Criminal charges have been filed against John Goodman, 46, the owner of the International Polo Club Palm Beach.  He is being charged with DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide.  If convicted, he can face up to 30 years for each charge.  Goodman posted the $100,000 bail and turned over his passport to authorities to negotiate his release for the time being.

The Wilson family has filed a civil suit against Mr. Goodman.  Goodman’s lawyer, Roy Black, had filed a motion to halt the suit until such time as the criminal proceedings had come to a conclusion.  A judge ruled, denying the motion; the civil suit will be moving forward, concurrent with the criminal trial.

John Goodman was in a crash on February 12th, around 1 a.m., with recently graduated 23-year old Scott Wilson.  Scott was heading home from the University of Central Florida in Orlando when Mr. Goodman drove through a stop sign, broadsiding and sending Scott’s car into a canal.  Scott Wilson was pronounced dead on the scene.

For the full story, follow link here.

So after all these years of watching the show, each episode maybe providing an answer but raising five more questions, the end finally came a few nights ago.  I anxiously awaited it, thinking – FINALLY!  I might not get the answers to everything, but I should find some satisfying conclusion to explain the flashbackwards, forwards, sideways, diagonal whatever.  And, boy, did I get my answers….

The writers had no clue themselves!  They didn’t HAVE the answers for all the questions they raised, so how could they provide them to us??  Why should I expect the creators and the writers of the show to come up with a better way to wrap the end of the series than with the cliched “they’re all dead” response?  After all, it was only their idea in the first place.  It might have been their idea to introduce dinosaurs (season 1), four-toed statues (season 2), an island that time-travels (season 4), but why should they have to provide explanations that make sense?

Truly, I believe the writers had no idea the show would become the world-wide sensation that it did.  When the show took off overnight with such high ratings and viewership, the writers sat back and said “Oh F*#@!”  Because they realized back then they had no realistic way of achieving closure to the show.  Every season was an introduction of a new angle, a new twist, with the writers frantically and furiously scrambling to come up with some resolution.  But at the end of the day, the writers were just a bunch of hacks with no logical recourse to their plot twistings and turnings.  The only way the show could have possibly ended any worse is if they had one of the characters – say Jack – wake up when the plane was landing, realizing the whole thing was a dream.

So here is my thanks to the writer’s and creator’s of Lost:

-Thank you for not giving me a happy ending.  All these years of watching and we get to the end to find out that not one character was left alive?  I watched a show for years about dead people – thanks so much for that!

-Thank you for thinking of me, the viewer, as having such a low standard of acceptance that I will be perfectly fine with the cop-out ending you chose.  I know I spent years watching a television show so convoluted I needed a dry-erase board to keep up with the theories and connections, but – yeah, when it comes down to the ending, simple is always better.

-Thank you for the 2-hour preview prior to the finale to rehash all the divergent material going on within the show, but pointing out again and again how the show wasn’t “plot driven” but “character driven.”  It made me believe the finale was going to be really disappointing.  Thanks for meeting, hell – exceeding – my expectations.

-Thank you for the early announcement in season 3 telling me, the viewer, when the show would end.  That inspired me enough to stick with the show because I knew a time would come when I would have answers to all the strange vaguaries making up Lost.  So thanks for having me stick with a show that – in the end – decided one all-encompassing passe, cliched answer was what their viewers would be most content with.

-And thank you – really – for an explanation that still doesn’t explain anything.  I guess it makes sense, otherwise the show would have been named Found.

Anybody else have some thanks they want to offer?  Post your thankfulness below….

Save Money on Bills

In previous blogs I pointed out some ideas that will help families save money with their grocery bills, entertainment and dining out bills, and much more. Today I am going to focus on the “fixed bills” – the ones you can not get rid of such as utilities and more. If you missed the previous posts please take some time and read them here.

