Managing Home Maintenance Costs

All American tires are designed in various grades and as a result the cost can vary widely. Some tires are designed to last only 40,000 miles. While more expensive tires will last you as long as 80,000 miles under normal wear and tear.  Buying better tires usually means they will last longer. They will perform better and will be safer for you and your family while you are on the road.

The best thing you can do for car safety and tire safety is to check the tire pressure. Check a minimum of once a month and before every trip. Also check for tire tread wear. If they are beginning to show significant wear or balding, replace them immediately.

While passenger-car tires are nearly all radials these days, ST tires are still available in bias-belted construction. We all know that our car tires are filled with air. Although recently they are also being filled with nitrogen and that at certain times the air pressure in them decreases.

High Performance Tires

Higher-performance tires have softer, grip pier rubber with shorter tread life. There are quite a few levels of performance tires available on the market, from full-on race tires to general use passenger car tires. Performance and luxury touring tires are quiet and handle incredibly well, sometimes it is hard to believe that these types of tires are having the ability to produce results like this.

When using performance tires they tend to wear out quicker than usual everyday car tires that you would put on family cars.

All passenger car tires are all made from the same radial base so there is no need to sell in “balanced” sets as you put it. Car tires are cheap; you can pick up a used one just about anywhere.

Select the Correct Tire for Your Car

One important fact is that many automobile passenger tires are not intended to maneuver the car out of problem with speeds in excess of 75-80 mph. Make sure your car tires are in good condition.Today’s car tires are built from steel and rubber which gives the tires the ability to last longer.

When choosing a car tire , speak to the dealership or auto mechanics to get their opinions on which tires are good for you type of car. The dealer has a reference list that specifies which tires can be used on each car. If you deviate from these recommendations there is a chance your car will nor perform properly. Especially when cornering at high speeds or sudden stops

All American Tires Size

Your speedometer won’t read the correct speed if your car tires are not the right size.  The cable or electronic device is attached to the transmission which turns at a speed based on the engine. If your tires are larger, you may actually be going faster than what the speedometer indicates. This makes  you an excellent candidate for a speeding ticket. This actually happened to the writer a few years ago when driving a company car with over sized tires on it. Always follow the guidelines and install the correct size of tire.

Everyone of us wants to feel secure in our home. It is a place were we do not need to be concerned about strangers and we do not need to worry about our possessions being stolen. We can retire to our home and relax after a day at work or traveling or what ever it is that we do. Many people take the security of their condo for granted. They feel that as long as their door is closed and locked, they will be secure. Actually there is a lot more that you can do as a condo owner. It starts when you decide to purchase any particular condo. Investigate the security that is provided by the condo, to make sure that it meets your personal security requirements.

The vast majority of condo’s employ a security system of some kind. Some are pretty simple and really will allow anyone to enter who has a little bit if ingenuity. Others are like fort Knox and cost a fortune to manage and control. They employ camera and audio systems, security guards around the clock at the gate and who also roam the property. This can be a high class security program which also costs a great deal of money.

With these two extremes in terms of security, how does one decide what level of security is right for you and appropriate for were you live?  We listed a few items to consider as part of your condo building selection process. They may not all apply to your situation, however take what applies to you and use as you wish.

Condo Building Security Criteria

• Crime rate in the location were you will live
• Crime rate of the building you are considering
• Security program currently in place
• Effectiveness of the security program
• Cost of the security program
• Condo boards attitude towards security
• Audi and camera system in working order
• Guest entry process
• Apartment entry
• Door dead bolt
• Balcony door security

These are all issues that should be considered when you purchase a condo. The more security that you have, the more it will cost so take this into account. Sometimes you can apply over kill to a situation that does not need a high  level of security. You end up paying a great deal for something that is really not necessary.

Effectiveness of Building Security

In out city there is a building that is one of the most desired locations to live. Many people from high-profile positions in industry and government live there. This building has 24 hour manned security, audio and camera systems. In addition you must still be buzzed into the building even if security allows you onto the property. A very nice building that really does a good job of keeping the opportunists and the rift raft out of the building and from entering the  property.

Unfortunately, if someone really wants to get in they will do so. In this particular building someone wanted to get even with a judge who had ruled negatively against someone. They posed as a repairman, gained access to the property and then the building. All they did was knock on the door and gained entry to commit a rather serious crime.  This really shook up the building residents and the security system and procedures were reviewed and updated.

the point of this story is that you really need to guard against the opportunists and make it difficult for the average con man or thief to gain entry. This will deal with 99% of all possible crimes. The last 1% is almost impossible to deal with and will cost you a great deal of money as well.

