The Sewing Mom

I’m not quite ready to buy a new car, but that doesn’t mean I’m not thinking about the kind of car I would like to have when I am ready. I’m always looking at what’s new and I’m seriously thinking I’d like to have a hybrid SUV.

Our last car buying experience did not turn out to be a pleasant one. Don’t get me wrong, we really like our car, it’s a convertible. It was the entire transaction itself and how it was handled that didn’t make us feel comfortable. We went through a broker and it just felt sleazy. We did end up with the car we wanted, but the paperwork was all screwed up and it took a lot of effort on my part to get it all straightened out.

To eliminate the hassle we felt during our car buying process, the next time I might consider using CARCHEX, a Car Buying Concierge service. I can tell the concierge exactly what I’m looking for and CARCHEX will negotiate everything from the car price to any trade in value and even financing terms for a purchase or a lease. This is a free service for consumers, so why wouldn’t I want to use it?!

I think by having the service do all the legwork, it might not be such a headache to purchase our next vehicle. I know there are people that enjoy and even thrive on the thrill of the negotiating process at the dealer; I am not one of those people! Besides, I’d rather go spend my time buying a new electronic, computerized, embroidery sewing machine.

I had a very enjoyable morning, I met a new friend.

I’ve been chatting back and forth with a fellow blogger Ellen. Ellen has several blogs including 2 of my favorites, All In A Day and Ellen Sew Crafty as well as her Etsy shop. Ellen, like me, sews beautiful handmade bags in addition to other items. She also knits, something I’ve never been able to accomplish with any success.

We met IRL today as she was working in my neck of the woods. I had so much fun chatting with her about blogging and our love of sewing that I was shocked to see that almost two hours had passed! It really was like meeting an old friend after having not see them for a long period of time. I am truly hoping we get to do this on a more regular basis.

We had walked outside, as Ellen needed to return to work, and the high Dallas winds caught us both before I remembered that I had brought my camera. Thus, we are both sporting a very wind blown look, of course, my hair is actually heading the wrong direction and I had no mirror to tell me so!

Now that our 2007 taxes are done, it’s time to start planning for the future. Tax planning includes things from everyday budgeting to investing. Before you do any investing, be sure to review your investment strategies.

As an added incentive to review your strategies, you can Win $1000 with FinGad, a new site where you can review strategies with fellow investors. The winner will be the person who has the largest return on their virtual investment by picking the best stocks. You may click here to read the official contest rules and conditions.

What are you waiting for?