How to Save Money on Your Phone Bill…

1. First thing you need to do is decide if your household needs both traditional and cellular phones.  Many modern households have done away with landlines and have gone strictly mobile, unless you absolutely have to ditch the land line.
2. If you do want separate mobile and house phones consider the Magic Jack.  I know the thing looks like a TV gimmick but it’s really a VOIP that uses your internet connection to place calls and can save you tons of money on your phone bill.  You can replace your phone bill and pay less than $30 a year.
3. Monitor your cell phone usage to fit your needs, for instance as much as I tried I could not limit my text messages so instead of consistently paying overage fees I opted for a larger plan.  Yes it was more money but at the same time I now don’t pay any fees so overall I’m still saving.
4. Try using Skype for some of your needs if not all. While not as pretty packaged as Magic Jack, Skype is a free software that will turn your computer into a phone. More over, Skype which is owned by eBay, sells phones that will piggy back on any wireless connection and make phones local as well as international. Imagine taking your Skype phone (with your phone number registered to it) to a Starbucks and still be able to answer calls made to your house number. With increase Wifi and WiMax coverage in many areas, those wireless phones are virtually always on an internet connection. A monthly membership is just $5.99 and it comes with all the features – voice mail, caller id, dedicated number and numbers in different area codes to make it easy and cheap for your family to call you.

How to Save Money on Cable Bills…

1. If you don’t mind losing your premium channels you can get rid of your cable provider and watch everything you need online for free.  Check out this list of Free TV on PC websites.

How to Save Money on Energy Costs…

Even though winter is coming to an end there are many things that you can do to save money on energy costs year round.

1. Whenever buying new appliances look for the energy star rating for low electricity using items.
2. When running Air Conditioning or Heat make sure your windows and doors aren’t seeping air.
3. Save money by unplugging your most energy consuming appliances when not in use.  Not sure what each appliance takes up even when not plugged in, find out what each appliance uses and at least unplug the worst offenders.

A great overall tip when it comes to saving money on bills is to not be scared or ashamed and simply ask for deals from each service provider.  For instance if you hear about a new promotion only available to new customers, no problem, call customer service and have them apply it to your account under threat of switching services.

Family Summer Fun

To continue our coverage of the 8 simple ways to revamp your home budget and save money in 2010, this post will cover savings on your Travel, Vacation and Entertainment category. If you have missed our previous posts about saving money in 2010 please read our previous entry (part 2) here.

Spring is here and summer will come around the corner in no time. Most American families will soon start planning for their yearly summer vacation and I think this post will really be helpful with this planning as far as saving some money. So without further delay here are some of the most important and effective ways to save money on your next summer vacation.

How to save money on your Vacation:

1. Vacations are a necessary part of a balanced and sane life but they can be expensive. You can cut the cost of a vacation significantly by planning and booking ahead of time. Bookmark travel sites for finding inexpensive airfare, hotels, rentals and so on.  If you know your schedule try to book months in advance to save money.
2. Look online for sales and discounts before making a purchase. For example, use travel deal sites like Priceline, Expedia, Travelocity, and Hotels.com before booking so that you can make some comparisons.
3. One unique way to save money on travel is to stay in hostels instead of hotels, they offer much cheaper rooms and a more lively experience.  This is a great solution for younger people, families with children should check ahead to see if private rooms are available.

If you enjoyed this list of ways to save money please share it with others and I know that saving money is a vast topic with tons of info so feel free to add any of your own additional methods in the comments below.

How to Save Money On Your Entertainment:

1. This is another situation where the entertainment book is crucial to your savings.  The closest theater to my house is a Regal Cinemas which charges a whopping $10.00 per adult ticket, the entertainment book contains 12 coupons which let you purchase 2 adult tickets at $7.00 a piece.  That’s a 30% savings and comes out to $6 saved per movie trip.  If you and a friend see just 3 movies this year these savings alone will cover the cost of the book.
   
2. The other option is to see movies in matinee show times, which around here will save you $2 of the ticket price.  This is a good strategy but difficult to pull off on date nights and weekends.