Summary

Review the list of condo security items we listed and make your decision on the level of security you need to have as a unit owner and a building owner. Keep it in perspective and avoid spending too much money on security

For more ideas about keeping your place secure, click here.

There are lots of web sites available who are trying to sell you a solar panel power system. they talk about how easy it is and how they solve all of the problems for you so that really all you have to do is sign on the dotted line and suddenly you are committed to a 20 year contract! This web site is trying to get the facts from the consumers perspective and assess what the real Solar Power Business Model and business case is for the consumer.

This post is going to describe some of the factors that should be part of your business model as a consumer considering the installation of a solar panel power system. As we mentioned we are looking for a financial model that consumers can use to evaluate whether it makes sense or not to install a solar panel system purely from a financial perspective. We are going to ignore the noble and emotional areas such as supporting the planet and green energy in this particular post. These attributes  are important, but when it comes down to money, consumers want to know what is in it for them, what is it going to cost and what wil the benefits be?

Solar Power Business Model –  Inputs

So what variables or financial revenue and cost measures should be included in a financial model that a consumer can use? Here is our starting list. Send us comments if you have others that we should be considering.

• Revenue or power consumption reduction estimates
• Potential grants available, how much, how long
• Charges if any to complete initial survey estimate of potential power production
• Equipment costs from estimate
• Charges for  installation
• Charges for completion of application for grants
• Roof repairs, roof replacement etc to support solar panels – initial installation
• Roof replacement costs to remove and re-install panels later in life of contract
• Application costs to attach to Grid
• Financing costs, interest rates, term of loan, payments
• Legal fees to evaluate contracts
• Additional home insurance or special riders
• Solar income insurance
• Ongoing maintenance for your system
• Equipment failures and repair costs
• Cash flow analysis
• Payback analysis

Sensitivity Analysis

Once you have information concerning all of the variables you can begin to build a spreadsheet model to evaluate your cash flow. This will serve as the base line model for your evaluation and decision to proceed or not with a solar panel installation. You may even use this model to help you gain financing for the installation and initial maintenance. However we strongly urge you to develop sensitivity analysis to evaluate the risks associated with your project. Remember many contracts that are being offered have a 20 year life span. Which is a very long time in this business and many things can change for the better as well we as for the negative.

At the minimum, all costs should be increased by 20%. All revenue should be lowered by 20% to determine what the worst case scenario is for your situation. In some cases you might even make it a larger percentage deviation to ensure that you can deal with the worst case situation. For example if in the area in which you live, you typically get 300 days of sunshine on average. You might lower that by 30% or to 210 days to reflect a really bad year with lot’s of cloud. If you can still handle the reduced income and negative cash flow should this worst case scenario occur, then there will be no surprises for you financially which you cannot deal with.

Sensitivity factors to consider

Besides varying all revenue by minus 20% and all costs by plus 20%:

• Premature roof replacement
• Sale of your home
• Solar company goes bankrupt
• Grants end unexpectedly
• Solar panels have premature failures
• Tariff rate guarantees spiral downwards

As we do more research in this area we will update our list of factors to take into account. We are still looking for a consumer oriented business model that we could post to our site. However most companies want to provide you with a quote first. Which means you must work from their models etc. Personally I would rather take their numbers and plug them into a business model that I can manipulate and complete sensitivity analysis on my own.

Readers, if you are aware of one, please share a solar panel power generation business model with us!

For more posts about solar power business models, click here.

Text messages from Izod can save you money! Recently I was in one of the Izod factory outlet stores when I heard over the speaker system in the store a message about saving $5.00. All I had to do was send a text message to a number they gave which was actually a short text message code and they would send a text message back to me with a coupon for $5.00 which I could then use at the cash register when I paid for my clothes that I was already planning on purchasing.

This is an example when text message short code program messages can save you money. Most of the time, you received these innocuous messages, and while providing information, they cost you money every time you receive a short code text message.  This time we saved $5 on our purchases in addition to all of the other great sales that we got at Izod. It also did not cost me anything due to my text message plan and that IZOD was not charging to send these text messages.

Stop Text Messages from Izod After You Receive the Coupon

Once we received the coupon via text message and paid for our purchases, we left the store. I then sent a text message from my phone to stop any more text messages from being sent to my phone. This is important for readers who pay per text message. Each time you receive one of these messages, you will pay for each individual message. So once you have the coupon send a stop message until you visit Izod again. It is easy to do. All that is needed is to send a reply to the same address that you originally received the first message and include the word “stop” in the message. Nothing else should be included in the message text.

Deals at Izod

We really like Izod and we wanted to take a moment to hi-light the sales we got. We started with a $75 sweater which was discounted by 70%. They then added another 30% discount and I had another coupon for an additional 20% discount. When you add the $5.00 coupon , the price of the sweater came to $12.28 ! What a deal!

