanted to do at the time was buy a scooter, so I could be mobile without paying a ton for gas or parking. Of course, my savings ended up dwindling quickly after I purchased a home here (Home Depot definitely benefited) and I ended up forgetting all about my Vespa dreams. I still have scooter envy from time to time (usually on sunny days when rain and wind are but a fading memory), but this is a purchase that will probably need to wait until I'm completely financially secure---and maybe living in an area that gets more than 100 or so days of sun per year.

However, since some of YOU may be living in warmer and drier climes, and since I love daydreaming about this particular topic, I decided to do a little research on scooters. Here are some of the issues to consider if you're downsizing to a cute little Vespa, as I'd like to do someday.

• Think about where you'll be riding the scooter. If your commute or your drive to the grocery store requires a freeway jaunt, a scooter may not be for you. Even though many scooters these days have the juice to drive at freeway speed, think about safety---do you really want to be exposed to the elements with only a helmet and a leather jacket between you and the SUV driving 65 mph behind you?
• Speaking of grocery shopping, think about space issues. Do you make one giant trip to the grocery store each month, bringing home 20 bags of groceries at a time? A Vespa---even one with a storage box---isn't going to do it for you. Same for trips to Home Depot, Target, Ikea, or any other stores that you regularly haunt.
• Check with the DMV. Depending on how 'large' the motor is (e.g. 50cc versus 150cc) you may need to get a motorcycle license.
  
• Find out about parking. I, for some reason, assumed that scooters could park for free--simply because they don't take up much room. Unfortunately, it turns out that even scooter and motorcycle riders are charged for parking, whether it's on the street or in the university parking garage.
  
• Purchase insurance. As I cruised the internet trying to find information about scooters, one of the issues that arose more often than not was theft. Apparently, it's pretty easy--and common--to steal one of these babies. The upside is that scooter insurance will cost much less than auto insurance.
  

In the end, I think riding a scooter (in a weather-appropriate city) would be fun. I think it would also save money, given that scooters get very good gas mileage and the insurance and parking costs are less than that of an automobile. Will I be buying one in the near future? Nope. But I can still dream about it. . . .

Mother Nature trumps frugality. . . .

This is the third day straight that I've been basically trapped at home---my car is stuck in the snow and ice down the street, and it appears that it will be there for at least a few more days. We've just been through a giant (for Portland) snow storm which began last week and probably won't end until next Saturday! Meanwhile, my budget has flown out the window.

On the nights before predicted snowfall, I rushed to the nearest (not the cheapest, mind you) grocery store to stock up on essentials (hot chocolate and whipped cream being among the items purchased). I did this at least three times, and while I did bring a shopping list, my main goal was not frugality but finding what I wanted in the least time and getting home before the storms began. Added to this is the fact that everyone and his brother had the same idea, and the grocery store was packed!

Meanwhile, my heater has been on pretty much constantly for an entire week (except during the night), and while I still keep it at a low 58 degrees, I'm sure my gas bill will reflect the chilly weather and the many days last week (and this week) that I didn't go in to work. Today, I trekked out to Target for a chai latte and some books (the libraries have been closed!!!) as well as to get some cash for my trip to California in a couple of days (provided I can get to the airport and my flight isn't canceled). $107, a sweater, a belt, and four books later, I made the long slushy walk home wondering how the last week will look when I put my recent purchases into my zero-based budget for December!

Ah well! I'm safe, warm, dry and well fed. Which many people in Portland can't say right now, from the 40,000 without power to the homeless and very low-income residents. I may be somewhat silent until next weekend, as I attempt to make my way out of Portland to spend Christmas with my family!

Happy holidays, everyone!

Frugal update. . .

Okay, I know I said I'd be back in August, but I have two little pieces of good financial news I wanted to share:

1. Since I've been committed to taking the bus wherever I can, leaving the car in the garage, I managed to get through all of June and most of July without re-filling my gas tank! I just filled up yesterday, and am hoping not to visit the gas station until at least the end of August. We'll see!

2. I've written before about the possibility of my labor union going out on strike, which has not only struck fear into my frugal little heart, it's also caused me to stop paying my credit card off so quickly. I wanted to put extra money into my emergency fund, which grew to about $1600. Well, the good news is that my union has struck a 'tentative' deal with the university. Now all we have to do is vote to ratify the agreement, and a strike will be avoided! AND, I'll receive a small raise as well, which will definitely help! I'm looking forward to getting back to credit card repayment, hopefully as early as next month!

Enjoy the rest of July~~~I certainly intend to!

Small victories. . . .

Through taking the bus and grouping my trips, I still have a little over half a tank of gas left this month! Usually, I use at least a tank a month, which lately is running about $45. By being much more aware of my driving, and thinking about other ways to get where I need to be, I've succeeded in halving my gas needs this month!

Here are some other tips to save on gas, since most of us need to drive at least some of the time, if not every day:

• Don't use the A/C. As the weather grows warmer (in the 90's here in Oregon this weekend!), the urge to turn on the air conditioning in the car grows stronger and stronger. What I've started doing is bringing an ice cold bottle of water with me in the car (sometimes half frozen). Taking sips of this cold liquid helps cool me down without using the gas-sucking A/C.
• Drive the speed limit. This is a no-brainer, I guess. Driving faster than you really need (or should) uses more gas, so an easy way to decrease your gas usage is to slow down.
• Check your tire pressure. I have a nail stuck in one of my back tires (note to self: must get that fixed), which means that I have to keep an eye on that tire, because it deflates quicker than the others. The benefit to this is that each time I top up that back tire, I take the time to re-inflate the others. Some experts believe you can increase gas mileage by 25% just by doing this on a regular basis.
• Remove the roof rack, if you have one. I used to have a bike rack on my car, for the three times a year I took my mountain bike somewhere far away. Eventually, I realized that not only was the rack unnecessary, it was also cutting down on the aerodynamics of my car.
• Make sure you're regularly maintaining your car. Tune-ups, changing the air filter, and getting regular oil changes can make a big difference in how efficiently your car runs.

Although my car is over ten years old, and only gets about 20 MPG these days, making little changes can add up over time to big savings!

Not to beat a dead horse, but. . . .

Okay, I swear this will be the last post (for awhile, anyway) about the joys of public transportation and the potential for saving hundreds of dollars by ditching the car. I just have to share a website I found, through the night job, of course! It's called 'The World Carfree Network', and it's an entire movement, begun in Europe ten years ago, to support government and citizen investment in alternate transportation options. The best part, they're holding the first U.S. conference ever, in Portland next week: 'Carfree: towards carfree cities'.

I won't be able to attend, unfortunately, due to both my day job and my night job (I'm working six days a week for the foreseeable future), plus the fact that the registration fee is $440! Even by using my student status, I'd be paying $125 for the week. However, it appears that the conference will be broadcast over the internet at some point, so I intend to check out the video link for (hopefully) free access to the information presented at the conference.

I'm hoping that events like this will convince not just big cities, but also suburban and rural areas, that public transportation is a worthwhile investment. I relocated from a relatively rural area two years ago in order to be in a location that provided ample bus and light rail systems, but I don't think everyone should have to move to a city to benefit from money-saving commute options.

In the meantime, for my rural and suburban readers, how about carpooling? This is something I could have done before I lived in Portland---but driving my car gave me such a feeling of independence (and gas prices were still low enough) that I just never followed up on the opportunities. Now that I'm relying more and more on public transportation, I get that same feeling of freedom by leaving my car in the garage. . . .