Personal Finance Roundup
Where to Find the Best Savings Rates [Smart Money] "SmartMoney searched for some of the best rates around. Here's a sampling of what we found."
Are You Being Ripped off at the Gas Station? [Wise Bread] "Here is a simple test to help you ensure you are getting your money's worth at the pump."
To fly or drive: Which is cheaper? [MSN Money] "Your costs and choice of travel mode depend on your tastes and a slew of variables."
10 Ways to Beat the Rising Cost of Health Care [Yahoo Finance] "These 10 smart moves can lower your expenses - but not the quality of the care you get."
How much is that gold jewelry worth? [Mighty Bargain Hunter] "Short answer: Probably less than you think, but more than you'll get from a gold-to-cash place."
— FREE MONEY FINANCE (Photo: Newton Free Library)
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Comments:
That gas pump story from Wise Bread is bunk. All it says is the pump will charge an amount 10 times the price per gallon. It does not prove the amount of the gallon (or litre).
Not only is it bunk, it's totally rudimentary information. Hey guys! Know how you can tell if you're being cheated at the grocery store? Buy 10 lbs of bananas, and the price should total 10 times the cost of a pound of bananas!
Additionally, regarding the gas pump story:
There was a case in the Los Angeles area where a gas station owner had put in a device which would dispense the correct amount, if you filled up your tank with exactly 5 or 10 gallons. Anything else, and it was cheating you.
Why 5 or 10 gallons? Because the county, when testing gas pumps for accuracy, would either pump exactly 5 or 10 gallons.
The gas stations' pumps would pump a little at first, pump more later to make up the difference at the beginning, until it was exactly at 5 gallons. Then it would repeat this until it got to 10 gallons. After 10 gallons, you were always being cheated.
Regarding the gas pump idea: It's VERY hard to pump 10 gallons exactly. Gas readouts here are measured in thousandths of a gallon. You would have to pump 10.000 gallons without going over. Maybe they meant if gas was $2.999, pump $29.99 worth of gas.
Unfortunately, the gas tank in my car is only 10 gallons, so doing this is impossible unless it is completely empty.