» Posted by Martin Weil on June 20, 2008

or "How to save money on gas?

From Fueleconomy.gov

"While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. You can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.30 per gallon for gas."

» Posted by Martin Weil on February 06, 2008

Shrugging off concerns about hygiene and Mexico's brutal drug war, thousands of Americans are heading to Ciudad Juarez and other Mexican border cities for cheap dental treatment....

A dental crown in the United States costs upward of $600 per tooth, compared to $190 or less in Mexico.

This excerpt from a Reuters article discusses the trend of Americans seeking offshore medical procedures that we first noted in 2006.

» Posted by Martin Weil on July 27, 2007

PepsiCo Inc. will spell out that its Aquafina bottled water is made with tap water ... According to Corporate Accountability International, a U.S. watchdog group, the world's No. 2 beverage company will include the words "Public Water Source" on Aquafina labels. "If this helps clarify the fact that the water originates from public sources, then it's a reasonable thing to do," said Michelle Naughton, a Pepsi-Cola North America spokeswoman. MSNBC

In 2006, US consumers spent more than $15 billion, about $200 per family, on what is apparently largely tap water in billions of throwaway plastic bottles.

» Posted by Martin Weil on June 29, 2007

Most people expect they can work or invest their way to wealth. Most (New Englanders excepted) don't realize they can also save their way there. So with the goal of helping people become better, smarter, stewards of their financial lives, I am introducing a new Money Saver subset under the Personal Finance topic.

From FreeMoneyFinance comes the recommendation to install a "whole house" fan, one of those large devices that suck air through the entire home and out through the attic. The cooling cost of running the fan is 10% of AC. And from personal experience living in an area where 100 degree days are not uncommon, they are a great adjunct, if not a replacement, to air conditioning.