It’s no secret that changing your habits can lead to monetary savings. But in the rush to reduce the daily splurges like coffee and meals out, and the big ticket items like clothes and vacations, many of us overlook what I call “Every Other” savings. These are things that you do or pay for on certain days or at certain intervals such as every other day, every other...
All personal finance is really about habits – good and bad – and trying to change the bad habits to good habits. It takes time to figure out what those habits are and how to change them, but if you can begin to do it, finances begin to take care of themselves.
Wow – I didn’t realize how different I was than “most people.” For almost every single thing on this list, I’ve never had a schedule. I just do things when they seem necessary, like “Oh the grass looks high, I’ll mow the lawn.” I guess I can be thankful for that.
Honestly, I don’t know of a single auto manufacturer that recommends oil changes every 3,000 miles. General recommendations are as low as every 3,500 miles and up to 7,500 miles depending on your driving habits & conditions. I usually go in about every 5,000. I figure that’s the happy medium…
I’ve seen some shops recommend every 2,500 miles. That’s simply wasteful.
You are spot on though, with your recommendations! It pays to examine the why’s of your habits.
Manufacturers may not longer recommend oil changes q 3k miles, but it remains lodged in the brains of many drivers over age 21. Like the Stanford Ph.D. candidate I once spoke with about this who KNEW that his old beater survived as long as it did because of his careful adherence to this maintenance schedule. It never occurred to him to explore the counterfactual — i.e., how he didn’t know that the car might have done equally well, and the planet lots better, had he used 5k or 7.5k intervals instead. For most, it is simply a habit drilled in early and very effectively.
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I think I need to check if I can get an every other week garbage collection. The two of us barely fill a can in a week of two. In the winter when there are piles of snow, we only get the garbage out once a month yet pay for weekly pickup.