But besides that, we all still need to drive… so what can we do to save a buck or two? Well, believe it or not, supermarkets are starting to sell gas. And if you’re a member of one of their frequent buyer programs, you’re eligible for extra discounts at their gas pumps! My dad is actually filling up for about 0.15 less per gallon than at a regular gas station whenever he uses his card!

When you’re looking at 3.99 for a gallon of regular octane (87) fuel, and a supermarket is selling it for 3.84, that’s quite a big savings. That is the kind of thing that would definitely add up throughout the year.

Now I’m sure that there are concerns. Personally, I pay more for a gallon of gas at Mobil because I trust their detergents and other cleaning agents they use in their fuel. I’m actually getting about 400 miles per tank running on premium fuel in my car (2008 Infiniti G35x), which is quite good. I am willing to experiment for a tank though. Next time I fill up, I’ll head off to the supermarket, and let you guys know if the gas is worth the savings!

Anyone looking for a quick fix on gas savings though, check out your local Stop and Shop, if there is one. Here’s a store locater to help you!

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But, before we get on to tips on hypermiling (which we’ll get up for you!), we need to define what hypermiling is.

For our definitition, we turn to Hypermiling dot com.

it is a method of increasing your car’s gas mileage by making skillful changes in the way you drive, allowing you to save gas and thereby have an easier time withstanding the rising oil and gas prices

Pretty self explanatory, huh?  I agree. However, for someone who has never tried something like this before, it can be a very difficult thing to do.  What I’m going to do, is to take a tip a week, and test it out on my car.  I’ll let you know how many miles I got out of my latest tank, with that tip applied, and the potential savings.  Hopefully this will be a feature you guys will enjoy!

Have you tried Hypermiling?  If you have, did it work?

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For simplicity, I’m goint to examine the 3-Series, and it’s integrator.

iPod Connector

As you can tell from the image (and if you’re familiar with the Infiniti Integrator), the iPod is connected to the system through a connector cable. I was surprised to find out that it’s almost exactly the same cable as the one found on my infiniti. Maybe apple is getting smart and manufacturing these for car companies to buy! That’s a pretty good idea if they’re doing that. Hopefully other car manufacturers will pick up on the integrator, and apple may make it standard. In any case, this connector allows all types of iPods to integrate with the sound system of the car.

Functionality

As expected, the integrator allows the iPod to be controlled through the wheel functions, and also through the sound system itself. Here’s BMW’s stand on what the integrator should do:

When we wanted to connect an MP3 player directly to our vehicle’s sound system, we went straight to the experts at Apple. Together, we created the world’s first seamless integrated system of iPod and automobile. Just plug your iPod or iPhone into the adapter accessory. Control the volume and your playlists through the multifunction steering wheel, while your iPod or iPhone stays out of view with a constant flow of power. There’s also a convenient, standard auxiliary input jack, which allows you to play any MP3 through the audio system.

Source: BMW USA

I’m assuming this means that the iPod is charged through the system, which is highly convenient. You don’t want to have to have another connector to charge the iPod.

What I would like to see is more video connection between an iPod and the center console of a car. I believe my car can do that (Infiniti G35), and I would like to know if the BMW can do that as well. Does anyone know?

BMW seems to have a winner with their integrator, as Infiniti did. I hope to take a look at other integration systems, whether they be built into the car (or come with the car), or they are built by another manufacturer. Hopefully, this will help you in your choice of car or accessory for it!

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Well, it turns out that it is and it isn’t.

Why Rain Can Help

For obvious purposes, having it rain on your car is simply more cost efficient than washing your car yourself, or paying to have it done.  Many express car washes run between 6 and 10 dollars, and if you go to a professional car washer, it could cost even more.  In this case, you can see how the rain will help.

It’s also true that a good rain will manage to wash off pollen, and some built up dirt on the outer surface of your car.  There’s nothing better than a good rain after your car has been pummelled with pollen.  You’ll see the paint job again, instead of having it be all green and gross from the pollen.  Bugs and other various things that are stuck to your car also tend to come off.  Seems pretty sweet right?  Well hold on, there are cons to leaving your car out there for the elements to deal with.

How the Rain can Hurt

Acid Rain.  Simply put, acid rain is damaging to the exterior surface of your car.  First off, acid rain is simply any rain that has a pH of less than 7 (which is neutral).  While the initial rain on your car may not be that bad, it becomes worse once the water evaporates.  Once this water has evaporated, the acidic contents become concentrated on the surface of your vehicle (or any other surface for that matter).  These chemicals become reactivated whenever they become wet, so they cause damage again as early as the morning dew.

You can recognize the damaged spots as “water damaged” spots that won’t wipe off.  As these spots remain and keep becoming re-activated, they burn deeper and deeper through the clear coat of your car, eventually causing more and more damage.

