5 Things Your Mechanic Won't Tell You

If you're anything like me, every time you visit a mechanic you feel totally confused and taken advantage of. I spent time rehearsing the line "I'll have my dad take a look; I don't want anything extra right now." over and over as I would pull into the shop. And yet, I still walked away feeling pressured, uncomfortable, and clueless, especially as a woman. Now that I'm married to the best guy in the world, I don't have to worry about this. He not only takes care of the cars, he works on them on the side as a certified mechanic. He's shared his insight with me for this post, and is helping me shed the light on five things your mechanic won't tell you.

1. How Much the Part Actually Cost Them 

It's plain and simple: you will always pay more for the part than what the shop bought it for. The percentage can range anywhere from a 20% mark up to a 70% mark up. This is the main reason why most shops won’t let you bring your own parts. And if they do, they will often charge you a higher labor rate. It is roughly 35% of earnings for the shop as a whole. That’s a lot. 

2. How Long It Actually Took to Fix the Problem

When a job is quoted, the quote is for a fixed rate of time that has been predetermined by labor guides. If the labor guide says it should take two hours to change the alternator on your vehicle then you will be charged for two hours of labor, whether it took them one hour or three. Some mechanics work a forty hour work week but get paid for 100 hours of labor. Some mechanics work forty hours and only get paid for twenty hours of labor. The system is there to protect you from mechanics charging you whatever they want. It also rewards good mechanics who can work faster than the average mechanic.

3. How Simple the Job Really Is

There are jobs mechanics don’t want you to know that you can do yourself. These kind of jobs might include changing out air filters, light bulbs, batteries, some belts, and brakes. While this isn’t true in all cases, you might be surprised what you can walk through on your own with a simple tool set and the internet. You might pay the shop $100 in labor for something that takes them 20 minutes to do, or it might take you an hour to do yourself if you just take the time to search and learn. Aaron will never understand paying $20 to install a lightbulb that takes less than three minutes to install. Do your research, people!

4. The Fine Print

When you drop off your car in most shops, they have you sign a document. Do you ever read what you are signing? You might not let your car stay if you actually read the fine print. Aaron has seen these documents cover wide ranges of things. A few years ago, he read the small print in a shop that isn’t in business anymore. He came across one line that read, “We are not responsible for any damages that occur to your vehicle while on our premises.” Yikes! Understand what you are signing, and ask if you have questions.

5. The Warranty Your Part Actually Has

Quite a few parts that are purchased include a lifetime warranty. However, the mechanic doesn’t want you to know this because they make money on parts. For instance, you can go buy the same exact alternator the mechanic will install in your car and it comes with a lifetime warranty. But the shop will give you a three month warranty in hopes that if it breaks in five years you will simply buy the part again. Aaron has changed the alternator on his father’s F150 about three times, after only paying for the alternator once. It also has about 400 thousand miles on it. You should know that most sets of brake pads have lifetime warranties as well.

There you have it folks, five things your mechanic won’t tell you that you should probably know. You can really save yourself some money and some headaches if you're aware of these things. Have any more mechanic questions? Let me know and I'll pass them on to Aaron and get them answered! (And if you're in the KC area, he can even work on your car!) We don't have to be taken advantage of, y'all, so let's stop.

Currently,
Kelsie

Read More

5 Last Minute Gifts Everyone Would Love for Christmas

Today's guest post is from Lana, an architecture student and interior decorating fiend! She offers some fabulous ideas for last minute Christmas gifts that everyone would love! Check them out. 

 With another holiday season upon us, we’re all in a rush to surprise our loved ones with that one perfect gift. In order to unburden you from the stress of gift-choosing, we’ve compiled a simple list of 5 gifts that we’re absolutely sure everyone would be thrilled to get for Christmas. 

Personal Is Always Better

There’s no doubt about it – if you’re not sure in which direction you should go, always opt for a personalized present. There’s simply something glorious about getting a gift with your name imprinted on it, as if it’s made specifically for you…who wouldn’t love that? There’s a variety of things to choose from, depending on the person you’re buying the gift for. From personalized cake stencils for your favourite cook, jewellery with engraved initials to customized keychains, coasters, portraits and even wardrobe. If you’re looking for something more spectacular, you can always choose to print out a sound wave of your song, vows or whatever holds the greatest meaning to you and your loved one. For those looking to give someone the moon and stars, there’s actually an option of choosing a specific star in the constellation and giving it a name and date.