John B Goodman - Not Charged with Murder

Feb. 12, 2010.   At the corner of Lake Worth Road and 120th Avenue South a Bentley went through a stop sign and crashed into the Hyundai vehicle of Scott Patrick Wilson, age 23, declared dead at the scene.  The Bentley (a $250,000 vehicle) that crashed into their son’s car is owned, and was driven by, John Goodman.  John Goodman, according to many, is responsible for founding and owning the International Polo Club of Palm Beach.

Now here is where the opinion part comes in.  I’m thinking that perhaps when police officers, or later detectives and prosecuting attorney’s got involved, they realized there was a ‘Bentley’ on the scene.  And what does a ‘Bentley’ imply?  MONEY.  Not just any kind of money, but BIG money.  Do they really want to upset someone with multi-million dollar stature, a person who probably knows a lot of people who know a lot more people?  Let’s face it:  if John Smith had been involved in this kind of incident, they would have been arrested on the scene for driving under the influence, with a possible vehicular manslaughter to follow.  (See the police report here:  http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/palmbeachpost/news/PBSO_LogReport.pdf )

If it had been myself, or you – the reader – we would have been spending at least the night in jail.  But not Goodman!  Oh, no – he is way above the like’s of us.  Drinking and driving?  No big deal.  Running a stop sign and hitting – killing – another driver?  That’s okay.  Fleeing the scene to get to a phone (because we are so stupid we believe that multi-millionares with Bentley’s don’t have a car phone or cell phone?)?  Absolutely okay!

BULL$#@#!!!!!  This is just one more instance of people with money getting away with something that the average American does not.  And should the average American get away with it?  No!  You got drunk, drove a car, ran through a road sign, and killed another person – all against the law.  No one should get away with this.  But John Goodman has something the average American doesn’t – MONEY!  So he now has the same lawyer, Roy Black, that represented both Rush Limbaugh and William Kennedy Smith, among others.  John Goodman was never arrested, not even the night of the fatality, even though police reports (see the link to the pdf file) show substance/alcohol abuse.  At the scene, Assistant State Attorney Ellen Roberts was to have said, “law enforcement agencies usually arrest a DUI-fatality suspect right away only if they have reason to believe the person may try to flee. Otherwise they typically let the investigation be completed before any arrests are made”  (Jason Schultz, Palm Beach Post).

Hello?  Since when do drunken driver’s get to leave the scene of a crash, let alone a fatal crash, when testing positive for drugs/alcohol/substance abuse?  According to Florida Statute:

Manslaughter and Vehicular Homicide-s. 316.193 (3), F.S.

• DUI/Manslaughter: Second Degree Felony (not more than $10,000 fine and/or 15 years imprisonment).
• DUI Manslaughter/Leaving the Scene: A driver convicted of DUI Manslaughter who knew/should have known accident occurred; and failed to give information or render aid is guilty of a First Degree Felony (not more than $10,000 fine and/or 30 years imprisonment).
• Vehicular Homicide: Second Degree Felony (not more than $10,000 fine and/or 15 years imprisonment).
• Vehicular Homicide/Leaving the Scene: A driver convicted of vehicular homicide who left the scene of an accident is guilty of a First Degree Felony (nor more than $10,000 fine and/or 30 years imprisonment).

Well, apparently Mr. John Goodman, the officers on the scene, and the detectives and prosecuting attorneys following up feel that this statute (state law, really) does not apply to people who can afford to drive Bentley’s.

The following are quoted from various news sources related to the accident/death of one Scott Patrick Wilson (For further information, please look to the bottom of the article for various links and sites.):

“Initial sheriff’s reports said Goodman ran a stop sign at 1:05 a.m. Friday before his black Bentley convertible crashed into the side of Wilson’s Hyundai Sonata. The reports also said investigators suspect alcohol or drugs played a role.

