In honor of our contest “Fill Your Tank Using Your Right Brain”, here’s a creative way to start tracking your fuel usage. It’s a company called FuelFrog. I spoke with the founders recently. Here’s what they had to say about conserving fuel, reducing costs, and using Twitter.

What do you hope to accomplish with FuelFrog?

We will continue giving our users insight into their gas mileage and amount they’re spending on gas. Moving forward we will likely give users the ability to connect and see how their gas mileage compares with similar vehicles in different geographical regions. We will also allow our users to see data with more granularity and gain insight into how certain factors can affect their gas mileage (ie: maintenance, weather, various driving conditions, etc).

How does responsible use of fuel play into a personal budget as well as planetary-health goodness?

If we can be more responsible in our fuel consumption we can lessen the impact on our wallets and on the environment. By carefully tracking the amount we’re spending on fuel and the efficiency at which our car is consuming it, we can properly budget and invest the savings elsewhere. Also, we can lessen the impact on the environment by properly maintaining our vehicles and ensuring that they are consuming fuel as efficiently as possible.

Why utilize web technology like Twitter?

Twitter is a very popular tool that many are familiar with and use regularly. By utilizing their API we were able to get FuelFrog up and running quickly, with little overhead, and tie it to an existing application and user base. As we move forward we will look at additional ways for our users to enter their data using mobile devices.

What’s been the most interesting discovery so far?

After launching FuelFrog we began receiving a large number of emails from individuals around the world wanting to track their fuel consumption. We have since added the ability to track gas mileage using additional units. It has been interesting learning more about how gas mileage is tracked differently among various countries.

What’s your three favorite gasoline cost saving tips?

1. Carpool: Find co-workers who live near you and ride to work together. You’ll save on gas and talking with a friend on the way to work is a lot more interesting than listening to talk radio.

2. Using a tool such as FuelFrog, track your car’s gas mileage on an ongoing basis to ensure you’re getting the maximum miles per gallon. By monitoring your car’s gas mileage you’ll quickly learn if your car isn’t consuming gas as efficiently as possible, wasting fuel and money.

3. Purchase fuel very early in the morning or late in the evening. Some stations will raise prices during peak hours of the day (during the morning commute and during rush hour).

Related:
* Use Your Right Brain to Fill Your Gas Tank (a Geezeo contest!)
* Facebook Group focused on gas prices & usage
* Six Tips for Gas Problems
* Pre-Paid Gas Might Splash Back in Your Face
* Six Tips to Commute Well With Others
* Unexpected Victims of Gasoline Price Increases

In this day and age, it is easy to work yourself into debt. Saving seems to be difficult when gas and other prices are on the rise. Regardless of how you got into debt, if you are trying to get yourself out you need to make sure you are trusting in the right people.

The best way to organize things and work through your bad credit is to try and do it yourself. But for several reasons, this doesn’t always work for everyone. A lack of complete understanding as where to start and sometimes a lack of time can both contribute.

The next question then is who to trust?

If you are looking to take out a loan or anything similar, you first want to check out your credit report. According to an article from our partners at TheStreet.com, about 75% of all credit reports contain some type of error. These errors (either small or large) could prevent you from getting the loan you need. Its like those commercials for freecreditreport.com where they don’t check their credit report first and end up in some type of bad/crazy situation!! Make sure to check your credit report in advance so this doesn’t happen to you! Even if you think your report should be pretty close to perfect, it is better to be safe than sorry (as they always say).

Good Guys
Be Careful Who Fixes Your Credit on TheStreet.com helps you sort through the “good guys” vs. the “bad guy” in the credit world. The Credit Repair Organizations (CROs) will do much of the “dirty” work for you such as contacting the credit bureau (but all of this can also be done by yourself).

In the article, Peter McDougall states that a legitimate CRO should provide the following items in any contract you might sign:

Payment terms and services, including their total cost

A detailed description of all of the services that will be performed

A timeline for the performance of these services

Any guarantee the company or organization offers

The company’s name and business address (preferably something more than a post office box)

Make sure that you consider all of your options and understand the conditions before signing any type of contract.