Source: Best Auto Finish

Overview

Leaving your car out in the rain and not washing it afterwards is a gamble.  Yes, there are benefits, and it can be considered a cheap car wash.  However, I would not look to it as a permanent replacement for car washes.  The overall damage that it may cause will more than likely outweigh the temporary benefits that it can provide.

We’ll take a look later on at what you can do to prevent this type of damage to your car.

That being said… I’m going to get my car washed….

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What is Oil used for?

Regardless of the type of oil you put in your car/vehicle, it is used as a lubricant for an internal combustion engine.  Every engine has parts that move very rapidly, and often come in contact with each other.  This causes a buildup of friction.  Oil is used to lessen the friction between parts, as the constant rubbing and grinding of parts against each other is very detrimental to an engine.

Another important function of oil is that it prevents oxidation (or rusting) of engine parts.  By forming a protective film over parts of your engine, the exposure of the parts to oxygen remains minimal, and thus the effect of oxidation is less on your engine.

Finally, oil also works to reduce the amount of heat generated by the engine, another contributing factor to engine wear.

Source: Wikipedia

Now that we’ve looked at the use of oil, let’s take a look at the different types of oil you can use in your car.

Conventional Oil

Conventional oil is the most basic, simple type of vehicle oil.  It is a byproduct of the crude oil refining process.  Made with a petroleum hydrocarbon base, conventional oil is cheaper than other types of oil.  However, due to it’s less complex nature than other forms, it has a higher tendency to wear and has less lasting effects than other types of oil.

Synthetic Oil

Synthetic oil costs more than conventional motor oil, and a main reason for this is that it costs more to make.  Developed from chemicals called PAO, or polyalphaolefins, synthetic oils are much cleaner than conventional oils.  Synthetic oils are able to flow under most temperature conditions, and are much more stable as well.

There are several advantages to using synthetic oils over conventional oils.  These include:

• Better low and high temperature viscocity performance.
• Less evaporative loss.
• Resistance to oxidation, thermal breakdown, and oil sludge.
• Improved fuel economy in certain configurations

However, there are also disadvanages to synthetics as well, which include:

• Less desirable for break-in periods, where more friction is desired for engine wear.
• Much higher initial costs.
• Potential decomposition issues

Synthetic Blends

Synthetic blends are essentially a combination of conventional and synthetic oils.  The main reasoning for developing this type of motor oil is to try to reduce the cost of synthetic oil.  To make synthetic blends, additives are added to conventional oils to help their viscosity over a higher temperature range, and helping it burn cleaner.  While the costs are still higher than conventional blends, this is the happy medium for people who are looking towards synthetics, but are worried about the cost.

In the end, it is really up to your manufacturer or yourself what type of oil you use to lubricate your engine.  The factors to take into consideration are:

• Use
• Cost
• Viscocity
• Manufacturer Recommendation
• Age of the Car

There are other things about motor oil which I will examine in future posts, such as the different grades of oil, and the different designations for types of oil.  All of these are very important in your choice of oil selection as well!

Do you have any other tips for the types of oils that are available?

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I’m going to still be concentrating on writing about what this blog was initially started for… which is my Infiniti.  I’ve managed to get the car and I’m paying for it well, as those of you who have read this before know.  However, I’m finding it to be quite the journey to take care of the car, shop for insurance, and basically finding out more about cars.  I’ll try to share the knowledge I’ve learned throughout the process, the resources I’ve used, and any tips I could possibly have for you guys to help care for your cars, or even purchase new ones.

With the price of gas going crazy, I think this is something that will definitely help out!

More to come very soon, folks!

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One of the main goals when people try to blog is to make money. Well, I’ve recently been asked to try out a service that might not be so new anymore, but I think is really innovative and can really help blogs make money. If you want, you can try it out for yourself here: TNX.net: Sell links on every page of your site to thousands of advertisers!

1. It gets more people involved in the TNX.net system, allowing many more publishers to earn money or points whereas a system like Text-Link-Ads is geared towards specific sites.
2. You get links to pages that have the PR you specify, allowing you to gain “natural” links on those pages, and hopefully increasing your own PR.

Now how have I done with this system myself? Well here is a screenshot of what I’ve managed to earn over about a month, without much effort at all. As you can see, I’ve earned about 8160 TNX points in just about a month. It translates to about $7 if you were to sell out the points. The selling system is pretty interesting, with a set amount of payback per points sold back to TNX. Right now, the payback is at 0.82 per 1000 points. This doesn’t seem that high, but it is supposed to get better as more publishers and advertisers sign up.

The real value, I believe, lies in using these points to campaign on other blogs and websites. I’ll be trying this out soon, and letting you know the results. You should be able to increase the ranking of your page this way, if the ads are placed properly on the site. That is my one big issue with TNX.net. It doesn’t appear to have a wordpress widget, which can make it kind of difficult to place, especially for XHTML and CSS doofuses like me.

