Consider an Auto Auction for a Great Deal on a Used Car [Saving Money]

By Alan Henry Oct 11, 2011 5:00 AM 26,617 67

Contrary to popular culture, auto auctions aren't all broken-down cars and police impounds: in reality, they're often leased vehicles that have been returned to dealers and decommissioned rental fleets. If you do your homework, stick to your guns, and get a proper inspection at the auction, you can walk away with a remarkable deal.

Over at Get Rich Slowly, reader Jacq shared her experience with buying a car at auction, and some of the most important things to remember when doing so. Most of them are common sense, like doing your homework on the cars and the auctions, and making sure to stick to your guns on price (regardless of how enthusiastic an auction crowd may be.) Some of the biggest takeaways from the piece are that most auto auctions allow you to get an on-site inspection of the vehicle before you bid, and you can find out the makes, models, and conditions of the vehicles on the block long before the bidding begins. This way you don't have to start bidding on something the first time you see it, and you have plenty of time to consider your purchase before bidding on it.

Just by doing her homework, Jacq saved thousands on a used car, well below Blue Book value for it. At the same time, she lists a number of other vehicles sold at the same auction for well over their value, so your mileage may vary—especially depending on your willpower and ability to stick to your spending limits.

How To Buy a Car at Auction | Get Rich Slowly

You can reach Alan Henry, the author of this post, at alan@lifehacker.com, or better yet, follow him on Twitter or Google+. Related Stories

Stock Up on Peanut Butter Now Before Prices Get Ridiculous [Saving Money]

By Melanie Pinola Oct 11, 2011 8:30 AM 61,708 79

The time to buy peanut butter is now, friends. The Wall Street Journal reports that prices for Jif, Peter Pan, and other peanut butter jars will be going up as much as 40% starting in a couple of weeks.

In just one year, the wholesale price of peanuts has skyrocketed from $450 a ton to $1,150 a ton, thanks to Mother Nature and human folly. As a result:

Wholesale prices for big-selling Jif are going up 30% starting in November, while Peter Pan will raise prices as much as 24% in a couple weeks...Skippy [prices] are 30% to 35% higher than a year ago. Kraft Foods Inc., which launched Planters peanut butter in June, is raising prices 40% on Oct. 31

Invest now in a few jars of your favorite peanut butter brand (and, presumably, peanuts too) before this food staple becomes a luxury item. Photo by Stephen Depolo.

Peanut-Butter Makers Face Crunch | The Wall Street Journal via Gawker

You can follow or contact Melanie Pinola, the author of this post, on Twitter or Google+. Related Stories

It May Be Cheaper to Change Carriers than Upgrade to the iPhone 4S on AT&T [Saving Money]

If you're looking to pre-order an iPhone 4S this Friday, are upgrading from an iPhone 4, and are hoping to take advantage of upgrade pricing, blogger Ben Brooks has some bad news for you: Even if you bought your iPhone 4 the first day was available, you may not be eligible for upgrade pricing until sometime in November.

Stranger, though:

It seems, for most people, that purchased the iPhone 4 on day one it would actually be cheaper for them to buy a new iPhone 4S on another network (Verizon, usually) and pay the AT&T cancellation fee. These people (myself included) would save—at a minimum—$50.

Brooks is gunning for the 64GB iPhone 4S, which is a whopping $649 without the upgrade discount. Brooks' wife, who is not the primary number on a family plan, can for some reason upgrade from her iPhone 4 without the premium. To double-check your situation, you can check your upgrade eligibility (on AT&T or Verizon) here.

The take away: You can either bite the bullet and spend the extra money, upgrade a family plan member's phone and swap 'em, wait until you're eligible for a discounted upgrade (it is only a month and a half), or use a little bit of savvy to upgrade to the latest iPhone for free.

It's Cheaper to Change Carriers for AT&T iPhone 4 Users, Than Upgrade to the iPhone 4S on AT&T | The Brooks Review

You can contact Adam Pash, the author of this post, on Twitter, Google+, and Facebook.

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