mrfrugal

What a coincidence that the government would release a report indicating a “gas shortage” in the United States just as the price of oil is dropping like a rock.  This is just more proof that George Bush and his cronies want high oil prices so they may reap record breaking profits.  It’s a shame that we American put the monkey in the White House for two terms. And no, I did not vote for our “fearless leader.”  Peter Pan would have been a better choice for president then George W. Bush.

Anyway, the media exaggerated the story with calls for the end of the world and how we as drivers will not be able to drive to work tomorrow. I’m just sick of all the news stations from Fox News to the BBC America stating they oil will be hitting new highs.  But then the news stations say what “they” want them to say.

 On a side note, look at the oil stocks and see how much they jumped, 4.5% on average.  I guess America is like the rest of the world after all. We are controlled by the 5% that control 90% of power.  What a waste, this American experience had promise.

People of America, let me assure you that the people of Los Angeles are safe. In our neck of the woods we do not even consider a 5.4 magnitude an earthquake. We consider a 5.4 as just a tractor trailer passing to close to our houses. The media as with everything is blowing the situation out of proportion. I did not even get under my desk at work because the earth was not shaking enough for me.

It was funny however to see people at work that are from other parts of the country get scared as the earth starting shaking. One women started hyperventilating, as another was incapacitated from fright. But in the end both were excited that they were in an earthquake, especially in Los Angeles. The woman that was hyperventilating once she calmed down called her family in Virginia and expressed her feelings of excitement as the earth beneath her grumbled.

However, we Angelinos know an earthquake of any magnitude is no laughing matter and we veterans of earthquakes should always be prepared. I myself have enough bottled water, canned food, and medical supplies to last me five days. I also have cash on hand in dominations of ones and fives ($75 worth). Plus of course I take advantage to my right to bare arms. Yes, I am locked and loaded just in case riots brake out after an earthquake. I am prepared if I am near or away from my home and for those who aren’t, that’s your problem.

Okay, I am one for saving money on gas and helping the environment but sometimes when I am on the Metro and I realize why people stay in their cars.  I am hoping, yes me Mr. Frugal that the city of
Los Angeles will raise the prices of the Metro tickets/passes for maybe two or three ghetto people will not ride the train.  I mean come on; some of the people on the green line have no manners. And the worst line of them all, the blue line I would not take if I had free championship Lakers tickets; for next year of course.  The ghetto people are loud, disrespectful and they smell (okay, not all of them smell). Here are some tips when riding the Metro to stay clear of the ghetto people. First, always sit next to someone wearing business or business casual attire.  Second, wear sunglasses at all times even when it’s cloudy; people will just think your sleeping instead of being alert as a cat preying on a mouse. Third, have an Ipod or some headphones even if there is no sound coming from your earphones; the will make people think you are not listening to the outside world. Forth, do not stare at the ghetto people, this will just encourage them to act indecent, you know like children.Tomorrow I will tell you the times you should and should not ride the Metro.Here are some tips when riding the Metro to stay clear of the ghetto people. First, always sit next to someone wearing business or business casual attire.  Second, wear sunglasses even when its cloudy; people will just think your sleeping. Third, have an Ipod or some headphones even if there is no sound coming from your earphones; the will make people think you are not listening to the outside world. Forth, do not stare at the ghetto people, this will just incourage them to act indecent, you know like children.

Oil prices have been dropping faster than celebrities these days. For the third straight week a barrel of oil has dropped $2.23 today alone.  A barrel of oil is now selling for $123, down from its all time high of +$148. 

With the price of oil dropping a percent a day does not automatically give you a reason to buy an SUV.  The golden days of the SUVs are over and I say good riddance. A new error of smart cars and hyper-public transportation are here to stay, if not for a decade. The fall in gas prices will not only help your budget but it will in turn help the struggling US economy and create a stronger dollar.  And with your extra saving of gas money don’t be stupid at buy cheap Chinese crap. Put it in your savings account and pretend that gas prices are still at an all time high.

Save money, take the Metro.  Okay, I worked it out. Here we go. I live 32.3 miles away from work and it is a nice 35 minute drive early in the morning, before 0530 PST. If I leave my house minutes after my special “leave time” I am screwed. I’ll be over an hour and a half fighting the Orange County/Los Angeles morning comute. So first lesson, leave before rush hour to save time and gas. Don’t be lazy, get out of your dwelling early to beat the traffic.  Second, buy a metro pass and please do not get those stupid coins.  I was wasting (yes, I really time myself) on average 19 minutes a day waiting in line, using the machine and most likely missing the train trying to get my ticket. 

Here’s the break-out of costs:

Commute by car & train (light rail) - $42 for the monthly pass (subsidized by my company, regular $62); gas to the station, 17 miles at about $2.27 one way at $4.25 a gallon equals: $3.32 one way to work compared to about $4.30 taking my car the whole way. Plus I have less wear and tear on my car. I get used to get oil changes every month and a half. Now I take the car in for an oil change about every three months.

Commute by car: about $4.32 one way not including wear and tear.

Time wise it’s about the same, I lose 20 minutes on the way to work with parking and the like but save about 35 minutes on the way home since I fly by traffic. Next time I’ll teach you some helpful metro seating tips and the type of people to stay away from.

Hello fellow savers,

I am here to spread the word, the word that will help you during these tough economic times. Are you ready, here it is, the word of the day is SAVE. Save, what a wonderful word. Who do you know that does not like to save money, time, gas, energy (money), ice-cream for a late night snack? Even the so called high class snotty women like to save; how else will they pay for their plastic surgery.

I just received my electricity bill today and it was high for my standards, $102. I know that may be low for some during one of the hottest mid-June to mid-July months on record but that is the highest electricity bills in two years. Yes, the rates were raised by 5% from the previous year but that is no excuse for my failure on keeping my utility bills low. I have a plan though, I recently replaced all my recess lighting standard flood lights (60w) in my kitchen with four fluorescent flood lights. Not only will I save money from electricity from the lights being on but the fluorescent lights also give off way less heat than the standard 60w bulbs. That means less time my air conditioner will be on (can you hear the chi-ching).

And that is just the start; I plan on replacing all my recess light bulbs after this test run is over next month to see if it is worth me getting rid of 12 standard lights with the fluorescent bulbs. Remember, the fluorescent bulbs are about $9 for a pack of two at Home Depot compared to the standard $4.50 for a pack of two standard flood lights.