Bad Guys
It isn’t always hard to pick out the bad CROs (or those individuals who are simply trying to scam you out of your money). Make sure you aren’t doing anything illegal. Also, know what you can do on your own for free…you don’t want to get charged for something that you can do by yourself without a fee. Understanding what the legitimate CROs can do for you should be able to help you eliminate those who are doing things illegally.

As always, do your research! It is good to ask for help if you think you need it, but make sure that you are asking the right people!

Having bad credit can be frustrating enough…in the end, fixing it should be a huge relief and weight off your shoulders. Make sure to use all the Geezeo features such as your budget and personal goals to organize your finances and not get yourself into further trouble!

Photo: Kevin Rosseel

Related Articles:
Vanishing Money: Consumer Debt Attacks
4 Tips To Control Your Mortgage in Topsy-Turvy Times
Is Your Cash Safe At the Bank?

Attention: Creative Folks With Tanks to Fill (or public transport tickets to buy)

We’re looking for the best gasoline-saving, money-saving tips. The best tipster will receive a $500 debit card to use at their favorite filling station – OR – $500 worth of public transportation tickets (your choice!). Two runner-up will bask in the glory and receive a limited Geezeo t-shirt. The shirt reads: “I’m Having an Out-of-Money Experience”, making it the perfect wardrobe choice at your next gas-station visit.

But first: some interesting Geezeo gasoline statistics:

In the last year, Geezeo users spent the most money per visit at Sunoco ($32.45). They spent the least at BP ($29.71).

Also, the average visit to the gas station has risen 20% in a year (from $29.10 to $34.88). That’s pretty good considering the price of gas has increased 37% in that time (from 2.92/gal to 4.00/gal). Are Geezeo users getting more gas conscious??

Here’s how to win:

1. You must be a registered Geezeo user (FREE – sign up here)

2. Use your creative right-brain to communicate a gasoline-saving/money-saving tip. Guidelines:

Video – 15 seconds or less
Music – 15 seconds or less
Words – 200 or less
Artwork – 50 KB or less
You must own all copyright and grant us permission to use.

3. Post your entry at your website, blog, or on YouTube. Send an email with your Geezeo user name and LINK to your entry. Send the email to kmccaskey#@#geezeo.com, removing #s in this address. NO ATTACHMENTS WILL BE CONSIDERED.

Contest will end midnight, September 1st. Geezeo users will vote on the winning entry. Sorry, no Geezeo employees or family eligible.

Good luck!

Geezeo is all about community. It’s a great place to share ideas and tips. So I wondered, what’s the best money advice you’ve received? Did you get it at Geezeo, or somewhere else?

Here are my “top 3″:

Pay Yourself First

Where I Learned It: From my father, at age 18
When I Actually Did It: Um, uh… not consistently until age 30. Too bad! It really makes a difference.
What I Learned: Now it’s even easier to have the discipline. Route that money electronically into an account you can’t easily spend!

Invest a portion of every payday in your 401(k) and/or IRA

Where I Learned It: From my father, age 22
When I Actually Did It: Age 22 — thank goodness! But, there were times when I put in very little, and years when I didn’t contribute anything at all.
What I Learned: Even if you don’t work for a company that offers a 401(k), you should still contribute to an IRA. You won’t get any “company match”, but you will see this account grow over time.

Credit Cards Can Really Suck

Where I Learned It: School of Being-Out-On-Your-Own-And-Buying-Too-Much
When I Actually Did It: Credit card debt really stressed me out ages 23-26. Harsh lesson, but well-learned.
What I Learned: Overspending is a habit you can change. Credit cards are useful, but should be paid in full every month. Go without rather than charge it and think you can pay it off later…if you can’t afford something right then, chances are good you can’t afford it at all.

What if you weren’t lucky enough to have a father give great financial advice (even if you didn’t take his advice at first)? Or, what should you do to deal with your credit card debt and spending habits? Speak up and befriend people here at Geezeo! You never know what good tip you’ll discover.

Nobody WANTS to be sued, but mistakes and accidents happen in every profession. The result of these mistakes can hold greater consequences depending on your profession, but there is always the possibility that you could be sued when you are responsible for other people, products, or equipment besides your own.

