My dad is meticulous about car maintenance. He always checks under the hood of my car when I visit and keeps track of my mileage, reminding me when it’s time for an oil change or tire rotation.

I’m a firm believer that prevention is the best medicine and I’m intent on paying both of our cars off and driving them for as long as possible, so it’s a good thing I inherited my dad’s penchant for record keeping, because my husband? Not so prompt with his own car maintenance, let alone mine.

How to Make Your Car Last Forever by Tom Torbjornsen is a great guide to increasing the longevity of your vehicle by advocating proper maintenance and understanding your car’s warranty and owner’s manual, and with my dad on the other side of the country, I can use all the help I can get!

Page of full color photos and step-by-step instructions make understanding simple repairs easy, and the time and cost estimates give you an idea of what you’re getting yourself into before you get your hands dirty. The Q&A sections are invaluable for real life examples of common maintenance and repair issues and the entire tone of the book is educational and actually quite enjoyable to read!

Maintenance and money-saving trips are sprinkled throughout the book, complete with explanations, which always catch my eye.

Top Ten Fuel-Saving Tips (detailed explanations on page 9)

1. Drive less.
2. Drive slower.
3. Keep the engine in tune.
4. Keep tires properly inflated
5. Keep tires and wheels properly aligned.
6. Keep front grille and engine free of debris.
7. Accelerate modestly
8. Coast.
9. Break gently and minimally.
10. Maintain situational awareness.

How to Make Your Car Last is the basics of car ownership and I think it should be kept right alongside your owner’s manual. I think it’s a valuable resource whether you’re a do-it-yourself-er or someone who just wants to know a little more when dealing with your local repair shop.

I was provided with an advanced copy of the above mentioned book by the publisher. I did not receive any monetary compensation and was not required to blog about the book. Affiliate links are included in this post. Please see my site policy with any questions.

• $164 State Farm – car insurance
• $58 State Farm – renter’s insurance
• $41 internet
• $132 electric
• $375 Chase
• $24 gas
• $53 Hobby Lobby
• $17 groceries
• $8 Post Office

This week, I was determined to teach myself how to knit. I finished my first scarf, and learned that I am a yarn snob and knitting is not a cheap hobby.

Do you have any hobbies? Do they require much more than just your time? Say $10.49 for a skein of wool yarn?

When we moved from Chicago to Austin, space was at a premium. We filled two storage cubes to capacity a week before the move and everything else had to fit in our cars. Unfortunately, that meant some things either ended up in the trash or with friends and family.

One of the casualties of the move was the pots and pans. They were old and in pretty bad shape, not to mention awkward to move across country. Since then, I’ve been making do with the few pieces that were worth keeping.

Until today.

When a new 10 piece Faberware cookware set arrived at my doorstep! 1 covered stockpot, 2 covered saucepans, and two skillets, plus two new serving spoons as a bonus!

I ordered from CSN Stores and had another great experience. The price was competitive and shipping was FREE – something no other retailer I browsed offered. I was able to pay via PayPal (which is always a blessing and a curse – too easy to shop!) and my order shipped within 24 hours.

Now…what to make for dinner?

CSN provided a gift certificate to be used toward the purchase of the above mentioned cookware. All opinions are 100% mine. Please see my site policy with any questions.

Do you live in or near Austin, Texas? If so, check out my weekly Around Austin feature at Inexpensively!

Each week I’m going to be giving all the details on something free (or cheap) to do around the city. Since I’m still new to the area, it’s a great way for me to discover local events and hopefully pass on some budget friendly entertainment ideas!

Here’s what I’ve featured so far:

• Austin Free Museum Day
• Austin Restaurant Week September 19-22 & 26-29
• Austin on a Budget

If you know of any events that I should feature, feel free to contact me!

I met Kimberly Danger at Bacon, Eggs and Coupons and we had a great conversation about saving and spending and all things frugal. Then she lays it on me that she’s written two books on those exact topics – Instant Bargains: 600+ Ways to Shrink Your Grocery Bills and Eat Well for Less and The Complete Book of Baby Bargains: 1,000+ Best Ways to Save Money Every Day – and I knew I was out of my league!

Kimberly was nice enough to give me copies of both books and I finally got around to thumbing through them.

I wish I had a copy of Instant Bargains: 600+ Ways to Shrink Your Grocery Bills and Eat Well for Less when I first started couponing. It’s a really precise introduction on how to get organized, where to look for bargains, and how to stretch your budget by stockpiling and being more deliberate and efficient with your shopping and meal preparation. There’s real life examples of shopping scenarios, which I always find helpful, and I love the sprinkling of recipes (yum homemade gnocchi)!

I’ve packed away The Complete Book of Baby Bargains: 1,000+ Best Ways to Save Money Every Day (don’t tell my husband) for when we have kids. I love that it’s literally a list of 1,000 baby bargaining tips, which makes it a quick read and easy to refer back to when you’re looking for ways to save on something specific. It’s a perfect baby shower gift.

Both books are real frugal gems and I recommend them to bargain hunting beginners. I think they are both fabulous resources and something you’ll keep around to refer to again and again.

Affiliate links are included in this post. Please see my site policy with any questions.

• $100 Costco
• $15 CVS
• $41 Walmart
• $$38 Old Navy
• $31 GAP

I got cabin fever this week and ended up at the mall. I had lots of coupons, so I didn’t do too much damage.

Did you do any impulse spending this week? Have buyers remorse?

Half the battle with couponing is organization. I know that’s what frustrated me the most when I began.

If you don’t know what coupons you have, you can’t combine, stack, and stock up on the best deals, which can make it seem like your couponing efforts aren’t paying off.

I’m beginning to outgrow my current organizational system, and Coupon Clutch looks like a great upgrade.

The Coupon Clutch looks like a stylish tote bag (and I’m all about being stylish while saving money) that opens to reveal a convenient binder with clear pockets that allow you to store and organize all your coupons however is most convenient for you – I prefer by date within each category.

The Coupon Clutch is handmade and be customize with a 2″ or 3″ binder, as well as 3, 4, 6, or 9 pocket binder pages. You can also download instructions and do it yourself!

If the Coupon Clutch looks like something that can make your couponing easier, use Coupon Clutch coupon code INEXPENSIVELY now through October 31st, to save 10% on all Coupon Clutch purchases, including sale items!

And if you’re feeling lucky, head over to Inexpensively where you can win a Coupon Clutch!

I was entered into a gift card drawing for writing this post, as part of a Team Inexpensively tour, but all opinions are 100% mine. Please see my site policy with any questions.