Four Money Saving Tips For Super Shoppers

Some people just love to shop, but may not necessarily love to spend a lot of money. Here are four awesome tips to save money when you love to shop but not empty your wallet.

1. Look For Coupons

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Whether you shop in person or online, looking for coupons is the way to go for just about everything. If you are shopping at a specific store online, Google that website and look for one of the many websites that gathers up coupon codes. You could end up saving a ton. If you are looking for something local like dining out or getting a haircut, look at a website like Groupon to see what kinds of deals are available. In busier areas, you can find coupons for just about everything.

2. Ask About Price Matching

Many stores offer some sort of price matching now. You don’t have to bounce from store to store to get all of your shopping done as a result. You can either bring in the ads from a competitor to a store you know does price matching or download one of the many ads that will tell you if something is cheaper somewhere else and just ask them to match it.

3. Spend Money on What’s Important

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You can save money to use towards the things you really want by finding cheaper alternatives to the things you need, but don’t necessarily spend a fortune on. For example, with the entire line of car from Fiat, available at santa monica fiat, you can get cars that are stylish and will get you great attention, all without spending a fortune on car payments, gas and insurance. Find out more about the entire line of Fiats at OC Fiat.

4. Don’t Be Afraid to Buy Used

Sometimes the best deals come from people who are upgrading what they already have, are moving or are downsizing. If you need to make a major purchase, such as a television or home appliances, it is very possible to find something that will be perfect for you that is only a couple years old and is in perfect shape. Learn how to spot the good deals on Craig’s List, do your research and don’t be afraid to negotiate and you can end up with some fantastic deals.

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Hyundai Admits Fault With 2015 Hyundai Sonata MPG

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Hyundai is backpedalling after reporting exaggerated fuel economy claims in one of its newest models.

The South Korean automaker claimed that its 2015 Sonata mid-size sedan would benefit from a six percent improvement in fuel efficiency to 12.6 kilometers per liter (29.6 mpg). But Hyundai is having to take care of itself after government tests showed the auto returning a two percent increase to 28.5 mpg compared to the more optimistic claims their own research center reported.

“We are very sorry for causing confusion to reporters,” Hyundai said in a statement.

Hyundai is predicted to officially debut the latest Sonata the following month during the Ny Auto Show. The brand are able to avoid the costly consequences it suffered after being caught in 2012 overstating the fuel economy several of its models offered, the most egregious of which claimed six mpg more than your vehicle actually returns.

SEE ALSO: Hyundai, Kia Admit to Overstating Gas Mileage on Most Models

Along with sister brand Kia, Hyundai is compensating owners who bought vehicles with all the false claims by giving them pre-paid gas cards to make up the additional annual fuel cost.

In spite of the Kia, Hyundai and controversy seemed to emerge from the situation with minimal long-lasting consequences. The companies settled lawsuits in North America for any total of $395 million.

The Sonata is Hyundai’s second-best seller in the U.S. and is also the second product to adopt the brand’s new design language, pursuing the new Genesis luxury sedan.

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When Ford Solar Hybrid Concept Gets Recharged Off-grid

Among the more noteworthy cars to debut at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas was Ford’s C-MAX Solar Energi Concept, a version of its compact plug-in hybrid vehicle that will draw power from the sun’s rays.

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The mix of a special concentrator-lens parking canopy, a solar cell array about the hybrid’s roof, and the vehicle’s ability to autonomously reposition itself to follow the focal part of the lens as being the sun moves across the sky enables the system to fully recharge the little MPV’s 8-kW·h battery in about 8 h, providing electric-only array of about 21 mi (34 km) without the need to plug into the utility grid, according to Dave McCreadie, Manager of Electrical Vehicle Infrastructure and Smart Grid Technology at Ford. Using the car’s electric plug and cord port, such a recharge would typically take about 4 h.

The novel, patent-pending concept is the result of a collaborative effort by the carmaker, San Jose-based SunPower Corp., and the Georgia Institute of Technology. “We pursued this recharging concept due to confluence of countless nearly practical technologies that made it potentially feasible,” McCreadie said. “If the system functions as we hope, it’ll be a convenient and cheap way to power up.”