 

Gadgets Are the Future of Gifts

Nowadays, it seems like we can’t survive a single day without the help of some useful gadgets. If you’re looking for a useful gift for someone who’s practical and pragmatic, then the best solution is to choose a handy gadget that’ll help them in their everyday tasks. Look beyond expensive gifts like laptops, smartphones and surround sound systems and opt for something more affordable like a pair of wireless headphones, a portable power bank, an instant printing camera for all those selfie lovers or your personal home assistant like Google Home. The possibilities are endless, you only need to know what type of assistance your friends or family members need.

Home Décor Options

Know someone who just moved in a new house or somebody who’s in urgent need of a décor refreshment? Well, why not combine a housewarming gift with a Christmas gift and offer them something that’ll contribute to a more welcoming home ambience? The choices are humongous and you can choose whatever you like from a wide array of items like a stylish vase, a nice lamp or a beautiful plant. If you still have doubts, don’t hesitate to take a sneak peek at the Tysiza online catalogue, as they offer plenty of options in the homeware and kitchenware department but also a high array of furniture pieces as well as faux plants.

 

A Gift of Experience

Sometimes, the most thoughtful gifts are the ones you can’t physically touch, but the ones you experience with your whole being. The most treasured gifts are the memories we have, so consider giving your friend or family member something they would remember for the rest of their lives. This could be a pair of tickets for their favourite band, a road trip to a place they’ve always wanted to visit or something more adventurers like skydiving, bungee jumping or diving with great white sharks. 
 

DIY

If you still haven’t found the right fit or you’re having trouble with the financial aspect of the gift buying process, keep in mind that gifts don’t necessarily have to be bought. If you have a special kind of skill or ability, you can use it to create or do something beautiful for the person you care about. If you’re an artist, handy with crafts or you do tailoring, offer your help or services to your friend free of charge. Also, if you have a keen eye for decorating, offer to redecorate their house or make your pregnant woman happy by decorating the nursery in a stylish manner.
  
If you’re lacking inspiration, money or you’re simply not that good at choosing the right gifts, perhaps it’s a good idea to consider a few different solutions for your troubles. There’s always a nice way to surprise someone without going through a lot of hassle - you just need to find something that suits you personally.

Lana Hawkins is an architecture student and an advisory editor at Smooth Decorator.  She enjoys writing about interior decoration and landscaping. Lana is interested in sustainability and green building, and that's where she gets most of her inspiration. Thanks to her for sharing this great post!
 

Currently,

Kelsie

Read More

Freezer Meals: Getting Dinner Off Your Mind & On the Table

If you're anything like me, life is full, wonderful, and sometimes pretty crazy. I'm not even chasing kids around yet and I still feel like it's often a struggle to get dinner on the table. Thankfully, we are pretty thrifty folks who eat out only when we have a gift card or for our favorite late night specials. But still, home-cooked meals are delicious, nutritious, and cost-efficient. If only I had more time to make them, right? Enter: Freezer meals. 

I signed up for my first freezer meals class through the health program for my school district. After I went once, a group of my friends from school started inviting me to come to theirs, which takes place once a month. The group I go to is set up through HyVee, and the person coordinating it sends out a bunch of "easy" and "hard" recipe options for all types of meat, including vegetarian. From there, everyone chooses a recipe that they would like to prepare for the group. After everyone has chosen their recipes, an email goes around with a list of all of the meals. You decide how many you want of each item. I've actually gotten up to 13 meals before, and they all were able to fit in our freezer! 

Most prep classes only take a couple of hours, depending on the speed and size of your group, and how much you help each other. The time is fun and full of chatting and laughter, plus you don't have to clean up after you're done! HyVee has a club room where you prepare everything, and they have all of the ingredients out for each meal that is being prepared. Since some ingredients are shared across multiple recipes, everyone saves money. And you only pay for the meals that you want to take home. Cost is spread out among those purchasing each meal, and you can usually get a meal that serves four people for $10-$12 (depending on meat and any other pricey ingredients). You don't actually fully cook everything, you just get as much of it ready ahead of time as possible, then others take it home and freeze it until they cook it. If only three people, including yourself, are purchasing the meal you choose to prep, you only prep three. If thirteen of your recipe choice were "ordered", you prep 13 meals. It always depends, but it's never overwhelming, especially when your friends help!