Whenever something out of the norm happens, people will want to know why. Whether you are a doctor, lawyer, architect, or a financial analyst, there is always the potential for things to go wrong and questions will need to be answered.

According to an article at MainStreet.com called Sued At Work? Are you Covered? by Shira Levine, there are two different types of coverage that companies often take out to make sure they are safe:

General Liability - This covers property damage, physical injuries, slander (verbal crime), or libel (written crime).

Professional Liability Policies – This is for protection for when an individual may be involed in something that causes economic harm or damages to a third party. For instance if someone enters a wrong number into a computer and it causes another company to lose money, this may protect them depending on the circumstances.

The best way to know if either of these are taken out by your company is to look through the contract that you originally received from them. Usually somewhere in there it will talk about legal actions and how they are dealt with at the company.

The article at MainStreet.com does say that there are times when you will not be covered by your company regardless of what type of insurance or liability coverage they may have. If you commit an act that is not related to performing your job (such as sexual harassment), the company does not have to protect you and you are on your own.

If your company does not protect you then you might be further covered by your own personal insurance. Call and ask! Your insurance company will tell you what you are covered for and if there are any deductibles.

If mistakes do happen, take all the necessary actions to make them right. However, just be careful and smart! Nobody wants to be sued for the obvious personal, financial and social reasons, but often times things happen that are out of your control and you will have to find a way to protect yourself and see if your company will do the same.

Picture: Jim

Related Articles About Legal Issues:
Get Liability Insurance
What To Do If Your Lawyer Double Crosses You
Prenup Agreement…Is It For You?

Save on Food: Tips for Eating Local Produce
By Debra Borchardt | MainStreet.com

Floods in the Midwest and fuel surcharges have pushed up food prices at the chain supermarkets so high that becoming a locavore might be the answer.

Locavores generally eat only foods from within a 100-mile radius. But you might not need to go to those extremes to save money — just shop at local farmers markets and roadside food stands. Not only are you supporting your local economy, but you also get a fresher, better-quality product.

Make a Trip to the Farmers Market

Nina Planck, an expert on farmers markets, runs the farmers market in Washington D.C. and agrees that shipping and packing are much cheaper when it comes to local foods.

“Just about everything about local and traditional food makes it relatively cheaper when fossil fuel gets expensive,” Ms. Planck says.

Most large grocery chains buy produce from wholesalers and in bulk, which traditionally has given them a low-price advantage. The farmers markets tended to be higher priced, but consumers accepted that you paid extra for better quality.

But now, that food chain has been interrupted, with less product coming from the large corporate farms of the Midwest due to destructive weather patterns. Plus, wholesalers are tacking on fuel surcharges.

Restaurants are Buying Local, Too

Agnes Devereaux of the Village Tearoom in New Paltz, N.Y., has some farmers deliver directly to her and makes trips to others. Her restaurant tries to buy as much locally as possible, and while some products are more expensive, like dairy, others are cheaper when she picks it up herself.

“I cut out the middleman. The wholesalers would just have to buy from the farm and then resale to me,” said Devereaux.

Laura Pensiero of Gigi’s Trattoria in Rhinebeck, N.Y., changes her restaurant menu every quarter according to local availability. For example, she says, “strawberries are abundant and much cheaper in June, so lots of strawberries on the menu then.”

Don’t Pass By the Roadside Stand

No matter whether you by a ton of stuff or just a bit, you can save money.

Raychel O’Shea Patino was able to buy two boxes of strawberries in a farm stand in Rochester, N.Y. for $3, when it normally costs her the same price for one box. Abby Goldstein stopped at a roadside stand in Maine and found the prices to be cheaper than in her local grocery store. Kristi Conn of Orange, Texas, said that while driving down Highway 87, she passed numerous trucks filled with vegetables and watermelons.

Some states are able to grow more variety than others, like Texas, but most states do have small farms nearby. Even New York City has access to many farms located in the Hudson Valley that provide products sold at Greenmarkets throughout the city.

By being flexible in purchasing decisions, such as buying what’s in season, a consumer can cut the food budget without cutting back on quality.

