by Eva Smith

3 Important Questions To Ask Yourself Before Buying a Car

red beatle car with ribbon

Spending money on a car for personal use is no joke. There are factors you should consider before signing that contract and purchasing a new car – be it cash or on an installment basis. You should also be fully aware that you just won’t be spending on the car model itself, it requires other essential expenses throughout the period. There’s the insurance, maintenance, gas, and all that. Careful thinking and planning are needed before making a big decision like this. Here are some questions you should ask yourself before buying a car:

1. Why Do I Need a Car?

Figure out the main purpose of why you are planning to get a car. Is it for your daily commute? For going around the campus? For a bigger space so the whole family can fit in? Or is it just for the luxury? Knowing the purpose will help you decide what features you’ll be needing from a car. In this way, you will feel like you got the most out of your payment and you won’t have regrets.

2. New or Used Car?

It feels so great to own a brand new car, but have you thought of its cost? Also, did you know that a car sharply depreciates in value in the first two years? Before deciding on what car you should buy, know your budget and ability to pay. If you plan for a second-hand car, just be sure to check it out properly to avoid future expenses of replacement parts. You just might end up spending a lot more than you should.

3. How much Can I Afford?

This is the most important question of all. Always face the reality and don’t opt for a car that is way out of your income. There are a lot of cars that are available but are affordable and can meet all your needs. But you should also consider what you’ll be spending on your car for it to be well-maintained – gas, maintenance, carwash, change oil, insurance, and a LOT more!

Huge decisions like this will really come to our life, and what we need is proper knowledge on how to manage our finances. Asking help from Financial Advisors and a Wealth Management Firm will lead you to a better path of financial freedom. Before purchasing anything that causes a huge amount of money and constant expenses, you should be fully aware of your financial standing.

by Eva Smith

Common Mistakes to Avoid for a Reliable Garage Door

garage door mistakes to avoid

What we would definitely love is having a reliable, well-maintained, hassle-free Garage Door in the long run, for our daily use. A regular upkeep and maintenance are needed to keep this big moving object working well. We are humans and we can’t avoid doing mistakes. But, here are some heads up on the most common mistakes that people unintentionally do that are hurting their Garage Door, and also putting them at risk.

Not Doing a Regular Maintenance

Yes, we know we all have busy lives. People don’t think of checking on their Garage Door once in awhile even though it is one of the daily used machines with hundreds of moving parts that are prone to wear and tear. We only pay attention to it when something really starts going wrong. Don’t make this mistake and save yourself from some future problems, hassle, and expenses. You can also have a Professional check on it at least twice a month. For Older Garage Doors, inspecting it more often is good.

 

Incorrect Usage or Operation

As busy individuals, we sometimes experience being in a hurry and mistakes happen which we usually don’t notice. Kids also operate the Garage Door mistakenly which may cause a problem. Long story short, the Garage Door is used incorrectly on a regular basis. Always ensure a proper operation. When you start hearing squeaky sounds while the Door is on the move, call your Professional Garage Door Technician to have them check on it.

 

Not Paying Attention to Obvious Problems

Garage Doors will occasionally have signs or hints – showing you that it has a problem. Most people won’t give it any attention unless it gets worse. Attending to early signs like weird sounds, loud noise or jerky motions – will definitely save you from spending a HUGE amount of money for repairs or serious injury.

 

Loose Panels

This is a common safety problem a technician makes when installing a Garage Door which posed hazardous risks – always be sure to hire reliable Professionals to get the job done. Panels tend to loosen especially when they are used on a daily basis, that’s why we encourage our clients to have a regular maintenance.

 

Doing Your Own DIY Repairs on Garage Door Malfunctions

This is one of the worst things you can do. The Garage Door – being the heaviest moving object in your household, can pose a serious hazardous risk especially when there are kids around. Proper Repair of Professional Garage Door Services is the best option you can do to ensure the safety of its function and of course, know that it will be 100% fixed! Professionals in this field would know better than anyone because they are equipped with vast knowledge and experiences that will help give you the best service.

 

So, there you have it! Make sure to keep all of these in mind. It’s also for your own good and your family’s safety. Avoid future problems and expenses and focus more on important things in your daily life without having to worry about a Malfunctioning Garage Door.

by Eva Smith

7 Top Easy Ways to Prolong the life of Your Car

Great! You got a car that saves you from most of the inconvenience that a daily public commute can bring. 

clean car, beautiful car, prolong car lifeWe want to keep this benefit for as long as we want, right? That’s why taking care of your car is a must! Especially now that fuel prices and car repair prices are going up – and the last thing we want is having our car break down and spending more!

 

With these 7 Easy Ways, we will help you prolong the life of that valuable possession of yours.

1. Gently warm up your car first for a good start

Do you know what easily adds up to the wear of your engine? It’s when you immediately race your car’s engine during the start-up. Avoid doing this at all cost. Leaving your engine for more than 5 hours leads to a Cold Engine – this is the situation wherein you most want to avoid revving up your engine. Start your car and leave it for about 30 seconds to allow the motor and oil to warm up, and allow the oil pump to lubricate the engine. Gently warming up also allows the coolant to flow properly.

2. Always check the Fluids and Tires

Do a big part in maintaining your car by giving it just 10 minutes once or twice a month! Grab that rag, but be sure to have a cool engine first as much as possible! Check all the fluids that allow your car to operate smoothly, that includes; your engine oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, power steering fluid and coolant.

While you are at it, make sure to check your tires and be sure that they have the recommended psi as stated in your car’s manual or indicated in the driver’s side door jamb. It’s acceptable to do all of these once a month, except for checking the tires which should be done every 2 weeks.

3. Regularly clean your car, inside and out

Whether we like it or not, as years past, our car is prone to having rust. But not all hope is gone! We still can do something about that! Regularly, and I mean consistently following a schedule for cleaning your car, both inside and outside is a must! Make sure to clean up those dust and debris that has collected inside your car and wash off those sludge and pollution from the body of your car. Make sure to wax the car to increase the protection of the finish.

4. Protect car paint from the sun

Sun is one of the natural enemies of our car and most of the time we won’t be able to avoid it. But we can at least increase its protection from the sun to avoid damage to the exterior by parking in a shade and covering it when parked outside. Your interior isn’t safe from the sun either which can cause bleaching. Consider having your car windows tinted and be sure to trust the work of trusted and Professional Auto Tinters.

5. Regularly changing Oil is a Must!

Having low level and old oil will contribute to the wear and tear of your car. Oil is essential for the engine to operate smoothly and thus regularly maintaining it is important. The recommended mileage for changing your oil is between 3000-5000 miles.

Tip: Make sure to change the oil filter at the same time since they both work together for a better operation.

6. Clean Your Engine

Road salt and other debris don’t just get on your car’s exterior, one way or another they find their way up to your engine and other parts. Be sure to clean up your engine, removing spots that can shorten the life of your parts, and completely removing all the debris that can cause corrosion.

Here’s a short video showing how to clean a car engine the right way:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JXxCGUZVYw

Also, be sure to clean your Engine Bay with this simple 5 step process:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRSoRkM8GcM

Bonus Benefit: You will be able to see potential troubles in advance by spotting leaks or cracks when you have a clean engine!

7. Be a responsible driver and drive calmly

Yes, we would sometimes get that urge to drive fast and feel that speed while our hearts races. But high speeds, sudden stops and starts and sharp turns can really contribute to the wear and tear of your car. Drive calmly and properly as much as possible and be that responsible driver we all should be!