SunPower, that has partnered with Ford on solar technology since 2011, is supplying its high-efficiency crystalline-silicon photovoltaic cells for the car’s 1.5-m² (16-ft²) roof panel. Georgia Tech researchers designed the lens canopy to amplify solar exposure.

The special solar concentrator-a static canopy that incorporates flat Fresnel lenses that are made of low-cost acrylic-operates like a giant magnifying glass to boost the amount of sunlight that strikes the panel by up to a factor of eight, McCreadie explained. Fresnel lenses, that have been originally designed to reduce the mass of the huge, conventional lenses that were once used in lighthouses, work by dividing the conventional bulging lens body in to a compact group of concentric, confocal annular lens sections.

The team charted different locations in the nation and also the different seasons to determine what it could take to keep your car beneath the static concentrator canopy. “We sized the lens array so that someone living in an are of your U.S. with the average quantity of solar exposure such as Raleigh, N.C., would be able to recharge the battery during the duration of a day,” he said. The Ford supervisor added which a parking canopy with a lens area from 12 to 20 m² (129 to 215 ft²) would be found in Phoenix, whereas “it would require a larger footprint where there’s less sun.”

The device is designed to keep the car aligned with the sun by continuously repositioning the car under the canopy throughout the day. To accommodate the daily traverse, the room below the canopy would be somewhat larger than a typical parking spot.

Ford data indicate that this sun could power approximately three from four trips made by the average driver in the solar hybrid vehicle. This capability may be important in places where the electric grid isunreliable and underdeveloped. Alternatively, costly to use. By making use of renewable power, C-MAX Solar Energi could cut the annual greenhouse gas emissions that a typical owner would produce by an estimated 4 t (4.4 ton)-the equivalent of the quantity that an American house creates in four months.

The Ford C-MAX Energi hybrid has a maximum range of 620 mi (998 km) and contains a U.S. EPA-estimated mileage of 108 MPGe city and 92 MPGe highway for a combined 100 MPGe.

McCreadie emphasized that the technique is still in early stages of development: “We have not physically tested the concept.”

Georgia and Ford Tech engineers are now just starting to test the off-the-grid vehicle in various real-world scenarios. The outcome of these evaluations can help you to determine if the reasoning could be feasible as a production car.

Tips to Stay Awake While Driving

It can be great fun to go on a long road trip adventure but it can also be pretty boring. Driving can be a monotonous thing to do, particularly if you are on your own if the rest of the passengers are sleeping peacefully and the scenery is miles and miles of pretty much the same. Nobody knows more about hitting the open road than long haul truckers and they’ve come up with some pretty neat ideas about how to keep interested, alert and safe whilst driving for a long distance, after all, driving when tired and sleepy is one of the best ways to cause or be involved in an accident.

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• Don’t fight the feelings, pull over and take a nap. Research has proved that even cat napping for an hour or less can help to revive your body and make it safe for you to carry on. If you start to feel sleepy find somewhere to pull over and get a little shut-eye.
• Eat a healthy diet. It might be very tempting to grab some fast food from one of the many truck stops or gas stations – immediately after you walk through the door your eyes will feast on sugary snacks to give you a boost – resist the temptation. What happens after a sugar high- you’ve guessed it, post sugar slump? If you eat a healthy meal with plenty of protein and complex carbohydrates it’ll give you the long-lasting stamina needed for an extended road trip. Eating plenty of fruits, veggies and whole grains can help to keep your batteries charged for longer.

