Thanks much. If writer1 is interested in the position, I'd be happy to exchange emails with her.

Hi Ms. Writer,

Just thought I would say hello, and hope that your move is going as best as possible. I'm so sorry to hear about your dog, and hope that some agency or even another family out there would be glad to take him.

This is off topic and I know you are very busy getting resettled at this time, but I read an article the other day, and thought I would pass the idea along to you. I haven't tried this yet, but I am getting set up to. It is simply this: if you have just a little time each day or so (after you get settled) go to the brand names and/or manufacturer sites on the net for products that you guys like. Just send a brief two or three sentence email to them asking if they have coupons or samples for certain products - e.e., Orgega taco sauce. Include your mailing address. Supposedly you will get responses with useful coupons and/or samples. If they add you to a mailing list you will most likely keep getting more for awhile. As I mentioned, I am about to try this - yep even men love to save money *s* - but am going to start in the next day or so. This was in an article by someone who is a "coupon hound".

Take care,

Tom

Hey Ms. Writer.
I sincerely hope that you guys are getting settled now as best you can and that no new strife has ocurred.

Just thought I would let you know that after a week of coupon 'begging and surfing' by contacting companies directly have a ton of responses. A few just say they don't mail to customers, but others have responded (e.g., Betty Crocker, Marble Farms Dairy, P&G, and Kraft. A lot of email responses with promises of coupons and samples and have recieved some actual mail so far and will go thru tomorrow. Also, found that you can get on mailing lists for offers and coupons each month or so. Take care..

Tom

Hi Tom.

We're still settling in. Been here for 2 weeks now and I'm sort of starting to figure out where everything is at. It's been an adjustment getting used to living in an apartment, but I'm hoping it will get easier. A lot of stuff is still at our old house and we need to get it cleaned out so we can proceed with the short sale, but I'm not sure what to do with it since there is very little storage here at our apartment.

The only new issue is my husband's car died last night. It needs a new engine, and since it has over 220k miles, it's probably not worth replacing it. But we can't really afford a new car and there's no way we can qualify for a loan right now with our credit. Not sure what we're going to do. My van is about shot too, so he can't use that for too long. His commute is only 25 miles each way now (less than half what he was doing before) but we couldn't find anything within walking/biking distance of his work in our price range that wasn't completely scary. There isn't much public transportation here to speak of either.

The coupon thing sounds like a good idea. I'm going to have to look into it. I do get some coupons through email and I always clip the coupons in the Sunday paper as well. The grocery stores around here are a lot more pricey, so I can use all the help I can get.

Hi Ms. Writer.

First of all is good to hear that you guys are getting settled now. I'm sorry to hear about your H's car - maybe he could connect with someone at his work who lives fairly close to pay for gas for awhile to hitch rides.

This is NOT MB I know, but I went thru the mail Ms. Writer and honest to God I am sitting here with $15.55 in coupons in hand now from Welsh's, Laura's Lean Beef, Arnold (Country whole grain breads), Hungry Man, Linday (olives), Tyson, Starkist, and S.C. Johnson (Glade, etc.). Not just for specific products, but any product. I am thriled! Yea I know 15 bucks, but still, and this is just a fairly small percentage of the email responses promising coupons and or samples. P&G emailed with promise of a booklest for Bounty, Crest and Charmin, and Bertoli sent email with alert for a sample package of olive oil and pasta. So far have spent about 10 hours on this, but alot of that is creating a spreadsheet to track my requests and the responses. That includes signing up for legitimate memberships with some companies for offers and coupons every few months. So, about $1.55 an hour but what the hey! Hope this is in any way helpful to you.

Take care and Happy Easter...

Tom

Hi Ms. Writer,

Had a chance to update the coupon project and am up to $33 now. I've spent about 16 hours on this over last three weeks, so that amounts to $2/ hour. Latest coupons from Chicken of the Sea, Kellogg's, Suave (Unilever - for free body wash, which I will give to my son or wife), New York brand garlic bread, Butternut (Hostess), and several others. I never thought of this, but since I haven't had a printer at home for awhile now, several companies suggested using the local library to print coupons. Our library does allow that. Hoping you guys are okay and getting settled. Happy Divine Mercy Sunday to you and your family.

Tom

What is actually broke?

Year, Make, Model?

Hows the Book coming?

Hi Gack.

The car blew two head gaskets. They want over $2000 to fix it. It's a 2004 Pontiac Sunfire. The car is tiny and doesn't really work for us anyway. It's only a 2-door and it's very difficult to get a car seat and our 16-year-old in the back seat at the same time. My van's on it's way out too, so if we're going to try to get by with one car, we really need something bigger.

The move set me back a little on the writing, but I'm slowly getting back on schedule. I'm submitting some short stories too. I just entered two in a contest that has cash prizes, but the winners won't be announced until August.

Not possible.

