If a person waits until the tires are bald on their auto and does not have regular oil changes and auto checkups , they usually end up with a much larger bill then it would have been to have a planned auto maintenance plan. One important thing that auto owners need to do is find a mechanic that is honest and specializes in their car model. Cars are so complicated that mechanics must continually train to be able to understand all of the electronic aspects of the cars they specialize in. They cannot train on all cars because there are so many brand names and models that it would be an impossibility.
I have a 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe. About four years ago I found a mechanic listed on a website in Mesa Arizona named Mike that specialized in Honda and Hyundai and Mercedes Benz. He was a factory trained Honda Mechanic for quite a few years and decided to open his own garage about 12 years ago. The comments on his website are glowing and with good reason. I had him replace the ball joints on a 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe. Mike was about 20% cheaper than the dealer quoted me and he did a great job keeping the appointment I had made. He started on the job right when I arrived and finished in less than three hours. About three months ago I took my wife and her friend Be to see Mike and have him replace the timing belt on her 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe. He was $200 cheaper than the dealer quoted. We left the car for a week because Be was going on a trip to Costa Rica and would be gone during that time. The day we returned we went to pick up the car. I called and he had it ready. When we arrived he stopped and explained what he found out about her car, it was making a clicking sound when it started up, he recorded the sound on his phone and played it for Be , my wife , and I. He said I thought you might be having some valve problems but I have this Engine Cleaner that does wonders so I put some in the car , the next morning I started it up and no clicking sound. He told her even though she only drove the car from October to April in Arizona and then left the car while she went to Alaska for the summer , you still need to change the oil at least every 90 days and definitely when you return from Alaska. She was not doing that. He explained about oil changes and said do no go to the places that say they will do an oil change for less than $20 , many of them use recycled oil and cheap oil filters that decompose into the engine. He charges $40 for an oil , filter, and full service check. He showed us the filters he recommends that cost more but do not decompose.
A week after we went to Mikes to get her car, I decided to make an appointment to get the oil changed in my car. When I arrived at 10 A.M. , Mike stopped what he was doing and did my oil change it took 30 minutes. Mike called me in and said your front brakes are like new, but your back brakes will need to be replaced within 5,000 miles. I took the car in again and waited for Mike do a rear brake job for $200 which was less than I was quoted at Brake Masters. Mike showed me there was a small oil leak in the engine area but it was not dripping onto the floor so he said just watch it you may never have to do anything with it.
Can you see the wisdom in getting a mechanic that knows and cares about your particular auto and charges less than a dealer would charge?
Our homes need repairs all the time it seems. The roof is a very important part of the home and needs to be maintained. If the life of the roof is near it’s end , don’t wait until the shingles blow off or start leaking before replacing the roof. Roof leaks can do thousands of dollars of damage to the interior of a home. Sometimes a roof can be patched and sealed but many times it is only a temporary fix. When getting a roofing contractor ask your neighbors about who has done a good job at a reasonable price for people in your neighborhood. Sometimes there are individual bonded roofers that work for a big company but do roofs as a part time business that are much more reasonable than a big contractor. Our recent roof replacement quotes on a 1,700 sq ft house and 600 sq ft garage ranged from $6,500 to $18,000. The big roofing companies charge more and offer all kinds of modifications to your roof that probably would qualify it to last forever to hear them talk.
Exterior and interior painting of a home is very important to help it keep it’s value. Painting contractors are not cheap and come in all different packages. Many people paint their home themselves both inside and out and do a good job of it. A good brand of paint is expensive. Do not put cheap paint on a house , the labor to paint it is intensive, you do not want to be painting every five years or less. I have been told depending on where you live that exterior paint jobs should last 8 to 10 years. The interior painting depends on the whims of those that live there.
Landscaping is a very import aspect of a home. A neatly kept well landscaped home is much more valuable than one with little or no landscaping. If you do not know how to landscape, search on the internet there are lots of sites that have landscaping plans and suggestions. Nurseries vary greatly in the price for landscaping items. Sometimes , Walmart, Home Depot, and big box stores have better prices if you can find what you want.
MAINTENANCE IS THE WORD AND YOU WILL SAVE MONEY IN THE LONG RUN. GOOD LUCK IN DEVELOPING A GOOD MAINTENANCE PLAN FOR YOUR AUTOS AND HOME.
The ebook “Starting From Zero” is a great lesson in how the retail economy works today compared with the recent past. It tells you how to start a home business with a very small investment and succeed in the current economic environment. They will offer you other options and enhancements if you order the book, but just getting the book would be beneficial to most families.
To get your copy of the book “Starting From Zero” CLICK HERE