Even so, major decisions on the case may not happen anytime soon, law enforcement officers, prosecutors and defense attorneys said Tuesday. They said investigations of suspected drunken-driving wrecks typically take weeks if not months, unless authorities have reason to consider the driver a flight risk….Law enforcement found Goodman at a trailer on a dirt road about a quarter-mile south of the crash, which occurred about 1 a.m. at Lake Worth Road and 120th Avenue South, officials with the State Attorney’s Office said Tuesday.

Goodman, the 46-year-old owner and founder of the International Polo Club Palm Beach, had gone to the trailer to use the phone to call for help, according to the State Attorney’s Office. The area south of the crash scene is mostly dirt roads and horse farms with few homes.” Jason Schultz, The Palm Beach Post

“Goodman, 46, survived. He was treated and released from Wellington Regional Medical Center hours after the crash.

Details of the crash are scant. Detectives say Goodman was driving south on 120th Avenue when he ran the stop sign and struck Scott Wilson’s car, which was westbound on Lake Worth Road. The Hyundai sank into the canal and Goodman’s $200,000 Bentley came to a stop on a nearby sidewalk, according to a dispatch log.

A 911 caller reported the crash, seeing the smashed-up Bentley, metal, glass and signs that a car may have gone into the canal.

Deputies and paramedics arrived around 1 a.m. Neither the Sheriff’s Office nor Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue confirmed early media reports that Goodman may have fled the scene.

Scott Wilson died at the scene. ” Brian Haas and Missy Diaz, Sun Sentinel

“Investigators suspect John B. Goodman was drinking when he ran a stop sign and plowed into Scott Wilson’s car.

At the accident scene Scott Wilson’s friend have created a memorial in his honor. Meanwhile, many are asking why the suspected drunk driver,  John B. Goodman, founder of the International Polo Club Palm Beach,  hasn’t been charged with anything at this point.

News Channel 5 Legal Analyst Michelle Suskauer says the investigation will take some time.

‘They are waiting on toxicology reports right now to determine if he was under the influence and what he was under the influence of,’ explains Suskauer.”  Kristyn Caddell, wptv.com

http://www.flhsmv.gov/ddl/duilaws.html

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/investigation-into-wellington-polo-owners-crash-may-take-245131.html

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-03-09/news/fl-goodman-wellington-polo-death-20100309_1_fatal-crash-polo-club-owner-crash-scene

http://www.wptv.com/content/news/centralpbc/wellington/story/Questions-surrounding-Wellington-fatal-car-acciden/n1xoT6VzW0aBy39tbYJycg.cspx

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-02-13/news/fl-wellington-fatal-crash-20100212_1_mr-goodman-crash-lake-worth-road

To this date Mr. Goodman has not been charged for anything. It has been over a month now and there are no legal charges and even though the police reports shows drunk driving Mr. Goodman has never seen a night in jail. How many of us have ever enjoyed that kind of treatment? Not me.

Save Money at the Grocery Store

A few days back I started a series of posts highlighting ways to save money in the new year. It is a more of a family guide to savings more than a list of unrelated and irrelevant corner cutting techniques.

In the first post I have talked about saving money in your commute/ automobile budget area and if you missed it you can read that post here.

Today I’m gonna cover one of the largest expense that a family budget has – food.

Saving Money on Food

Saving on Groceries:

