Always negotiate and do your homework before hand!
Posted By: jss on 2008-08-31
In Reply to: Time for a new car - need advice - nervous
If you do some good internet research you can find out what the dealer actually pays for the car before their mark ups. I bought a new car several years ago and took this information with me. It was about $3000 less than sticker price and I only paid a couple hundred over this base price AND they went to another state to get the car that I wanted because I didn't want to wait for one from the factory. They will push you hard so be ready to stand your ground. Also, ask them to throw in license fees, plates, taxes, etc. in the price. Many places will do this if you finance through them and some will give you a gas card for $50, free oil changes, and what not if you ask at the end. Just remember, the worst they can say is no. You will likely never see this person again. I would recommend using your own bank for financing. If you use theirs I feel they use that to their advantage and finance you the sticker price and make it more difficult to bargain.
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Jewlery making kits/supplies? Can you teach them to knit or crochet? Hand sewing? Hand-made
s
I agree with trying to negotiate with the CC companies
yourself first. That's what I did. We had a medical problem and we went from paying on time for years to 90 days behind in 3 months. We wound up living off the cards...which is an absolute no-no, but couldn't be helped, and wound up with $45,000 in CC debt.
I called them all and they all have programs for hardship cases. They set up payments for you which are lower than what you would usually be paying and they lowered my interest rates again (in the good times, I was paying 9%) from 19% to 21% down to 9% again and one company even lowered my interest rate to 6%!
They automatically take the money from your account and you just have to remember to keep the money in there. Payments are much lower since they lowered the interest rate and all the cards will be paid off in 4 years.
One company did close my account, but none of the others did. I haven't used a credit card for 2 years and most of the cards I had for 10 years.
Hope this helps and good luck. There is light at the end of the tunnel.
try to negotiate for a lower APR before going to CCC & use the word "hardship"
Search Google for credit info center they have great advice there.
Try to negotiate for a lower APR yourself first.
First call and threaten to cancel, (but do not cancel if they don't help!) and that might get you a lower APR.
If that fails write or call back,you have to say the word "hardship" to them to really work with you if you are not 60 days past due...that is the magic word. Their hardship plan and CCCS looks the same on your credit report, at least you control it by doing it yourself.
HTH :)
do your own homework-I don't do tabloids....
First, do your homework on different makes - sm
and models. Read customer reviews of their cars, what they like, don't like about them, maintenance, etc.
Once you've decided on a model, start looking. I found shopping online was the fastest & easiest way to do it. Whether you shop online, or at a dealership, before buying anything, sign up for "CARFAX.COM". When you find something you're interested in, get the vehicles's VIN (vehicle identification number) and then go home and run a Carfax on it. It can tell you important things - like whether the car was in any major collisions. You don't want to buy something that has had a bent or broken frame that's been spot-welded back together for quick resale! (One reason why it's not good to buy at car auctions...)
You can also see where the car was originally sold, and usually you can get the true mileage of it, but now always. I wanted a car that didn't come from anyplace where it snowed all winter and they salted the roads, because that can cause corrosion underneath.
So now you've found a car, it passed the Carfax, and you want to make a deal. Let me tell you, the sellers are falling all over themselves right now to make a deal! I found my car at a dealership. (I had run the Carfax on it before I even went out to test-drive it... saving valuable time.) I liked it, and wanted MY personal mechanic to check it out. Amazingly, the dealership agreed, even though my mechanic was about 30 miles away! (All I had to do was sign my life away on a bunch of forms, and they let me take it there.)
The car passed the exam, except that the mechanic said to get the radiator flushed and refilled pronto... the fluid in it was ancient! The dealership did that for me immediately.
As for price, do your Blue-Book homework, too. Of course you won't get it for Blue-Book, but if you figure a certain percentage of profit for the dealer, you'll come out at a fair offering price. What I did THEN, was go to the bank and get a cashier's check made out for my first and final offer, which was FIRM, as that's all I could afford to pay. Beforehand, I had let them know (truthfully!) that a similar, cheaper car had been on a dealer's lot just down the street, and the only reason I had tried this car first was that the first car was on a display rack out in front and several cars had to be moved before I could test-drive it. They were too slow in doing so, and as a result had lost the sale!
So we talked money for a few minutes, and when their "rock-bottom" price was still about $900 more than I had, I put the cashier's check down on the table (made out to them!) in front of them and said, "That's all I've got."
The salesman went to talk to the manager, and they accepted my offer.
That was about 7 years ago, and I STILL love my car! I'll probably drive it for the rest of my life. (And best of all, it's paid-for!)