Buy a Farm Share

Another way to save is through CSAs, or community supported agriculture. A person can buy a share of a farmer’s crop for a set amount of money. Each week, they get a variety of the items the farm grows.

The consumer does accept the risk of vagaries in the crops; i.e., tomatoes may be bad one year, while the onion crop is outstanding.

Devereaux says there were only two CSAs when she moved up to New Paltz years ago, and now there are six — and they are sold out.

“Several deliver to New York City,” she pointed out.

Shares can be a family size, basic size or larger and can run roughly $450 to $500 for a basic share depending on the farm.

Be a smart shopper. Saving money on food doesn’t necessarily mean eating Ramen noodles. You can support your local farmers and cut costs.

Resources to find local foods include the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, Local Harvest and the Rodale Institute.

Let’s begin with two questions:

1. Do you consider yourself financially literate?

2. If so, how did you get that way?

And now, a third question:

3. How important is widespread financial literacy to the health of a modern society?

These questions open a great article by Stephen J. Dubner (See: “Are We a Nation of Financial Illiterates?” Freakonomics blog, NYT).

I challenge you to read his essay and see if you can correctly answer the first three questions he poses. Or, listen to his brief discussion of the topic at “The Takeaway” podcast.

Here’s an excerpt from his article:

I am all in favor of a well-rounded education, but seriously: what good is it if high-school students learn about Flaubert, biology, and trigonometry if they don’t learn how to take care of their money? One bright side to the increasingly dark economic news these days is that more and more people will learn (albeit the hard way) Rule No. 1: Do not buy what you cannot afford.

How or why do know (or don’t know) about personal finance issues? It’s a question worth asking yourself as you work to change your behavior with money. If you need a refresher, check out our recent “back to the basics series”. It covers topics we all should know—or think we know—that directly impact our personal finances.

What about in your life? Who helped you learn about personal finance? Or, what situations forced you to educate yourself? What would you advise someone just beginning to take control of their financial lives? Share your experiences with us here at the blog or in a related Geezeo group.

When people consider retirement they automatically think of the financial planning and uncertainty that often comes along with your retirement. However, many are quick to overlook the emotional toll that retirement can add to you.

When people retire often they are left with a feeling of asking themselves, “What now?” It is a really heavy question. After years of working a job and having a daily routine, many are not really sure what to do when this routine suddenly changes.

In an article on CNN.com, psychologist Dr. Dwight Moore explains that retirement has several stages with the first one being excitement and usually lasts around a year or so. During this time, those who have just retired find themselves enjoying their free time and often taking trips that they have always wanted to go on.

Dr. Dwight Moore explains that after this initial stage, people often feel a sense of identity loss and then fear. Often times after retirement you just need to find out what fits your personality best. Instead of allocating time for your job, you must now allocate your time to enjoying the rest of your life!

Some things you might like to do after retirement:
1. Travel – This does require financial planning, but fit it into your budget and go somewhere you always dreamed of going.
2. Spend more time with family/grandchildren – Some move closer to family, others just visit more often.
3. Continue your career (just on a smaller level) – Take a “fun” job that you always wanted to do.
4. Join a club or discussion group – There are so many groups you can join that fit your interests, many join book clubs to discuss books they have read and find new books they hadn’t considered reading. Even discussions/blogs online can keep your interest.
5. Spend more time with your significant other – If you are both retiring at the same time, this is a great time for you to spend quality time together and re-connect by doing something fun and entertaining.

A big thing to consider after reading all this, is that you should prepare not only financially by psychologically as well. You don’t want to all of a sudden get caught up with a sense of loss. Remember that this should be a happy and “free” time in your life; you don’t need the stress of being un-prepared.

For some the transition may be easy and for others it may be a lot harder than they predicted. Being prepared can help you out a lot. Planning out a new daily routine may help you overcome the sense of not knowing what to do now that your job is done.

Photo: Scott Liddell

Who would think getting out of the house would actually save you money? This article explains. Added environmental benefit: use existing air conditioning rather than pumping out your own.
—
Save on Air Conditioning — Get Out of the House
By Jeffrey Strain | MainStreet.com

Escaping the heat of the midafternoon by going out can end up paying for itself in the energy you save on air conditioning.