• Never go to the grocery store without a list. This is the best way to control impulse buying, buying unnecessary things, things you already have or even worst not getting what your family needs.
• Coupons, Coupons and More Coupons. Having a list also allows you to look in the paper for coupons you will needs. Group them together with your list and it will make using coupons and saving money a breeze.  Don’t just settle for the coupons you get in your bulk mail, do a search online or visit manufacturer’s websites and see what they have. There is not one time that I have went to Goya’s website (a specialty food manufacturer I tend to buy a lot) and not find a good recipe or a great coupon.
• Look at the price. The most profitable marketing and packaging technique is the price per item rather than per unit. Manufacturers will make a slightly smaller package that their competitor and charge you the same or even more for it. So don’t fall victim of this marketing trick. Look at the price tag on the shelve and look for the unit price. That will let you compare apples to apples when looking for a bargain among manufacturers.
• Buy Generics. Unless you are shopping for dieting items or you have certain medical conditions or you are purchasing organic produce, always go for the generics. Most of the time the generic store brand is made by the same manufacturer as the leading brands just packaged differently and sold in bulk to grocery stores which in turn sell them at a discount. You will be saving a bundle and still enjoy the same taste and quality.
• Buy in non-perishable items in bulk. Sam’s Club and Cosco are great shopping trips for a family. They have everything under the sun under one roof – even couches to sit one while your spouse is browsing the warehouse . Buy non-perishable items in bulk from those places as the quantity discount you get here will add up to a few hundred dollars a year in savings which largely offsets the membership cost. Also gas is cheaper usually at these places so use this opportunity to gas up.

Saving on Dining Out:

• Cut out Lunching Out if possible. Dining out during lunch is one of the easiest things to cut out of your budget and free up that cash. If you dine out every lunch break you are looking at an expense around $1800.00 a year which is pretty much a family vacation. So get in the habit of bringing to work a doggy bag with leftovers from last night’s dinner or a sandwich you made in the morning. You will not only save money but you will enjoy a healthier diet and lose some weight.
• Do Not Touch That Snack Machine. We all know that vending machines offer unhealthy snacks at on overpriced cost. So why do you use it? Bring from home some carrot sticks or celery or whatever it is you want to snack on and stay away from the vending machine. If unhealthy snacks is what you are craving, bring that from home too and buy it in bulk from Cosco or Sam’s.
• Eat Dinner At Home. Eating dinner at home has many advantages other than saving a good chunk of cash. It allows you to reunite as a family after a day of work and enjoy the bond you have. It also allows for a more nutritious and healthier dinner that what you will get from even the best restaurant.  Also you will have something to take to work next day for lunch. Try to eat out only a couple times a week and look for the specials of that day.
• Enough with the bottled water. The use of bottled water has become insanity and there is absolutely a gigantic volume of scientific work showing that bottled water in large is worst that tap water. So quit blowing your money on bottled water and get you a Brita Filter at home. Fill it up with tap water wait for it to filter (about 10 minutes) and fill up a bottle of water or two or ten. Nowadays most refrigerators come with a charcoal filtration system which far exceeds the filtration system used by branded bottled water. Gosh $1.99 for something I can get for free? Crazy…

I hope this guide was useful to many and if you have other money saving ideas please add them to this list. In the next post I will go over ways to save money on Travel and Entertainment and hopefully you will find good information in those posts to help yo with this year summer vacation.

So much needed sleep

So I leave one bed to go to her and find her in the same state.  Try to bring her to my bed, but my husband who was just struck with same cold is snoring so loud that neither of us would ever get back to sleep.  So we both now go to lay down with my oldest daughter.  This creates the perpetual crying fits randomly from both girls – who don’t even seem to wake up to do it!  So now from the first wake up at 12:30 am it is now 5:30 am – I return to my bed hoping to get an hour in before the alarm goes off!

I am sure this sounds familiar to most of you.  Can we do without sleep?  Not really, especially if we want to function in the happy go lucky mommy like way, ignore the fact that we are tired and sick too.  Go to work continue on with service excellence and baby the entire family.  Sometimes I want to play hookie and come home and sleep after everyone goes on about their day.   Oh wait I can’t do that either the girls are at home with the mother in law, who has been visiting for going on 5 months.  I thought once my girls began to sleep through the night as babies I would at least get 8 hours again.  NOT!

A recent report on sleep patterns states that if we miss a few hours of sleep during the week, we must make them up in a relatively short time period.  Otherwise, we pay the price in terms of sleep related ailments, such as weakened immune system, more colds and flu, grogginess, inability to concentrate, and irritability.  (check, check, check check).  In addition, a growing body of research suggests that sleep may have an impact on hunger and appetite control (SUPER CHECK)!  Lack of sleep, therefore, has been linked to increased risk for obesity and type II diabetes.

