Archive for July, 2008
Welcome back Franco fan! Please share your thoughts and leave some comments!
The other day I was driving around with some friends and we were hungry and in a bit of a hurry. To save time, we decided to call in our sandwich order at one of my favorite local delis. Not having the number on hand, I called 800-GOOG411 which is a service Google provides for free directory assistance. The process is completely automated, does an excellent job finding the listing you want in the city you want, and connects you for free (they also will send you a text message of the requested phone number if you so desire). For those that like to text message, you can also use Goolge SMS.
Hopefully, after digesting one of my previous posts, some readers have decided to explore the wonderful world of used cars. Congratulations on you big leap out of the man’s propaganda campaign and into the more sensible Franco’s Army…the frugal, non-football version (on a side note, I only joke about “the man” because I find it funny. I’m a true capitalist at heart). So what are the most important things to consider when buying a used car? I won’t pretend that my list is exhaustive, but here a couple things that have done me well over the years.
A quick note for those that like to shop online (and for those that don’t, you are not fit to wear the “frugal” name). Always remember to do a quick search for online coupons before you checkout. I was shopping at Sports Authority today after I found out that my local Sport Authority would still string my tennis racket for free if I bought my strings off the website. Normally, I purchase the strings at the store, but the website had a closeout deal on $18 strings marked down to $5 (needless to say, I bought a couple). I also found some fancy new Adidas golf shoes (on sale…of course) and an inflatable pool for the Frugal Family to escape the summer heat. Before you knew it, I had run up a triple digit bill. As I was getting ready to checkout, I noticed the little box for coupon codes. A quick search for “sports authority coupons” directed me to Coupon Cabin where I found a 15% off coupon. A mouse click later, I was back at the Sports Authority checkout with a slightly fatter wallet for my troubles.
Buying a car is a difficult process and one that most people do not take lightly. There are so many variables and tradeoffs to consider…foreign vs. domestic, flashy vs. practical, new vs. used, cup holders vs. a car that parks itself (or something like that). Let’s explore the most important part (or at least it should be) of the decision making process…cost.
This post is really just an amendment to my last post as further elaboration is needed on the glory that is ebay.com and craigslist.com. Both of these venues offer great opportunities to get lots of stuff on the cheap and each has a unique advantage over the other.
Craigslist
The history behind Craigslist is quite interesting as it grew out of one man’s (Craig, believe it or not) house in San Francisco by word of mouth. The site has remained true to its grassroots with a pure text based website (no annoying, flashing banner ads), a skeleton staff of 24 people, modest profitability, and a refusal to sell out to the man (a la ebay…which actually acquired a 25% stake in Craigslist when one of the former principles decided that selling out to the man was the way to go).