Overall, I believe that TNX is a viable solution for those who haven’t been accepted to Text-Link-Ads, or as an alternative for those who don’t want to use TLA. It’s very cost efficient for advertisers, and very easy to use for publishers. Give it a go, and let me know what you think!

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What I’m suggesting that you do to overcome this blogging obstacle is to take what holds you back, think of the reasons why, and think up of solutions.  It is, after all, up to you to help yourself in this regard.

For me, as I stated before, its TIME.  Here are the reasons why:

•  I Moved - This wasn’t something that I could prevent.  The time needed to be taken in order to imrpove my lifestyle, and hopefully in the end improve my motivation.  I will take advantage of the additional space and nicer facilities to work harder at blogging!
• Too Many Blogs - I spread myself too thin between 6 blogs.  As a result, I wasn’t able to post with the frequency that I liked, and I let some of them get too far.  While I’m not abandoning them, I need to get back to what made me want to blog in the first place, and reestablish the blogs that started it all.  I’ll make sure that I post more frequently on these specific blogs until I feel comfortable to move onto regular posting on an additional one!
• Work - Unfortunately, I don’t make enough money online to not have to work (yet, anyway).  I’ve been putting in a ton of hours at my two other jobs so that I can pay all the bills that have been coming in for the new home, and plenty of other things that I want, such as the 52″ TV I just bought!!!  I’ll tell you guys more about that later.  To overcome this, I’ll see what I can be comfortable with in terms of posting, and try to stick to that schedule.

To help motivate yourself through these goals, allow yourself small rewards if you meet one of them.  For example, if I post 5 posts in each of my blogs in a week, I will buy myself a DVD or something.  Or I can buy one and have a contest!

Do you have things that hold you back?  If so, what will you do to overcome it?

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I had barely released the brake when… disaster.  Some lady decided that there was enough room between me and the parked car for her to squeeze through, and she was going forward as I started to go backward.  Getting out quickly to examine the damage, I saw a pretty bad dent in my bumper.  Adding to the frustration was her attitude.  She must have been speeding because when I pulled in there was no one behind me.  I do agree that we both needed to be more careful, but she apparently felt it was all my fault.

When she saw that it was just a dent, she said “that’s all I care about.”, and sped off.  So I was left with a dent in my bumper, angry, and late for work.  I called the dealership and found the body shop that they use, and I was going to call for an appointment.

After arriving at work, I came out to inspect the car once again… and the bumper had popped back out!  There was no visible damage, and I was pleased to say the least!  It made me so happy that I wouldn’t have to blow the money to fix it!

So… let it be a lesson.. even if you have a backup camera, be careful of other drivers around you.  You may think you’re the best, but being the best doesn’t matter when those who can hit you are crappy drivers.  Also, stay calm in these situations, and don’t let them escalate.  Kind of a lesson I learned when blogging.  Try to help out everyone you can, be happy with your successes, and take the failures in stride.  Don’t let things get to you too much and they will turn out just fine!

I’ve heard that there are new bumpers that fix themselves when dented… maybe I have one of those?  Anyone know?

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It’s a really nice new home, and I’ll try to put up some pictures as soon as I get a chance.  If you  still need to get in touch with me and I haven’t responded to you, please send your email again or use the contact form.  Again, I apologize, and I’ll get things back on track tonight if possible!

Anyone else who reads here moved recently?  Was it a good experience?  I think our move took way too long, and it really just means that we needed to be more organized!  Well, it’s a learning lesson anyway.  I’ll talk to you all soon!

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Winner of the 1st place prize is…….Collin at Your World Gallery!

Winner of the 2nd place prize is …. Techotic!

Winner of the 3rd place prize is ….SEI Designs!

Please email me with your details so that we can set you guys up with reviews, blog designs, and ad space!!

Thanks to everyone who entered this contest.  I will be starting another one next week, with hopefully as great prizes as I was able to get this time!  If you are interested in sponsoring the contest, please let me know.  Until then, I hope you had fun, and keep on blogging!

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Also, I’ve added Project Wonderful to this website!  You can place an ad for as low as $0.05 right now!  That’s a great value, so feel free to check it out if you get a chance.  Perhaps this is a great advertising possibility for your blog too.  I’ll be sure to discuss more of this later… probably shouldn’t do too much blogging while I should be programming!

Good luck to all entrants in the contest!

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There are currently 9 entries, so you’ve got a pretty good chance to win if you’re entering… check it out!

More updates to come later on today!

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What Brand/Model Cell Phone Do you Use?

