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The Local Gas Prices widget for your iGoogle homepage is an easy way to get the cheapest gas prices for a specified zip code. The widget is free and can be added to your customized iGoogle page next to your LCSB RSS feeds.

This is the first of a new series trying to pool together ideas about financial decisions and situations - so if you’re comment shy now is your time to come out of your shell!

So the question is this:

I’m looking for a new used car. That is, a same year model car but slightly used. I know that buying used cuts of thousands of dollars from the price, but I’m having trouble finding things online. Any ideas?

Well, I’ll start by saying that Carmax is a good call, and also make sure you get the best deal possible since dealers will feel they have leverage with such a new (even though used) ride.

Let us know how it goes, and also remember to save money on that pimp-ride after you buy it, and keep your gas costs down by getting only the grade required in the owner’s manual.

Don’t spend way too much money maintaining your car. Msn money tells us the 20 ways we spend too much on our cars, and suggests good alternatives. Regarding the 3,000-mile oil change they state:

Manufacturers typically suggest 5,000 miles, 7,500 miles or even longer intervals between oil changes (many car markers now include oil-life monitors that tell you when the oil is dirty — sometimes as long as 15,000 miles.) There may be two recommendations for oil-change intervals: one for normal driving and one for hard use. If you live in a cold climate, take mostly very short trips, tow a trailer or have a high-revving, high-performance engine, use the more aggressive schedule. If you seldom drive your car, go by the calendar rather than your odometer. Twice a year changes are the minimum. (more…)

There is a long-standing belief that using air conditioning in your car wastes a lot more gas than riding around with your windows down. CNNMoney.com writes:

In two separate studies conducted in 2005, the automotive Web site Edmunds.com and Consumer Reports compared the fuel economy of both a sedan and an SUV at highway speeds with and without air conditioning and how open windows affected gas usage. What they found was no significant difference in fuel economy in either sedan or SUV under either condition.

According to the article, it is also a common misconception that constantly turning your engine on and off will waste a lot of gas. With our modern fuel injection systems this is not the case. If you’re planning on waiting in line at the bank or the drive-thru for more than 30 seconds, turning off the engine will actually save you gas in the long run.

There has been a long-running debate about whether there is a noticeable difference between regular and premium unleaded gasoline. Edmunds.com writes:

Until about 15 years ago, if a car called for premium gas and you pumped in regular, the car began to knock and ping and even vibrate. But that was before they essentially put a laptop under the hood of the automobile, said Dr. Loren Beard, senior manager of Environmental and Energy Planning, for Daimler Chrysler. Now, sensors take readings and tune the engine as you drive by adjusting the timing for whatever fuel you put in the tank.

According to Dr. Beard, a car that suggests premium unleaded will only suffer a half second loss in acceleration from 0-60 mph if you opt to use the mid-grade unleaded which usually runs about 10 cents cheaper a gallon. I don’t know about you, but with a 20-gallon tank, I’ll trade the half second loss for the $2 because that’ll add up over the course of a month.

This car payment calculator from Edmunds.com is a useful tool to help you establish a budget before making the decision to buy a new or used car. Using this calculator you can estimate your monthly car payment by entering in all the necessary information. There are also several other important steps you should read before you even step into the dealership.

When you buy a car at the dealership, whether new or used, it is their job to try and get the most money out of you possible. They do this by padding up the final costs with features you don’t want and fees you don’t understand. Last December I bought my 2006 Nissan Altima from a dealership and was forced to go through this grueling process. After much haggling with the salesman, we finally agreed on a price. He added up the total, after factoring in my trade-in, and I noticed he added a fee of $895 for an appearance package which I found extremely irritating. This appearance package consisted of sport stripes and locking lug nuts for the wheels. The funny thing is I didn’t even get a model that came with rims. Why would I need locking lug nuts, to protect my hubcaps? A set of locking lug nuts can be purchased for about $50, which would mean they were charging me $840 for some sport stripes I didn’t even want. Before buying a car, I highly suggest you do 2 things :

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