A recipe packet.

Here's how the process works while at the prep class:

1. Enter the club room and grab your stapled packet of recipes. They staple together the recipes and prep instructions for every meal that you are purchasing to take home. (This is nice because you can always remake ones you really like on your own.) People always choose a recipe to prep that they plan to buy for themselves, so that recipe goes on the top of the packet. It's the one you're in charge of.

2. Grab ingredients listed for your recipe, while sharing them with others. Keep in mind that you are prepping multiple of the same meal, and pay attention to those numbers.

3. Simply follow the directions, which usually involve measuring out and mixing spices, cutting up vegetables, and sometimes cooking the meat (depending on the recipe). You then place these items into the appropriately-sized freezer bags. Everything is pretty well laid out, and there are people there from HyVee who'll help you prep meat or cut up things that may take a while.

4. Place all of the freezer bags you've filled according to the directions, and any other items that go with the recipe (like spaghetti sauce, noodles, or frozen veggies), into a plastic grocery bag. These items are labeled and kept together so that the person taking home that meal can just grab the grocery bag and they're set. Keep in mind, there are sometimes a few excluded items that needed to be purchased separately, like milk or mayo. But they're very minimal and sometimes even optional for the recipe. 

5. Pay, head home, and stock your freezer with all your meals, keeping in mind that you may need to remove a can or two that shouldn't be frozen. Just stick those in your pantry until you're ready to cook that recipe.

Asian Beef Stir Fry

 Here's what you do when you're ready to cook the meal at home:
1. Depending on the recipe, you'll likely need to thaw. Plan ahead and bring an item from your freezer to the fridge the night before (especially if you're doing a crockpot recipe- my personal favorite). You can also thaw during the day if you plan to cook the meal that night.

2. Grab your recipe packet. Beneath the instructions for the prep (which is already done), there are clearly marked instructions on how to cook the meal. These could literally be "Put all ingredients in a crockpot for 8 hours". They may also involve cooking some meat, throwing something on the grill, or basting it and putting it in the oven. The good news is, almost all of the measuring, cutting, and marinating is already done, saving YOU precious time!

It's seriously as simple as that. Here's the Asian Beef Stir Fry that I made the other night. This had been in my freezer for quite a while, so I went ahead and let it thaw during the day.

I started with a freezer bag full of meat and spices, a bag of rice, and a bag of frozen Asian vegetables.

I grabbed a skillet for the meat and a pan for the rice. Then I dumped the meat into the skillet and cooked it, dumped in the veggies and stir fried them, and finished up the rice. Easiest thing ever. Check out the finished product:

I must say, it was really delicious. Someone else prepped the meal with the spices and the meat, so I can't take any credit, but it had amazing flavor. The frozen Asian veggies were tasty as well. I think it makes a nice presentation on the plate, like a meal I had really toiled over. And, since there were only two of us eating, we had lots of leftovers for lunch!

I've found some really awesome freezer meals that are easy, affordable, and look and taste great. Some of our favorite are the Stromboli, the Asian Burgers, and the Cream Cheese Chicken Chili. There's always something new and yummy to try, or you can stock up on several of the same meal if you really love it. Freezer meals have definitely saved us time and money, and I don't have to stress as much to get dinner on the table. It's actually fun. We can have a great dinner, even if we've had a crazy full day.

Ready to get started with your own freezer meal class? Check the HyVee Website to see if a local HyVee has any openings. No HyVee around that offers classes? That's okay, you can still accomplish something similar if you get together with a group of friends. Share some recipes, split the ingredients, prep the items needed, and stock your freezers, ladies and gents! 

Do you have a freezer meal story to share? Have a few questions?  Comment below or let me know on the Currently, Kelsie Facebook page. I'd love to help! May your bellies, wallets, and freezers be full, and your dinner prep quick :)

Currently,
Kelsie

PS. This post is part of the This Is How We Do It Link Up Party with Ashley from Grace Mountain Diaries and Lori from The Boutelle Family. Look for once a month posts with helpful tips on how to make life easier. I'm also linking up with Just Another Linky and Imparting Grace check them out!