Although not easy to do in this economic setting, years ago I was driving a very old vehicle, and had started socking money away for a down-payment on a new car. When that time drew nearer, because the type of car I wanted was too expensive new (Toyota 4Runner), that's when I'd done my homework about used ones, and found they pretty much last forever. So buying a used one wasn't as much of a risk as it is with some vehicles, though I didn't want to buy it from some guy who'd been out 4-wheeling the h_ll out of it, either. Luckily the car I'd found had been a corporate car, and had relatively low mileage. (Less than 50,000 - which meant I could extend the warranty on it.)
Of course, Carfax doesn't solve EVERYTHING, but at least you go into a deal armed with SOME knowledge about the vehicole you're buying, and every little bit helps.
Even better was this: After I got my car, I got an email from Carfax asking me to tell my story and send in a photo of me and my car. So I did. They ended up using it in an ad, so they sent me an Amazon gift certificate for $100! I needed a photo printer, and got one on Amazon the very next day. (Canon i850 - which also still works great, and has never given me a moment's trouble!)
A lot of my good car-buying experience was luck, but a lot was also preparation and information-gathering. I hope your car-buying experience is as easy and as successful as mine was.
Best of luck, & happy driving!
That is why people have to do their homework in this
A person always needs some kind of representation to help them sort out what is good and what is not but this really works with most business dealings, right? I did not look at your site because I knew someone who had really came out to the good doing this. If my parents ever wanted to go this route I would make sure they have the kind of information you need to make sure no one takes advantage of them. I can do this because my name is also on the home they own. Older folks tend some times to be too trusting and I see after them.
Negotiate lower interest rates on your credit cards
It’s worth a shot, and some credit card companies might do it if you’ve been a faithful customer or you threaten to balance transfer to another card.Buy a texting plan for your cell phone. Texting has become unbelievably popular. I have no idea why, because it seems like a pain in the butt, but it’s typically 15 cents for every message you send and receive. This adds up, so better off paying $5 to $10 a month for the add-on plan if you’re addicted to texting.
Do your homework on debt collection (sm)
laws also - you just may have yourself a $1000 piece of paper in your hand.
Have you requested validation of this debt? If not, I would do that right away. Send it certified mail, return receipt requested. Depending on the age of the debt, I would be very careful about sending the canned "do not contact me letter." If the debt is not that old, that can sometimes trigger them to sue. I bet if you send the "please provide me with full validation (not verification that you have my name, address and soc. sec#) of this alleged debt. Short and sweet.
Good opportunities, if you do your homework.
We've kept our investments in utility companies, and those always do well. Not always the highest return, but steady. We look for companies that are investing more and more in environmentally friendly technologies. My son is 19 and has saved $1000 that he wants to put into the market. He's young enough to recover from any bad investment, and young enough to hold on for the long-haul good return. He's doing a lot of research, hoping to find something up and coming. I'm sure he'll learn a lot.
Yes this is getting out of hand....
it is getting out of hand by some of the posters who are disagreeing with others. I am the OP and I was only looking for opinion's from others. No fights, no trash talking...just honest opinions. I have received lots of comments and I have thanked everyone for their comments. Each and every comment gave me new insght to consider. It is really sad how posts from others makes me look like I am looking for a fight here! I have said in an earlier post that I appreciate all the comments and I am just going to write this one off as an extra-personable customer service experience! I do have a sense of humor, ya know! I am not looking to sue anyone! I was simply asking for input from others as to whether or not this was a big deal or not! I got mixed answers, but I am shocked at how out of hand that this has gotten! Please read all of the posts from the OP only if you would like to make an assumption on what my intentions are, which I think that you will see that I was only looking for opinions.
Thanks for your input.
On the Other Hand
If you never let up and the pictures don't work, she will do anything in her power to hide it from you. My mom has nagged me since the day she found out and that made me go to great lengths to keep it from her. My brother's wife did the same thing to him and he would smoke at work and not at home. Then, when he came to visit, he would take me to the store so he could smoke on the way there. 
I know she is only 16, but if she doesn't want to hear what you have to say about it, she'll just keep hiding it and keep smoking unless you two come to an agreement.
Good luck. I do hope she quits.
Off hand
I can only think of Susan Lucci, Barbara Walters, Suzanne Sommers ... many who are getting up there have better looking arms than I would expect. Of course, they probably have other tricks too.
I think the surgeries are a bit touchy ... it seems often certain things will look better because of it and others worse. I had my nose done (for instance), and my profile looks better, but I liked my old nose from the frontal view.
Another thing that scares me is it seems there are so many infections from hospitals nowadays. I think one has to really think it over for sure.