So what to do now?  My husband works so hard on owning two companies, how can a husband and wife team pull off a family of little ones, growing careers, and stay healthy?  Does anyone have any answers or suggestions for me?

Screen For Life

Colorectal cancer is 90%preventable …..So why is it the second leading cancer killer?  I can tell you why, men and women once they hit 50 are not getting the recommended screenings.  The Center for Disease Control (CDC) states.

“If everyone aged 50 years and older had regular screening tests, at least 60% of the deaths from this could be avoided.” Screening Saves Lives

Colorectal cancer usually starts from polyps in the colon or rectum.  As time goes by polyps can turn into cancer.  So if you are getting your screening done regularly polyps can be removed before they become cancerous.  When they are found early the prognosis is good.

In the early stages when most preventable there may be no symptoms at all as you develop colon cancer.  You could have no idea and colon cancer could be developing and growing within you.  That is why having a screening test is so crucial.

So who gets Colorectal Cancer?  Both men and women can get it.  Most frequently found in adults over the age of 50, and the risks increase with age.  Your risk factor will increase if you have a family relative that has had colorectal polyps or colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, or a genetic syndrome such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer.  If you are at high risk speak with your physician about getting screened earlier. 

I have a female friend that is 43 years old and has a family history of colon cancer.  Her family physician recommended a simple non invasive take home test to detect blood in the stool.  Sure enough they found some blood and did some further investigating with a colonoscopy.  Polyps were found just before they had turn cancerous.  Lucky for her it was caught early and she is now on an alternative screening schedule.

There are several tests that are available, speak with your physician to decide which is right for you.  The colonoscopy is the most thorough in that it check the entire colon.  I have had not one yet but I hear it is not as bad as one may think it is.  However, I highly recommend the fecal ocult blood test annually.

I hope this friendly reminder helps to educate you and act as a push in the right direction.  So next time someone you know and love turns 50 years old – forget the Over The Hill balloon and get them information regarding colon cancer.  Screening is key to saving their life.

Saving Money in 2010

A sluggish economy, even worst employment market and an escalating national debt all add up to one thing – it’s time we all find ways to save money. Personal finance is at the forefront of everyone’s mind these days and saving money is probably the most important topic at the family dinner table.
Most find it impossible to cut down spending but that is only because they are looking in the wrong places. Nowadays it is time to be creative when it comes to saving money, it’s time to be informed and well educated about the choices you have.

As a rule of thumb each and every household should have a budget. It’s how fortune 500 companies operate and it’s how your family should too. Get a list of your bills and expenses for each month ( in the business world those are your liabilities). Also put together a list of your salary and all other revenue sources (much like a company has an income chart). This will be able to paint a pretty good picture of where you are financially and what you have to work with.
As soon as you get this items done you will be pleasantly surprised how some things will just pop at you and tell you where you can save money. One example would be the phone bill – why pay for house phone and cell phone?

But let’s get into the meat of things and set out some of the easy ways that families can save money in 2010 – some new and creative ways some just common sense traditional methods. In the next few days I will cover 7 categories of your lifestyle, like commute, food, entertainment, travel etc. and offer you money saving tips and tricks to help cut down your expenses and increase your retained earnings.

I’ll start today with your daily commute to and from work and your number one tool – your automobile.