I received several responses, and I’d like to share them with you, along with what I think their cell phones can tell you about them and their blogs! I was actually surprised with how related their choice of cell phone could be related to their blogging style and business sense.

Jeremy Schoemaker - Shoemoney.com

Jeremy uses a Sprint Treo 755p. I’m proud to say that this is the same cell phone that I use! Now what does this phone tell you about Shoemoney? Well, the Treo is a smart phone, and really helps to manage a busy schedule. It’s also one of the latest in technological advances.

Shoemoney is just like this in that he is an extremely intelligent guy, and while he won’t claim to be an expert in making money online, everyone who has read his blog, or visited any of his endeavors such as Auction ads (now ShoppingAds) and nextPimp knows he is definitely a smart and busy guy. He’s also into the latest of everything, trying to branch out into all sorts of things. His next endeavor is into the world of MMA, something he loves. Having a great cell phone is also shoemoney like in that he made it big first in the cell phone ringtone market!

Having a 755p is a very smart investment. You can use it to go online, easily send text messages, compose emails, take pictures and videos, all stuff that is really important to a blogger. If you want to become a more successful blogger, keep up with the times like Shoemoney and me, and get a 755p!

John Chow - John Chow dot com

John Chow is another equally succesful blogger, and when he got back to me with what cell phone he uses, I was a bit surprised. However, after thinking about it a bit, it really makes sense what phone he uses, as it fits the personality of his blog very well.

The phone that John Chow uses is a moto Razr. Now you might be thinking… that’s not one of the greatest phones there is out there, and I’ll give you that. However, if you think about John Chow and his blog, you know he always leaves everything out there for you, and tries to keep it simple. It’s good enough that people keep coming back for more without being overly complicated. The Razr is just like that, having everything you need in a cell phone while being simple enough not to overwhelm a new user.

Also, like the Razr, when he first made it big, there were many impersonators.

Bryan Clark - One Man’s Goal

Bryan Clark is one of my favorite bloggers. I always know that I’m going to get a quality article from his blog. Hopefully he finds a few on some of my blogs as well. Anyway, Bryan uses an iPhone, which perfectly suits his blog and business sense.

The iPhone is an innovation. It received a lot of hype when it came out. When Bryan first hit the blogosphere, he himself garnered a lot of attention from other top bloggers like Darren Rowse and John Chow. Before he knew it, everyone wanted a piece of One Man’s Goal, and he managed to sell it for quite a hefty profit. He even had the good business sense to buy BACK his blog when the person who purchased it was unable to keep up with it.

Who does that remind you of? Someone who got out and got back in right where he started. That’s right… Steve Jobs of Apple.

So there you have it. The first three bloggers that got back to me on this. I think it’s really cool that they got back to me, and I really appreciate it. What do you think… do any of you share the same traits and cell phones as these top bloggers? I guess I just have to work a bit harder, and I’ll be just like Shoe! I have a good start, we have the same phone

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• John Chow - Google putting the Screw on it’s Affiliates
• Darren Rowse - An Open Letter to Adsense

These two have illustrated how Google has recently changed their policy towards referrals, and is lowering the payout on referrals.  They’ve also changed the locations that they’re allowing people to refer to them from.  While this does seem like a huge blow to their program, it is because they are trying to post good numbers at the expense of their affiliates.  I don’t think this will last for too long, as Adsense is a huge source of income for Google.  They’ll come around, I think.

I’ve also read a recent very interesting article from Bryan Clark on why you should remove your Adsense Code.  He makes very good points about Value Pricing:

• A low click thru rate leads to value pricing, where the value of a click is reduced to 10 percent of its value.  A click worth 50 cents might be reduced to 5!
• It decreases the value across all of your blogs, placing all of your code in the value pricing category.

While Bryan makes some very good points, I still think that Adsense is very useful to new bloggers.  While new bloggers are highly at risk towards being placed in this value pricing category, not all hope is lost.  If you’re going to Blog for a Bravia like I am, you have to make use of all the moneymaking opportunities you can use, and Google Adsense is an easy one to implement.

I’ll agree that being placed in the value pricing category can be frustrating, but don’t give up.  Use it as motivation to drive more traffic to your blog, and thus lead to more clicks.  With enough quality content and good traffic heading towards your blog, your CTR is going to increase, which should pull you out of the value pricing category.  I know that it’s possible, because I’ve had some really good days recently, and I’m sure it’s because I got out of the value pricing category.  It helps you all around.

Finally, has anyone else noticed that good is now providing ads that have a “more” link in the bottom?  We all noticed when Google had their arrows leading towards more ads showing on their ads, and I think this is another way that Google is looking towards increasing CTR.  This one is not particularly effective in my opinion, because it opens up the ads in the same window, driving people away from your site….. let me know what you think!

I’m going to send Darren Rowse an Email about this… maybe he’ll pick it up!

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