While there are a number of steps you can take to reduce the cost of staying cool at home, the best method is to not run your air conditioner at all.

If the economy has bitten into your budget so that you can’t afford to give yourself a little splurge every once in awhile, you can even indulge in some of them and save money at the same time.

It costs approximately $6 to $10 a day (12 hours) to run your air conditioner, depending on the model and the cost of energy in your area. That can add up to $180 to $300 a month for the air conditioner alone and means if you can escape your house during the hot daylight hours, you can spend a little and still come out ahead.

There are also plenty of places you can go where you don’t have to spend any money, but can remain cool during the summer heat without increasing your own energy bill.

Here are a few suggestions:

Coffee Shop

If one of the things you gave up to help your finances was that premium cup of coffee, you can have a cup while still saving money. Take your newspaper, laptop or a good book and head down to your local coffee shop.

For the price of a cup of joe, you can spend the afternoon reading the latest news, working or catching up on your reading, and it will still be less than if you cranked the air conditioning all day at home.

Movies

Movie tickets can be expensive so you might think it would be less expensive to stay at home watching a DVD even with the air conditioning on, but discounted matinee pricing is often available at the hottest time of the day.

This allows you to watch a movie at a fraction of the price of an evening showing, all while staying nice and cool.

If you need to entertain the kids, there are a number of summer movie programs that offer cheap (and even free) tickets:

AMC Summer MovieCamp offers $1 movies from June 25 to Aug. 6 on Wednesdays starting at 10 a.m. Groups can reserve tickets one week in advance at the box office at participating theatres.

Cinemark Summer Movie Clubhouse offers 10 weeks of movies, with a different movie each week on weekday mornings. A punch-card ticket for all 10 movies can be purchased in advance for $5, or tickets can be purchased individually at the box office for $1 each.

ClearView Cinema’s Kid’s Club offers an eight-week series of great family films with free admission every Thursday at 10:30 a.m. beginning June 26.

Regal Free Family Film Festival offers a nine-week series of select G and PG movies for free on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. There is limited seating and it is first come, first served. United Artists and Edwards theaters also participate in the Regal Free Family Film Festival.

Classic Cinemas offer a nine-week series of G and PG movies from June 11 to Aug. 6 on Wednesdays with doors opening at 9 a.m. and the movie starting at 10 a.m. for $1.

Volunteer

If you are looking to save money and make a difference at the same time, consider volunteering at a local charity. Your volunteer work will be greatly appreciated, you can give some good back to the community and you save on your energy costs at the same time.

Especially now with the economy struggling, charities are looking for all the help that they can get.

Mall

If you enjoy window-shopping and you can keep your wallet in your pocket, the mall can be a great place to stay cool on those hot summer days. In addition to staying cool, you can get a bit of light exercise as you walk around.

Even if you don’t enjoy walking, you can grab a bench and people-watch. Some malls even provide various types of entertainment for you to enjoy.

Library

If you have work that needs to get done or just need a quiet place to relax to do some reading, the library is a great place to hang out on a hot afternoon.

Not only will it be nice and cool, it will be relatively quiet, so you can concentrate. If you have kids, you can bring them along.

Museums

If you’re looking for something different to do, quite a few museums offer midweek discounts and some even offer free days. Take an afternoon to enjoy the latest exhibits while escaping the summer heat.

Local Activities

Check your local newspaper or library to find out the local events that are taking place in your area. Many of these will be free or low cost and can be a fun way to spend the afternoon. These may include such events as art and craft shows, fairs, exhibitions, plays and local conventions.

Your local community center should also have a long list of summertime activities that they sponsor. Check to see if any of these are of interest to you and your family and sign up for activities that will take you out of the house during the hot afternoon hours.

You don’t have to stay at home to beat the summer heat and by getting out, you not only save yourself some money, you can do it while enjoying activities you thought your budget might not be able to support.

Related
* Ultra-Safe Places to Stash Your Cash
* What to Do When A Heat Wave Strikes