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• Pump up the volume – music can have a big affect on your mood which has a big effect on your energy levels. If you start to feel a little sleepy switch the CD and find something funky, fast and noisy. Sing along and get with the beat – okay, your sleeping passengers may not be too impressed (particularly if you can’t hold a tune) but it’ll help to ensure that you all arrive safely and in one piece.
• Stretch your legs – even if you don’t stop for a cat nap there’s a great benefit in pulling over for five minutes and getting out from behind the wheel to stretch your legs. Moving around will help to get your blood flowing and increase your energy levels – it only needs a few minutes to make a big difference.
• Put in an audio book – something which is interesting to you and will keep your attention. I’m not suggesting that you battle your way through something like War and Peace but something scary or full of suspense could help to keep you alert.
• Roll down the window for a while – if you are driving in a warm, toasty car you will soon start to feel sleepy but if you roll down the windows for a few minutes for a blast of cool, fresh air it can give you a quick fix. This doesn’t work for long so if you’re really struggling you’d better pull over when you can for that power nap.
• Drink lots of water but avoid caffeine and energy drinks – water is the way to go, water, water and more water. Dehydration can cause you to feel drowsy, avoid coffee, avoid energy drinks and stick to plain old simple water.

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Santa Ana Jeep has a great choice of cars just perfect for your next road trip. Check out the choices at OC Auto and you’ll soon see what I mean. These motors will definitely keep your attention while driving.

What Lies Behind The Secret City

The all-new Honda City is the industry’s best kept secret and the most awaited launch today. Can’t wait for November 25th.

It’s less than a week to go ahead of the global launch of the next-generation Honda City (code: 2CT) and, surprisingly, it’s not really been caught on camera anywhere as well as in any form. Autocar India had scooped the current City just weeks before it debuted in Thailand in August 2008, but now round we’ve drawn a blank, despite offering a handsome reward (the offer still stands! Before the launch, ) for a picture.

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Honda has put Pentagon levels of security behind the new City and, in fact, has appointed a ‘Secrecy Committee’ whose job is to ensure that no image of the City leaves Honda’s premises, let alone the vehicle! Well, Honda has up to now succeeded and this has only heightened the experience of anticipation for the purpose, apart from being the best kept secret in the business, is also typically the most awaited car.

So, what’s the area like? Unconfirmed reports say that it’s more of an evolution rather than the revolution the past two Citys are already over their respective predecessors. The current City has been a huge success so therefore Honda is reluctant to tamper with the formula. In fact, the City’s popularity can be gauged by the simple fact that remaining stocks out of stock two months sooner than expected, forcing Honda to advance the launch accordingly. The corporation did not anticipate the swing back to petrol demand, which worked inside the City’s favour. But now it doesn’t matter if petrol is in or out for the reason that City may come armed with both, a 1.5-litre petrol and diesel motor to protect itself against any swing.

The talking point of the latest City could be the diesel engine, which is a first in this model. The engine is quite familiar though, the Amaze’s 1.5 i-DTEC motor will power the City too but in a different state of tune. We expect power and torque to be marginally enhanced nonetheless its fuel efficiency that Honda is after. The company says that customers will probably be ‘amazed’ (pardon the pun) with the City diesel’s fuel efficiency, that is expected to be the ideal in class. What we be sure is that there is no hardware change – the City diesel will use the same Fixed Geometry Turbo (FGT) like the Amaze and there won’t be a go on to a Variable Geometry Turbo (VGT), which enhances power but is considerably more expensive too. Honda is relying instead on ECU tuning rather than any hardware changes to upgrade the performance and efficiency of this 1.5-litre diesel.

The diesel City will be more refined than the diesel Amaze. This is the good news. We criticized the Amaze for the noisy diesel motor and customers aren’t happy either. This feedback has filtered back to Honda along with the company is using superior sound deadening material to cut the NVH. A Honda engineer confirmed, “”The Area is in an increased class compared to the Amaze and we need to ensure it is more refined.”

There’s also the tricky bit about positioning. Ahead of the Amaze, the City had enough leeway to become priced (as well as discounted) downwards but now with the Amaze occupying a lower price point, the City’s choices are only north. There’s a fear that Honda, which has a growing appetite to make money these days, will make use of the new City to gently step into the discontinued Civic’s shoes. Hence a more expensive City is far more likely compared to a cheaper one. Let’s just hope it’s worth the selling price.