How to Save Money on your daily commute & automobile:

• Carpool. One of the oldest and most well known of ways to save on all sorts of commuting bills is to carpool. Fine some work buddies that live close by and ask them is interested. Tell them that just by each of you using your car just twice a day you save mileage (valued at $.55 a mile), you save gas, you save on insurance (call your insurance agent and tell him your car only drives to and from work 2 times a week as part of carpool program) and most of all you save on time  (carpool lane).
• Stay with the speed limit and avoid a lot of stop and go. A car uses dramatically more gas when it runs over 55 mph or when it takes off. You can improve your gas mileage thus save money. Also a lot of stop and go will wear your motor and related parts a lot faster than continuous drive thus adding more expenses to your family budget down the road. Should I even mention what a speeding ticket will do to your budget God forbid you get one?
• Get regular maintenance done on your car. It cost a lot less to change your oil every 3000 miles than buying a new motor when you engine block is going to crack. Recently some manufacturers are offering regular maintenance free as part of purchasing their vehicle. Look for deals like that and save even more (see Kia, Hyundai, Audi and BMW).
• Use synthetic oil. Synthetic oil has a guaranteed life of about 5000 miles between changes. Considering you put the average 12,000 miles a year that means only 2 oil changes rather than 4 oil changes with regular oil. The price difference between synthetic and regular is marginal and well worth it. Not to mention the many other benefits of synthetic oil such as longer life time, higher boiling point, increased viscosity and others that will better protect your motor.
• Shop around for insurance. If you are a good driver check with several local and nationwide insurance companies and price them against each other. Even tell them that so and so insurance company offered you this quote and put them on the spot. Also keep in mind that an online only insurance company has a lot better rates than the brick and mortar stores – for obvious overhead reasons. Check with esurance.com for example.
• Buy a slightly used vehicle over a new one. Many dealerships have what is called program cars – cars that have been driven as advertising or by managers and owners. They generally have under 10,000 miles and have full warranties on it but are sold at used car prices even if it is the same year model. New cars will lose a big chunk of their value the moment you drive it off the car lot and NEVER NEVER lease a car unless you are rich and money is not an issue.
• Ride a bicycle or walk to short distances. If you have to run down to the corner store to get a gallon of milk, consider walking there or riding a bicycle. It will not only save you money on gas and wear and tear of your car (again valued at $.55 a mile) but it will also benefit you physically.
• Try to fix it yourself. If you ever have problems with your car try to fix it yourself first. Go to a discount auto parts store like Napa and ask them what they think the problem is. Most of the guys there (and for sure the manager) are licensed car mechanics or have been. They will be able to diagnose the problem and advise you what part to get and how to change it. If it sounds like too involved and complicated then you may chose to shop your local mechanic shops. If however you decide to attempt it you will see how much you will save. About 70% of a mechanic bill is labor not parts. You will be saving all of that.

I hope that the money tips above are helpful and you will be able to incorporate some of them when looking to save money in this category. At least it may spark your imagination and you may come up with money saving tricks of your own.

In the next post I will cover one of the largest expense category of our families: FOOD. So check back tomorrow or sign up for our newsfeed and get some of the best money saving tricks and tips related to grocery shopping, dining out and all FOOD related expenses.

If you can think of anything else please feel free to add it to the comment are and I will make sure to give you credit for it.

Internet 2010

So where is the Internet going this year? Is it gonna be another social network that we will allow follow like mindless drones? Will it be something creative and groundbreaking? There is no better way to see the feature of the internet than PLUGG in Europe.

This convention has been featuring for years the hottest new trends and the most innovating online businesses and this year their are not going to disappoint.

Looking over the big news makers of this year’s Plugg, I can see a lot of B2B development but some end user new products and services stand out.

Fits.me – is a new website that claims to change the world of online shopping as we know it. This is aimed to be a virtual dressing room where you can try on, mix up and coordinate your purchases before you pay for them and get them in the mail. I for one think is brilliant as after last Christmas, I am no longer allowed to buy my wife anything from the web . The site is not up yet but it will be functional shortly.

Another great service out there is English-Attack.com. For those of you that have relatives that can’t speak English and have a tough time learning it through conventional methods – community college, church group, etc. – this website will provide the first 100% free, 100% entertainment way of learning English. I for one again am excited about the promises of this site as I have grown impatient to my mother’s slow learning curve .

All in all it is safe to assert that the Internet has a lot more B2B products in the workings than retail or public use. But I am still going to have a drink knowing that there is no new social network coming up to fill up my mailbox.