Breaking Into My Old Car

My very first car was a cute little Toyota Corolla hatchback. It was the first car that I owned. It was the first car that I even drove. And it was the first car that I learned how to break into.

You see, I used to have a serious problem with constantly losing my car keys when I was a teenager. I'd put them down somewhere and forget all about them. Even more often than losing them, I'd lock them inside of the car. The first few times that this happened, I called AAA to come unlock the car for me so I could get them. After awhile, though, I figured that it made a lot more sense to learn how to break into the car than to keep calling them to come rescue me.

The first time that I had to do it was when I was at the drive-in movie theatre with a bunch of friends. We left the car running so that we could hear the movie but we were sitting outside of the car. When it was time to go, we realized that I'd locked my keys in the Corolla yet again. A friend tore off my Toyota antenna and used it jimmy open the window and unlock the door. That antenna was the first of many Toyota Corolla parts that I had to replace over the years but I never had to call AAA about that car again!

Finding Parts for my Mustang

One of the biggest challenges that I have had recently is finding the right parts for my Ford Mustang.  You might take this for granted if you live in a big city, but I moved out of town just a couple of years ago and this has been a big issue for me.

The biggest problem is that there are no Ford parts dealers in any of the surrounding communities.  And let me tell you that it is very inconvenient when your car breaks down and you have no where to take it.

What irks me the most is that despite the lack of an “all American” car dealership in the area, there is a Mitsubishi dealer just ten minutes away from my home.  You wouldn’t think that you would find one in the middle of nowhere, but there just happens to be one – go figure.

Anyway, I have made a couple of phone calls and I have found someone that can take me to the city tomorrow to pick up the parts I need to fix my car.  I guess I should count my skills as a mechanic as a blessing, as I would have to tow the car otherwise.

Next time I move I will have to do some research regarding the car dealerships in the area and pick where I live accordingly.

Used cars in Miami, Florida

The coolest thing which ever happened to me had to do with buying used cars in Florida right after I got out of college. I had just graduated from the University of Miami, and had decided to make a home in the greater Miami Beach area. If you've never been, you definitely should make a point to check it out.

photo credit: wyntuition

A huge challenge stood in front of me however. I was a new graduate, had little credit; actually a few bits of bad credit. My guess was that getting financing from a major provider like GMAC or one of the local banks was going to be a tough sell.

One night after work, I was chatting with some friends and one mentioned he'd just got a new, used car. What? I knew this fellow and he was definitely in worse shape, financially, than me. When I inquired how he did it, he told me all about buy here pay here car lots.

Prior to this, I'd never really thought about the concept. Obviously, everyone knew that new auto dealerships would provide you with financing if you didn't come in with your own. But now that I'd learned the same sort of options existed with used vehicles. I was confident in my ability to get at least as good a deal as my friend had received. With that in mind I set off the very next day to get a new albeit used car.

Knowing When It's Time to Get a New Car

You can save a lot of money by keeping the same car for years, and just maintaining it to keep it in good working order — particularly if you can do most of the work on it yourself, and save yourself thousands in labor fees. But it's also important to know when it's time to give up the old car and get a new one.

For example, my mom has an old 1990 Toyota Camry that she has had for nearly 14 years. This car has well over 200,000 miles on it and is still running okay, but it leaks pretty much every fluid and most likely won't be around much longer. It's also getting harder to find Toyota Camry parts for a Camry that old, so before much longer my dad just isn't going to be able to fix it up for her anymore when it breaks down.

Basically, it's time to get a new car when you start noticing that you are spending a heck of a lot of time fixing up your car. Time is money, so although it is expensive to get a new car, if it saves you time it might be worth the change. Another clue is when really expensive things start going out — and that point, it makes more sense to spend that money on a new car, rather than on an old one that could break down again in another month.

In general, doing all the routine car maintenance on time and keeping your car in good working condition will keep it on the road longer, but even so, there comes a time when it is in your best interest to upgrade to a newer model!

Looking for a Job as a Car Salesman

One of my passions in life has been cars, and I have been like that since I was a child. I have always been fascinated with imports in particular, and I love the styling that the many car companies create for their vehicles. For me, a car is not just a method of transportation, but rather an extension of your soul.

So, I guess it came as no surprise to my parents that when I finished high school that I wanted to become an auto salesman. I thought that it would be the perfect way for me to drive all the new cars on the market, while pursuing a career that I would love. It seemed like the logical choice for me, so that is the path that I am going to take.

I am going out for the next couple of days to drop off resumes at every Fort Worth car dealer that I can find. I am hoping that if I get my name out there, someone will take interest in me and my love of cars, and give me a chance.

Though I shouldn’t be picky, I am really hoping to get on at the Mitsubishi dealer (their cars are my favorite), but if I don’t, I guess I could always get a job there once I get the experience.
Anyway, I should get going – my best friend is driving me around today and they just pulled up. Wish me luck!

Be Prepared for the Unexpected

Vacations don’t always go the way we plan. After months of planning every detail from activities and must see sightseeing spots, often vacation plans are interrupted by unexpected details and delays. From flight delays to hotel overcrowding, there are a variety of things that might set your perfect vacation into meltdown mode.

Setting your sights on the perfect vacation begins with your expectations. Expecting the unexpected is a more realistic approach while on vacation. Things come up, especially in unfamiliar locations that keep us from the fun and excitement of vacationing. Leaving behind the daily pressures of work, the house and chores, we expect to have stress free days of lounging and relaxing. Sometimes, we have to work on orchestrating our vacation while on vacation.

Upon arrival to your destination hotel, you might not find your accommodations fitting to your needs. You might find you need to switch rooms after unpacking at your hotel. After arriving at your Mexican beachfront vacation, the Cancun rental cars you reserved are not available and you need to settle for a sedan instead of getting the van you reserved. These things happen during vacation but do not let the little mishaps ruin you well deserved vacation.

Efficiency

I own a family chocolate shop. It’s been in the family for three generations. Sometimes people ask if it’s difficult to make it as a small business in a world with global economies and giant factories. The answer is, yes and no. I won’t deny that a franchise like Walmart puts a lot of pressure on us. But there are advantages, too. I paid my daughter thirty dollars to design a website where people can buy our chocolate from anywhere in the world, and we actually pull in quite a few sales from it.

The efficiency of factories also increases my buying power; I understand that. I needed to do some work on my old truck, and I was able to snag the Toyota parts I needed online. They ship obscure Toyota accessories to anywhere in the world. And genuine Toyota parts are a lot less expensive than you’d think, too. Factories where robots do the welding and hard labor can produce goods for a small fraction of the cost of hiring workers to do everything by hand. I shop at Walmart myself, and it makes it a lot easier to get by on what I make from the chocolate shop. The truth is, there will always be a demand for the personal human touch, even if it costs more.