Thanks for the info! : )
raising my hand too..sm
and personally, due to the amount of money involved in ALL professional sports, I cannot help but think that most of it is one big set up and the public is being ripped off by feeding in to it, sort of like the professional wrestling teams. that is just a thought though, and not meant to stir up any one's irrational emotions about sports. I also think they are TOO competitive and families are pushing their youngsters into sports WAY too young, just to bring in the big bucks later in life. Part of my work is for a pediatric orthopedist and a youngster of 3 years old suffering sports injuries, in my opinion, is WAY too young!
second-hand smoke
With any luck the weather will be good and the party will be held outdoors....If not, take her out to lunch or make a special lunch/dinner at your house just for the 2 of you....perhaps get your hair and nails done together or just piddle around in the consignment shops...do something that the 2 of you enjoy. If you've known her since Jr. High or thereabouts, she knows how you feel about smoking and I don't think she would be offended. The 1-on-1 time together would proabably the best present she gets....and you get to catch up everything without interruption.
I know, I did it yesterday...Made chicken and dumplings from scratch and sauteed squash and a light fruit salad, watched a video slide show that my friend made on a Mac laptop of renovation of the log cabin that her mother was born in (narration, music and all).....Her daugter's wedding is coming up in 3 weeks and the young lady wants it to be at the cabin. Then we tried on mother-of-the-bride outfits she'd brought over, we critiqued, exchanged jewelry that would match. We talked for about 3 hours non-stop and coulda gone on for another coupla days just reminiscing and trying to work out the kinks of the wedding and chowin' down on comfort food.
Just an idea....Hope this helps.
I have to hand it to Lee C. Bollinger,
President of Columbia University. I listened to his speech and particularly liked:
“Let's, then, be clear at the beginning, Mr. President you exhibit all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator.”
And his ending:
I am only a professor, who is also a university president, and today I feel all the weight of the modern civilized world yearning to express the revulsion at what you stand for. I only wish I could do better.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called Bollinger's introductory remarks insulting, (Well, duh!) What, did he expect....to be handed flowers and a key to NYC?
hand quilt
A baby quilt is not too large, so I would hand quilt. If this is your first, do a very simple pattern such as a window pane about 3-4 inches apart top to bottom, then side to side, or quilt around design. Get a good beginner's quilting book. It will really help you learn. Happy quilting!
Thanks to all. I think I will try hand quilting. Seems
xx
T hand signal
Wow, way back when I was in high school, if a student was doing this, he was probably on a basketball court and wanted a time-out called. What's next....
Hand claps. sm
I had a dog that went deaf. Bless her heart, it took me almost a year to realize she had gone deaf. She would respond to hand claps - I don't know if it was the vibration or what, but she would alert at hand claps when dummy me finally realized she had gone deaf.
The phone is yours, don't hand it in.
x
Are you going to hold his hand on the subway, too?nm
m
Do you know that about Cuba from first-hand experience?
I traveled through much of Cuba a few years back and unlike the other countries mentioned, there are no luxuries that fund education or health care...but, having said that, and stating that the country is very poor, many things that are in place today are much better than before Castro. The education system is quite extraordinary for those who excel in school and wish to take advantage of it and are true to the communist idealism.
The economy is now mostly based on its tourism industry, and still it is a bargain to visit there. This will probably change soon, though, as the government is investing heavily in building new hotels and resorts. They are working hard to build relationships with countries outside the US influence and are just beginning to tap those potential benefits.
Having experienced healthcare services while in Cuba, I must say that everything was top notch. I did have to pay for it. The clinics for non-Cubans are not free, but it is exceedingly affordable. What amounted to an emergency room visit and observation here in the US was handle with an ocean-side view room with cable TV, my own private doctor, private nurse and private pharmacist and including a week's worth of Cipro was less than $177 US.
Yes, there is a lot of poverty and third world hardships (my personal belief is there is no longer a reason to have the embargo and I am against it), but the people are wonderfully interprising, hardworking, long suffering, happy, friendly and very pround about how their lives are so much better now than under the previous dictatorship.
They have come a long way under Castro's rule (I'm not debating I think he is perfect, but he is very loyal to his country and ideals).
I am so sorry to hear that. If you re-think things you have it on hand. SM
I know Ray was reluctant, but having tried everything else over and over he went for it., Thank God for him, my niece and their son he did. They are all so happy, as we all are. He was very lucky and experienced no really bad side effects from it. His mom and dad both died of cancer, and he has always wanted to set a good example for his son. Ray Jr. turns 16 this month and always has said he will not pick up a cigarette after seeing his grandparents die and after seeing his dad's fight to stop. I pray he holds to this.
