This past weekend I accompanied my girlfriends brother in purchasing his 2008 Hyundai Tiburion. We ended up getting $1300 off the MSRP price and 5 yrs of free oil change. Purchasing a car requires a little haggling and knowledge to get the absolute best deal. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• cash purchases will get you a significant discount, for the Tiburion GS Sport package it would have been $3,000
• if you plan to finance, high credit scores of 680 of better will get you the best rate
• to equip youself with knowledge of the wholesale price that dealers get, visit carcostcanada.com if you are a CAA member you will get a discounted price.
• always test drive the car to ensure it is right for you, you will never know just looking
• dont be afraid to visit or call more then one dealer

Happy car hunting!

Word of mouth of Johnson Auto Insurance first reached me back in 2005 and since then I have heard nothing but good comments about their prices. Next month is my renewal date with TD Insurance and I decided to give Johnson a call. It went very well and I immediately canceled my current insurance and am now a happy camper. However, there are a few requirements to meet before being eligible for Johnson, they are:

• Must be 25 years of age or older
• Must have at least 1 yr of G experience

There may be other criteria which I met without knowing but the above is mandatory. I saved $61/month on my insurance. Also, if you have Air Miles or part of a group such as a college alumni you are eligeble for even further discounts. Cheers.

I took a big step this week with my girlfriend by opening up a joint savings account with PC Financial. I had previously attempted to open the account online but received a message to come in person to a pavilion. The pavilions are located in various Fortinos across the country. It took about 30 minutes for all the paperwork and you will be given 2 hours to activate your card.

I recommened PC Financial at 3.05% interest on an account with more then $1,000 and for a limited time 3.75% for any deposits made until the end of November.

Interest rates from the big banks:

RBC  High Interest eSavings Account - 2.75%, no minimum

TD Canada Trust Guaranteed Investment Account - 2.25%, $5,000 minimum

CIBC  Bonus Savings Account - 2.25%, $5,000 minimum

Scotia Bank Money Master High Interest Savings Account - 2.25%, $5,000 minimum

I apologize for not blogging lately, the summer has been a blast.

Since my last post I went on a Southern Carribean cruise with Princess Cruises,  a 9 day journey to Bermuda, San Juan - Puerto Rico, St. Thomas - U.S. Virgin Islands, Grand Turk - Turks and Caicos. I drove a moped for the first time in Bermuda and had a slight accident, it was such a thrill. The beaches actually have pink sand. I hiked the rain forest in San Juan and went shopping in St. Thomas. Grand Turk was the smallest of the islands, it has the famous Margeritaville and if you ever come to this island it has the cheapest liquor prices, 80 USD duty free for a 750ml bottle of Remy Martin XO.

Spent a weekend at my friends cottage up north, it was awesome just sitting on a calm lake and fishing, something I havnt done since I was much younger.

I took 2 trips to Atlantic City, once on my anniversary with my gf and the other with friends. Its a long 9 hour drive but well worth it. Poker players there range from very good to very bad, it depends on the room.

I activated cable TV just in time for the Olympics and watched 2 weeks of Olympic coverage non stop. Im proud of our atheletes and the effort. Also, to witness history in the making by Michael Phelps and Bolt was inspiring.