We do not normally talk about department stores and some of the deals that they offer. However in this case, Izod demonstrated a unique way they can use short code text message programs to help their business. They keep their customers loyal and happy at the same time.

We still got charged for the messages to our cell phones. But the cost of these messages was far less than others we have experienced. We also got a deal as well. As long as you are careful you can save money and take advantage of these programs. Once we had our coupon and it was processed through the register, we sent a message to stop further text messages.

We also routinely get emails with coupons attached. They offer additional savings to those that are already in the store. We just received one which we printed offering up to 45% off everything at the cash register.

All in all a great day . I always love it when you get good deals. Even if it is only $5, it is still money in my pocket!

For more information about text messaging, click here.

Save

We recently purchased a Hardwood floor Vacuum Electrolux Ergorapido Ultra cordless 2 in 1 stick and hand vacuum from Costco. The price was right and the lowest we had found in any of the shops that sell these types of hardwood floor vacuums. We paid $69 US for this vacuum which comes with a removable hand vacuum to get at small locations or if you just need to clean up a small spill of some kind. What a great little machine!

This particular vacuum appealed to us specifically because of the two in one package. You can use it as a stick or wand style vacuum or you can remove the had vacuum portion to get at small harder to get at locations. It also appealed to us because you can use it on hardwood floors as well which is what we have throughout our home. This was an important criterion since we are very concerned about the floors being scratched. For anyone with hardwood flooring, this requirement is critical since the last thing you want to do when you are vacuuming is to scratch your floor.

Hardwood floor Vacuums – Rechargeable

It is rechargeable and so you do not need to drag around a chord and find a place to plug it in every time you want to use it. This is a big advantage for many people who want to do a quick cleaning before the guests show up or to clean up a small mess without having to drag out the big vacuum.

We have read reports that some consumers find that the battery does not retain a charge very long and over time the battery lasts for a shorter and shorter time. This is a problem for any rechargeable tool. Following the manufacturer’s recommendations for initial charging and ongoing charging cycles will ensure that you get maximum use out of the battery.  Most recommend that you fully charge the battery before using it for the first time. Secondly, always drain the battery completely before recharging it. This way you will avoid the battery taking on what many people call the memory effect.

Consumer Reviews

After reading a number of customer reviews on a few web sites, we can summarize the following as their general comments:

• Lightweight vacuum
• Slim, lightweight, and QUIET.
• The vac functions very well on all the floors and rugs in the kitchen and hallway.
• The charge lasts for about 20 minutes at full power,
• It takes @ 14 hours to fully recharge, which is rather long,
• It is very maneuverable,
• The powerhead swivels almost like a Dyson ball vac.
• It is a hand vac as well.
• The vacuum comes with a little brush and a crevice tool for use with the hand vac.
• The charging stand is small and very easy to use. Emptying the cup is easy.
• It is slim and elegant

The biggest complaint is that the battery does not last long enough. However, it really is not meant for covering a large area. This is for quick mess cleanup on rugs as well as hardwood floors and small rooms. We have found you can vacuum several rooms before it needs to be recharged.

If you have this particular vacuum please leave us your comments. Also if you have another model let us know what you think regarding its application on hardwood floors.

A humorous but serious post about going green and saving money at the same time. This post represents a time that is not too long ago. It demonstrates just how much our lives have changed in the last 50 years. Our energy foot prints have changed. We  thought our readers might enjoy this simple explanation of what it really means to go green:

Stories from the past that are so true!!!!!!!

In the line at the store, a young cashier told an older woman that she should reduce her energy foot print and  bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags take a lot of energy to produce and are not goof for our environment

The woman apologized to him and explained,“We didn’t worry about energy foot prints back in my day.”

The clerk responded, “That’s our problem today…….

Your generation did not care enough to reduce energy consumption and save our environment.”

He was right — our generation didn’t worry about energy foot prints.

Back then, we recycled milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store returned them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.

But we didn’t worry about energy foot prints back in our day.

We walked up stairs, because we didn’t have an elevator or an escalator in every store and office building.

We walked or biked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.

But he was right. We didn’t worry about energy foot prints in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby’s diapers because we didn’t have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts — wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.

But that clerk is right; we didn’tworry about energy foot prints back in our day.

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house — not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Texas .

In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn’t have electric machines to do everything for us.

When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then, we didn’t  burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power.  We shoveled snow by hand and did not use a gas guzzling pollution spewing snow blower. Working gave us exercise so we didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

But he’s right; we didn’t worry about energy foot prints back then.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water.

Writing pens were refilled with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

But we didn’t worry about energy foot prints back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service.

We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

But isn’t it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn’t worry about energy foot prints back then?