Second-hand and generic items
I am shopping for second-hand items at resale shops and buying only sale and generic items at the grocery store. I don't drive as much or as far as I used to to shop. I am working more hours, although for less pay as an MT.
I think the the crooks (politicians) who put the American public in this position should be prosecuted.
Would rather have someone hand it than e-mail cards sm
I only use these on occasions they don't usually make cards for. I send one to my bro for Vets day with Flag and music, he loves it but not for Christmas, please!
I do both ways, wash by hand and also
clean out food particles and wash in the dishwasher. I have no reservations about doing that. The only thing I don't like are family plates set on floor and animals eating out of those and reusing. Yuck.
Agree, you need a helping hand
When my sister had her first baby, she became overwhelmed quickly. You sound similar to how she was feeling. So my mom and I started helping her out here and there, going over and staying with my nephew so she could leave the house for a couple hours, even if it was to grocery shop or run errands, just so she could get out alone. Or we'd go get him and take him to our house for a couple hours, with instructions to her to TAKE A NAP or read a book, or something relaxing. If you have family or friends willing to help out, take them up on it. They wouldn't volunteer if they didn't want to do it.
My sister's husband was helping out too, but he worked a lot of hours, 6 days a week. In my sister's case, she was very independent and used to doing what she wanted when she wanted before the baby and I think that was part of what overwhelmed her, the feeling that she couldn't just pick up her purse and go somewhere as easily as before. Good luck. This will pass, don't be so hard on yourself.
Agree, you need a helping hand
When my sister had her first baby, she became overwhelmed quickly. You sound similar to how she was feeling. So my mom and I started helping her out here and there, going over and staying with my nephew so she could leave the house for a couple hours, even if it was to grocery shop or run errands, just so she could get out alone. Or we'd go get him and take him to our house for a couple hours, with instructions to her to TAKE A NAP or read a book, or something relaxing. If you have family or friends willing to help out, take them up on it. They wouldn't volunteer if they didn't want to do it.
My sister's husband was helping out too, but he worked a lot of hours, 6 days a week. In my sister's case, she was very independent and used to doing what she wanted when she wanted before the baby and I think that was part of what overwhelmed her, the feeling that she couldn't just pick up her purse and go somewhere as easily as before. Good luck. This will pass, don't be so hard on yourself.
Agree, you need a helping hand
When my sister had her first baby, she became overwhelmed quickly. You sound similar to how she was feeling. So my mom and I started helping her out here and there, going over and staying with my nephew so she could leave the house for a couple hours, even if it was to grocery shop or run errands, just so she could get out alone. Or we'd go get him and take him to our house for a couple hours, with instructions to her to TAKE A NAP or read a book, or something relaxing. If you have family or friends willing to help out, take them up on it. They wouldn't volunteer if they didn't want to do it.
My sister's husband was helping out too, but he worked a lot of hours, 6 days a week. In my sister's case, she was very independent and used to doing what she wanted when she wanted before the baby and I think that was part of what overwhelmed her, the feeling that she couldn't just pick up her purse and go somewhere as easily as before. Good luck. This will pass, don't be so hard on yourself.
I gave my daughter a hand mixer and...
you would have thought I gave her a check for 1 million dollars! She is a semi-single mom (deadbeat boyfriend who does not work, she does, but that is another story!) with 3 children who works hard at a just above minimum wage job. She gets by though. I asked her what she wanted and she said new pots and pans, a cookbook and a hand mixer and I got her all 3. I asked her yesterday what the best gift she got was and she said the mixer. Made me very happy to know that something so little meant so much to her!
lol, you're posts are getting a little out of hand with the duh post below and this one.
in a kinder tone. The topic is not the concern to me, it's the tone of your posts. Thank you.
Isn't it throwing the first hand of dirt onto the casket
Putting their body to rest, they loved ones toss the first handful of dirt? Maybe I am wrong.
Can't even imagine how Anna N. mother could walk on her daughter's freshly dug grave, never heard of such a thing.
There was a reason A.N. Smith was like she was and her mother may have been big part of it. That she had a multimillionaire daughter who didn't share the loot with her must probably made the woman insulted. Unevenly distributed wealth distorts close family relationships like nothing else can.
Anybody use a hand-held steamer for your ironing? sm
I saw one of those "infomercials" for The Tobi and was wondering if anyone used this or something similar for all their ironing, and what your opinions may be. TIA.
Gently hand wash it in the sink and let air dry outside. nm
x
glad you chose to hand quilt...sm
I've always felt that machine quilting was cheating...I like nana's idea of the yarn ties...that was the first one my grandma taught me how to do. Mommy also quilted and we'd hit the quilt shows where you have to wear white gloves before touching any quilt.
