Like all of you, I am concerned about expenses. Recently my mortgage holder wanted to increase the amount of my monthly payment due to an increase in my homeowner’s insurance. Like many of you, I have the bank escrow my annual homeowner’s insurance premium and real estate taxes. While my taxes have gone down, my homeowner’s insurance policy was still going up.
After a week or so of calling around to get other insurance quotes, I got a break. One of the companies mentioned that the State of Florida does FREE home audits to determine the exposure of your house to wind and rain. If the audit shows your house complies with state recommendations, you may qualify for a significant reduction in your insurance rates. Again, the audit is free. The inspector works for you and you are the only one to receive the inspection report. If it’s favorable, then you can act on it.
In my case I saved over 50% in my annual premium. How much can you save? You won’t know until you sign up for the free inspection. The program is called:
Their web site is the same name.
I don't know what you are paying for gasoline, but here in Florida we are paying over $3.50 per gallon for most grades. In my line of work as a real estate agent, this is one of my major expenses. Even with most of my clients doing their research on our internet sites, I still drive an average of 150 miles a day. With gas prices the way they are, I do whatever I can to conserve. Recently, a client who has worked in petroleum industry for over 30 years sent me these tips on saving money at the pump. They are worth reading and forwarding.
“Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so when you buy in the afternoon or in the evening, your gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and ethanol products play an important role. A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. Unlike service stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is temperature compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact amount. But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps. “When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to the fastest mode. In a slower mode you minimize the vapors that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. In some states, there is even a vacuum to retrieve vapors before they can vent to the outside air. If you are pumping on the fast rate, more of the liquid that goes into your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and either back into the underground storage tank or expelled to the outside air. Bottom line, you're getting less gas for your money. “One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY. The reason for this is, the more gas you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation. Car gas tanks don’t have this floating roof, we so need to keep them as full as practical to avoid vapor loss. “Another reminder, if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, try to avoid buying there. Most likely the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom.”
“Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so when you buy in the afternoon or in the evening, your gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and ethanol products play an important role. A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. Unlike service stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is temperature compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact amount. But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps. “When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to the fastest mode. In a slower mode you minimize the vapors that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. In some states, there is even a vacuum to retrieve vapors before they can vent to the outside air. If you are pumping on the fast rate, more of the liquid that goes into your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and either back into the underground storage tank or expelled to the outside air. Bottom line, you're getting less gas for your money. “One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY. The reason for this is, the more gas you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation. Car gas tanks don’t have this floating roof, we so need to keep them as full as practical to avoid vapor loss.
“Another reminder, if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, try to avoid buying there. Most likely the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom.”
Hope this will help you get the most value for your money.
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