In the area where this old dinosaur lives, the cost of a litre of unleaded petrol, driven by increases in global oil prices, rose by about 6 pence before the supermarkets stepped in to spark off a fuel price war, taking the costs back down again.

Sometimes you have got to love the supermarkets. Especially ones like Sainsbury who are temporarily still offering 5p per litre discount vouchers if you spend over £50 on shopping.

While the discount vouchers will probably not last for musch longer, one of my favourite money saving websites petrolprices.com will show you where the best prices are in your area, and have recently added a few useful extras such as additional motoring news, and a blog facility of its own.

Check it out, it is free to use and can lead to big savings over time.

Related personalfinanosaurus posts:

1. Fuel for thought
2. Bizarre stories about the “money conscious”

Well, I have just been looking at the good old Motley Fool website, and noticed a link to a really useful moneysaving site – Petrolprices.com. There has been little help in determining the cheapest petrol prices in your local area since the closure of the AA Petrolbusters site last year, however this new site allows you to do just that. All you need to do is type in your postcode, and it will search for the cheapest unleaded, diesel, LRP, super and LPG in the area.

Although it cannot get rid of the extortionate rate of tax that accounts for about 70% of the actual amount you have to pay at the pump, at least you can help to reduce your contributions to Mr Browns coffers, and keep the money for yourself.

And if you are a two ton, one million year old money obsessed dinosaur, please get in touch, there aren’t many of us around, we need to stick together.

No related posts.

According to the BBC:

Variable charges of up to £1.43 a mile – in busy routes in rush hour – could replace road tax and fuel duty under the government’s plans.

Transport experts said it would be the world’s most advanced road pricing scheme – but predicted political and technical difficulties in bringing it in.

Norwich Union are also offering “Pay As You Drive” insurance – as consumers reportedly state they want their motor insurance to be reflective of their car usage and the type of journeys they make. According to Norwich Union:

Norwich Union will be able to collect real-time vehicle data using a ‘black box’ device installed in your vehicle. This will allow monthly insurance payments to be calculated based on how often, when and where you use your vehicle.

Norwich Union believe this represents a major breakthrough in the calculation of fairer motor insurance premiums and ultimately gives you greater control, flexibility and choice.

The black box device measures vehicle usage and sends data directly to Norwich Union using similar technology to that used by mobile phones. You could be billed monthly and the technology will also allow us to offer you associated in-car services, such as emergency assistance and real-time route planning.

For more information:
http://www.norwichunion.com/pay-as-you-drive/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4610755.stm

Related personalfinanosaurus posts:

1. Road to nowhere
2. What to do if the flood comes to your house
3. Life insurance fears following the London bombings tragedy

Road tax, insurance, MOT’s repairs, servicing, not to mention petrol.
However I would not give it up without someone prizing the keys out of my dead hand.

The joy of being able to go anywhere I want, when I want, listening to my own choice of music, rather than the “tst, tst, tst, tst” of the iPod wearer down the other end of the bus or train.

I had a period of about two years where I couldn’t afford to get my old car back onto the road. At first it didn’t seem so bad (I live in a city with supposedly good public transport), however as time went by, things got more and more depressing. Weekly food shopping trips took over four hours! Escape from the enclosure of buildings all around me meant I had to take pre-organised long bus or train journeys. I could only get away when I had a full day off, rather than when I wanted. No spontaneity was left.

These days I have a newer and more reliable car which I can just afford to keep going, but I am still paying off the loans I took out to buy it, and the regular large bills for insurance, repairs, etc, that seem to appear out of the blue, just when there is too much month left at the end of the pay packet, make it difficult. The government constantly increasing the cost of fuel to reduce emmisions by forcing poorer people off the roads, does not help at all.

If anyone knows a way of keeping on the road, but not selling your soul, I would like to know.

Related personalfinanosaurus posts:

1. Pay as you go car finance
2. What to do if the flood comes to your house