By: Sean Lebida

Let’s face it, money is tight for just about everybody right now. The rising cost of living is causing all of us to take a step back and find ways to make our hard-earned cash go as far as possible. Many of us are buying more energy-efficient appliances, finding alternative ways of heating and cooling our houses, and looking into hybrid cars or smart cars as a way to possibly lower our gas budget. Unfortunately, this often involves a large initial expense. The truth is that older vehicles as well as new ones have the potential to be much more fuel efficient with the proper maintenance.

Most vehicle or equipment owners know the basics of vehicle maintenance. Keeping up with the maintenance needs of each vehicle will increase the longevity of the vehicle/equipment. Regular maintenance usually consists of changing engine oil, properly inflating tires, and changing the air filter. Most of us, however, have looked past the actual fuel that we are filling the fuel tanks with, and trusting that fuel companies are providing the best fuel mixture for our vehicles’ engines.

The fact is that the quality of fuel for our vehicles could be greatly improved upon. Simply put, over time, even in newer vehicles, fuel remnants build up in the engine and water and sludge can build up in the fuel system, causing the fuel economy to go down. Just like with every other aspect of a vehicle, the fuel system and engine components need regular maintenance.

The best way I have found to keep my engines and fuel systems operating at their highest potential year-round is by using Mileage Maxx Mileage Booster. I have actually found that by using this product at every fill up, I have increased my miles per gallon by 10%. Mileage Maxx additive consists of a hydrocarbon enhancer that increases the efficiency of the fuel burn. It also contains an added lubricant that decreases the friction in the engine parts, as well as a detergent that cleans out the fuel system. I have found that my vehicles run much more smoothly and efficiently with this product. Also, I would like to point out that Mileage Maxx more than pays for itself, and it is inexpensive and easy to use.

If you would like to find out more about Mileage Maxx and the studies that prove it does what I have said it does, you can check it out here:

Main Fuel Saver
Mileage Maxx

Sean Lebida has been in the Construction-Building industry for the past 15 years. Lebida is a contributing author for the above sites and distributor of Mileage Maxx because he knows how important it is to cut costs and maintain productivity. Time is money. He is a proud user of Mileage and all his business vehicles use it.

The Truth About...

To be perfectly honest I haven’t had to face this dilemma in several decades but this morning I came across a “How To” article on this subject and it looks to me like the authors have covered the topic very well.  Therefore I would like to pass this on to all of you here at Cheaper Living Tips.

The writers presume that you have an income of roughly $1000 a month after taxes.  With that some to work with they outline an excellent guide for budgeting those funds to get by.

$500 (or less for rent & utilities)
$200 Food & household necessities (toiletries etc)
$100 Leisure
$30 Cell phone or Cable (pay as you go or drop entirely)
$170 (balance) Medical insurance or save for emergencies

Read the full article “How To Live On Minimum Wage” to get more tips on how to actually manage within these parameters.

For many people, growing your net worth and becoming financially free is a desperate sought after desire. However, something seems to get in the way. It is almost as if when things begin going really good, something bad happens. In other word, you take one step forward, but slide back two. For instance, you are beginning to save on a regular basis and then the car breaks down draining all that savings. Sound familiar?

Below are few reasons why many people get held back financially.

Not PLANNING for the storms to come

We also know it will rain again some someday, both in the natural and in our financial life too. Even in ancient Bible writing we see this – the story of Joseph. The story goes something like this. Joseph was in prison, but was requested to attend a meeting with the ruler of the land. The ruler asked him to interpret a dream – a very odd request. Joseph told the ruler that for next several years things would be great, but after that famine would hit the land hard. He must have been convincing, because the ruler took him out of prison, made him second in command, and followed Joseph’s plan – a plan to save all they could for the next seven years.

In our lives we need to follow this same advice. You do this be having a plan to live by when things are good, preparing for when things take a turn for the worse. To do this you develop:

1) A savings plan

2) A spending plan

3) A sharing plan – allowing you to give more when you have it

You also must live within your means (not your neighbor’s).

Not PREPARING to take advantage of every opportunity

Being able to take advantage of sale prices can help the family’s budget tremendously. When should you take advantage of the ½ price sale? Great question – when you have the extra money, and would need to buy the item anyway. When shouldn’t you by that sale item? Another great question. When you don’t have the extra money, and it is a true “want” not a need for you and/or your family.

PAYING too much of… the list could go on and on, but here a few.

1) Interest – We all know that debt is too easy to get. Credit cards often charge over 20% interest, and the “Buying now, and paying later philosophy” is common in our culture

2) Taxes – The average family pays 25-50% of what they bring home in taxes. Something that can help you reduce this is to start a small home-based business.

3) Depreciation – especially on automobiles. Example… You buy a nice, new care for $25,000, you drive it for 2-3 years and decide to trade it in on another nice, new car. You really negotiate with the car salesman to get the best price possible – and you feel so good about it, then you mention your trade in. The salesman happily agrees to have your car looked at. He comes back to tell you that they will give you $12,000 for your car [he would word this that they will take another $12k off the sales price of your new car]. You invested $25,000 2-3 years ago, and now your investment is worth $12,000.

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