Recently went to the Museum of the American Quilter's Society in Paducah, KY (couldn't touch....it took all my willpower, believe you me).....The unique artistry and craftsmanship of each piece was breathtaking....a lot of applique and embroidery was employed as well...painting with thread and material...whoa! My friend and I split up and studied those quilts for about 1-1/2 hours and then we asked each other "Which one would you choose to take home?" Cat
what does arthritis feel like? -- blew out my hand
Last night, while simply reaching for a cup of coffee, the entire back of my right hand developed excruciating pain. Stiff real bad right now. It feels like all of the bones from my knuckles to my wrist on the top of my hand are all cramped and grinding. Loaded on pain pills right now, still pain. No health insurance. Could this be arthritis? What's it feel like? --- help
Is it tacky to hand someone a Christmas card...
//
Hand him a bottle of sleeping pills and say
nm
Talking on the cell phone requires one hand to --sm
be on the phone and not on the wheel, unless of course they use a headset, which most do not! They have less control of their vehicle.
Besides, it is hard to ignore people at other tables who are talking on their cell phones, when they have to talk so LOUD to be heard over the background noise, that you cannot help but hear their conversation. I personally do not care what they are talking about, nor do I want to hear it, but cannot help it. Personally, I think people who take their phones with them into restaurants and public places, and have them constantly ringing and talking loudly about private stuff, are just doing it for attention, and to TRY to annoy other people. There is such a thing as cell phone etiquette too, you know, one of which is to leave your cell phone off while in public.
I agree. Hand him the headphones to have a listen. And stress how
s
I have a lot of pain on the fatty part of my hand just below the thumb. Anyone have that? nm
!
My daughter has hand, foot and mouth disease
She has 4 ulcers in her mouth and, of course, is in pain and won't eat anything. I put some cereal and milk in the blender this morning and she drank that okay, but her poor little mouth is really painful. We tried the saltwater rinses, but that didn't help. We have been using Orajel on the biggest sore, but was wondering if anyone has any other ideas for pain relief. She's been coping pretty good with the blisters on her hands and feet so far, but this is only the 2nd day. Hopefully, this will be over soon. Thanks for any help!
I use crackers, oatmeal, bread, or croutons - whatever is on hand.
nm
Hand them a lemon to smell and taste and put sunlight on them
Hand him a lonog honey-do list one day after work,
x
way back when I trained i used a hand control instead of foot pedal, don't know if they still mak
them now, but you controlled it with the bottom part of your hand by hitting the buttons - forward, play, rewind. Might check into that. Of course, that was about 28 years ago. I really like it, but the only time I ever saw it was at the first hospital I worked.
I did have one surgically removed from my wrist by a hand surgeon years ago.
He did a real good job and has never recurred. He showed it to me when he took it out and it basically just looked like a little balloon with a long skinny taiI. I had it done on a Friday and I believe by Monday I was back at work again and in a week or so had the stitches removed. The incision is not even a 1/2-inch long. I took pain pills for the day of surgery and probably the next day and that was it. Mine wasn't that large and was given the choice of leaving it alone or have it excised. I thought that I might as well take care of the problem when it was minor before it got much larger.
On the main Craigslist page, look at the upper left-hand - sm
side of the page under the word "Craigslist". It should say "Post to Classifieds". Click on that, and it will take you to a "Create Posting" page. Click on the type of posting you want, and it'll take you to a category list. Click on your choice, and the next page asks you to pick your city. After that, you're asked which local area(s) fit best. You will finall be at the space where you fill in the ad itself.
Hope that helped! I've given away furniture & an old PC on Craigslist...I LOVE Craigslist!
I swear by Gold Bond Hand Cream. or Bag Balm. sm
I keep a tube of the Gold Bond right next to my keyboard. I am ALWAYS putting it on. It has a really light smell. I use Bag Balm at night with a pair of cheap cotton gloves I got at our local mission store. I also use Bag Balm on my heels aned feet both winter and summer as they are so dry they will crack and bleed. I have also heard of something called "Cornhuskers Lotion". I tried it once and it was too thin and runny. Or perhaps the lotion with the fisherman on it. Norwegian something or other.
Wrist splints. I worked for a hand surgeon and started having the same problem and he put me in
wrist splints. I, of course, got a better quality one from his suppliers but you can still get them at any pharmacy or medical supply store.
Go to Wal-Mart and buy a couple of those stretchy hand things with Velcro straps that go around
2 for about 10 bucks. Similar to the Hand-Eze gloves but better (because of the velcro strap) and way cheaper and easier to find. And yes, you can work in them.
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