Read More

A Young Homeowner's Tips for Saving Money

Aaron and I have now owned our sweet first home for almost two years. We aren't real flashy people. We like to have an inviting place where we are comfortable having lots of people over, but we aren't willing to go broke just for aesthetics. Over the past few years, we have figured out several things that have helped us to throw extra money at our principal each month, while also paying off any student loans we had in our name. Here are a few of our favorite secrets to living well and saving money on a young homeowner's budget.

1. Cut the cable.
We don't have cable. We pay for internet, but we have never spent a dime on cable TV. Netflix is amazing, and only $8 a month. With all of the add ons and extra fees that cable companies offer and slap on your bill these days, cable can be over $100 a month. Saying no for the past two years has saved us around $2,400. That's more than enough to pay for a nice cruise, a deck upgrade, or an extra payment on the good ole mortgage.

2. Embrace the hand-me-downs.
Aaron and I were blessed to have several pieces of furniture given to us when we first moved into our house. Our dining room and kitchen tables, a sectional with a pull-out couch, and a bed set were all given to us by those who were happy to be rid of them. And we actually had a decent amount of furniture to furnish our four bedroom home. If you aren't blessed with as many hand-me-downs, not to worry. There are several opportunities for you to find these things: garage sales, antique markets, and thrift stores. Someone's old piece could be a great addition to your place, and you can always give it a little TLC or paint upgrade to make it really pop. Then someday, you can start to buy some new things for yourself little by little, without breaking the bank. You can see how we put some of these pieces to work in our own home by checking out this post.

3. If at all possible, DO IT YOURSELF.
Again, I'm blessed in this category. Aaron is amazingly handy. I mean, the guy works on cars and re-built part of our fence last year. Not to mention all the little things he can do with electrical and toilet issues. If you're not blessed with an Eagle Scout hubby, not to worry. Thanks to the internet, there are several little things you can figure out how to do or find on your own that can save you loads of money. If there's a job that's really meant to be left to the professionals, ask around, use your connections, or find someone local as much as possible. They are likely going to take good care of you for a lower price, and may even give discounts to repeat customers.

4. Regulate the temperature.
One of the biggest changes in homeownership is having a lot more space. This is awesome, but you also have to heat and cool that space accordingly, which can get pricey when you've got numerous floors and vaulted ceilings like we do. A few months ago, Aaron and I got a new thermostat put in for free by KCPL. The thermostat is not only pre-set, but can be adjusted instantly through an App on my phone. We tell it when we are coming home, and when we are gone, and the temperature adjusts to keep our home at the most cost efficient temperature. Our bills have gone way down.

5. Wash in cold. 
Washing your clothes in cold water will save you money. It takes less energy for the machine to wash things in cold, and thus your bill will be much lower. Seriously, I'm not making this stuff up. Check it out: http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/tips-laundry. It's fine to do the occasional hot or warm load of sheets or towels, but otherwise, stick to cold. You could save over $200 a year.

6. Shop clearance, embrace imperfection, and be patient.
We scored big at a 70% off sale when our local K-Mart went out of business. We got a huge steal on a nice patio set for our deck, an outdoor bar set, and a great grill. You don't have to do this all at once though (we just couldn't pass up the deals). Be patient. Don't worry if some rooms sit empty. Add a piece or two at a time to your home. Be on the lookout for clearance markdowns- they could be discounted because of a minimal scratch or dent that you really could care less about. I love love love shopping thrifty, and it makes it even more fun when you find something you love at a great price. Be patient, be choosy, and don't go over the amount you budgeted for a certain item. Odds are great that it will go on sale, especially if it's a seasonal item.

At the end of the day, owning a home is a huge commitment, but it's so much fun. By just following a few simple steps, you can save a lot of money, which then allows you to splurge on that vacation, that new piece of furniture, or that unexpected maintenance necessity (which likely WILL happen). A home is an amazing investment and a great place to live a life and grow a family. We love our home, and all of the people who bring life to it.

What's your favorite thrifty homeowner tip? How do you find ways to cut the costs of homeownership? Let me know on the contact form, or comment below! Like what you're reading? Click here to subscribe to the Currently, Kelsie newsletter. I'll keep you up to date on recent posts, and provide some extra bonus tips on living well. Happy home ownership!

Currently,
Kelsie

I'm linking up with A Fresh Start, The Shabby Nest and Chic on a Shoestring. Check them out! 

Read More