A 2004 Sunfire has a 2.2L "Ecotec" inline 4 Cylinder.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_Sunfire
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_Ecotec_engine

It only has One head gasket.

The mechanic is scamming you or he is flat out wrong. Get a second and third opinion.

Do you know anyone who is mechanically inclined?
Or, someone who can follow written directions to a tee!

Unfortunately, I don't know anyone who is mechanically inclined. We just moved here and don't know anyone in the area at all, mechanics included.

My husband is actually selling the car to a pick-a-part this afternoon for $400.

I have worked on those engines, and if I remember right they are overhead cams, and when you blow a head gasket or overheat them, it messes up the cam also.

Now as far as getting the bang for your buck, 2G sounds about right for the average dealership which will be higher than most anyway, but I have seen horrendous work come out of dealerships too, so bad I called them up and told them what they did, and they had better do it over.

The head has to be checked for cracks also, and if its cracked, repaired, if it can be then replaced. There is no way to check this without pulling the engine apart first. They either highballed the estimate to cover thier butt, or are planning to do minimal work if posible and make good money. If the head needs machine shop work, and there is a warped cam, and if like many aluminum heads there are no replacable cam bearings, you are probably better off buying a refurbished or remanufactured one.

If the engine is high milage, there is also the chance the bottom end has problems. Gms are notoriuos for this.

Sounds like if it was me, and I would tell my customers the same, you should look for a good used engine. Around here you could find one for around 1G at a junkyard or craigslist if you looked hard and long enough, and have some partswapper put it in for under 1G. Here is an off the cuff estimate for parts and the machine shop checkout.

Head Gasket set--$80
Head bolts,(If they are stretch type and need to be replaced)-$40
Machine shop leak check and resurface---$75, (This is the bare minimum work and it needs to be done)
Assorted misc parts, belts, hoses, oil, plugs, thermostat, coolant, and the rusty part you break in the proccess around---$100-150.

Thats lowballing it and with the assumption it doesn't have more problems.

Average labor off the cuff for me is $800, most shops 1G on a simple head, can be more depending on where ya go and how they bill. Shop rate X Book labor time, or from thier own experience.

Get someone who does good work and don't trust the dealership unless they have a stellar reputation. Its best if you know a mechanic either way, even if you work in his shop.

Yeah I hate the auto repair business

Hello Ms. Writer,

Have had a busy day today with Char here for awhile, and a few disappointments with our son, but something within me just wanted to let out a wish for you that you had a happy mothers's day. You damn well deserve it!

I'm sorry to hear about your H's car. I'm happy tho that you had the advice you did from Constant. I had to laugh a little to myself when I read his post to you because he has it down to the knit-nat. This is not in any way making light of your situation because I have been there with car breakdowns and serious decisions in the past. It is because I feel he is so concerned about you and in an admirable way, that he takes his time to try to offer you help as best he can. In this day of strangers communicating on the Internet, I will have to say you have a true unselfish friend!

My coupon project is just about over, but about $55 so far. That has been not only gratifying but encouraging that companies do actually respond. When Char was here today and I showed her my record and the coupons she almost slapped me alongside my face like she was embarassed I went begging. It wasn't really that bad, and when I showed her the savings she seemed actually happy. There have been some companies like Unilever and others where I have received emails about their policy not to mail coupons, then lo and behold a letter from a customer relations rep shows up in the mail with coupons. I am taking the time to respond by email or phone to the reps who have responded just to thank them.

Next project is to search for an organization to do volunteer work with. It's something I just feel I need to do, but I want to with an agency I feel right in doing it with. There are alot of them out there, but I don't want to committ unless I feel it will be long-term. There is one I have been in contact with - an agency that deals with homeless in Chicago proper. Takes training tho, which is fine. Means traveling to the downtown which I can do on the trains here as seniors here can ride free. They actually interview people to determine if they are serious and right for their work.

Beyond that Ms. Writer I haven't given up my desire to write a novel, well at least a short story. I still love the idea of the Christmas Angel honestly and a couple of others, but when I try to sit down my initial thoughts seem jumbled and eclectic even tho I feel I know what I want to write. So I get this block.

Anyway, I really do hope that today was very nice for you as a Mom. I hope that everyone in your family took the time to make you feel appreciated and honored.

Take Care,

Tom

Hi Ms. Write,

Just hoping by now that you guys are much more settled and that things look brighter.

Just thought I would update you on my coupon project. It is pretty much completed and $75 so far. A few more promised but have not received yet, so probably closer to $80 when all is done. The more interesting part of this has been learning which brands are owned by which companies. For example, I did not know before this that jimmy deans sausage is owned by Sara Lee and that Chef boyardee is owned by ConAgra, among other relationships. I've learned that the biggies in terms of food and household are: P&G, Kraft (owns Nabisco), Pinnacle, Campbell's, ConAgra, Nestle (owns Purina and Lean Cuisine), and Unilever.

Take care,

Tom