Think about it. How long has it been sitting there?

When vehicles sit idle for a year, or longer, guess what
happens to the components that have some type fluid in
them?

The Master Cylinder: The brake fluid deteriorates, dries up, and creates some type of fungus inside.

The seals dry out and become brittle, or crack, causing
more particles inside that causes the master cylinder to
not function properly.

Little bits of rubber, and fungi, get into the brake lines.

These particles make their way to the calipers, or wheel
cylinders, causing them to mal-function.

The seals inside the front calipers, and rear wheel cylinders or calipers go through the same drying process.

Plus, the inside of the calipers and wheel cylinders tend
to corrode up, causing the pistons to siege, become locked
at the position they have been in for so long.

That’s just the brakes!

The Automatic Transmission: Transmission fluid does not evaporate, but if the parts inside the transmission do not get lubricated, they tend to freeze-up, so to speak.

There are 1,003,004,005+ parts in an automatic
transmission!

They all have to be lubricated!

In the valve body there are little trails, tunnels, and
slots that have moving parts.

Just think how complicated that can be when they sit there
for a long time without movement.

Wrap your hand with freezer-tape.

Leave only the index finger out.

Secure the others so as to not let them move a-tall.

Keep it this way for six months.

What will it be like when you remove the tape?

Can your fingers move freely? Can you play the piano?
No?

We haven’t mentioned the seals inside and outside of the
automatic transmission.

They have a tendency to dry out also, then become brittle,
and crack.

They loose their goal in life: To seal.

What about the power steering? It does have power steering, don’t it? Well, don’t it?

If it has a *rack-an-pinion* steering, look out!

Just a *gear box* power steering is bad enough. It has
seals and moving parts, too.

But a rack-an-pinion doesn’t have a gear box, it has little
arms inside a cylinder that move in and out as you turn the
steering wheel.

That’s what makes the tires go to the left and then to the
right.

Course, it depends on which way you are turning the
steering wheel.

In the rack-an-pinion you have a lot of moving parts.

Not as many as an automatic transmission, though.

They all need lubrication.

They all get *stuck* when they haven’t been used in a long
time.

The same with the power steering pump. It has moving parts and seals.

I’ll not go into the details, but you understand, don’t
you? Say *Yes*!

This doesn’t even consider the engine, the water pump, the radiator, the water hoses, heater core, the fuel system, or even the air conditioner.

This could be a large manual!

But you get the picture, don’t you?

Now I’m not saying you should never buy a used vehicle.

What I am saying is consider the length of time it has been
sitting up.

On the used car lots most of the owners crank their
vehicles at least once a month and move them around on the
lot.

That helps!

It keeps the parts lubricated.

If you are considering a car or truck from them, it’s
probably okay.

Beware, though, of those that have been sitting up and
haven’t been moved on its own for a few years.

Hope this helps you with your next purchase!

Tommy Sessions has been in auto repair since 1970. He publishes Auto Repair Answers Newsletter so you can learn how to keep your vehicle looking new, running safely and efficiently, while you save money and time…also, learn how to avoid shop rip offs. Don’t be at the mercy of the dealerships and auto repair shops…they will have more respect for you.
http://www.auto-repair-answers.com

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My mother liked to collect pennies. She found an empty gallon mayonnaise jar, cut a slit in the cap and dropped in the pennies. On a rainy day she would spread them all out on the kitchen table and, like a jigsaw puzzle, look for matching dates. The finest example of a certain year would go into a little drawstring bag, acclaiming their superiority. Sometimes a birthday of someone she loved would arrive at a low in finances and the jar would come out. Just enough for a present would find their way into paper rolls to be cashed in at the bank, but the special ones always remained in their pouch.

On her fiftieth birthday, it dawned on me that a set of books for the penny collector would make a good gift for my mother. The clerk in the numismatic store offered the opinion that it was customary to start off the collection with a coin. So I reached into my pocket for a penny, and much to my amazement the single penny I found was also the very first penny in the Lincoln Head series. This copper penny was minted in Denver and featured the initials of the designer, VDB, under the Lincoln portrait. In spite of having been circulating for fifty two years, not a scratch marred its surface, the copper retaining every nuance of the original stamping. This inexpensive gift brought a big smile to her face, each penny that found a home in the book filled with the hope for a lucky future.

She loved to say the phrase, “A penny for your thoughts”, assuring the listener that she was ready and willing to discuss any unspoken thoughts that might be troublesome. She was penny wise and also pound wise. Other family members would be in a constant state of arrears, often saved by my mother’s uncanny ability to save money. One reason was that she seldom spent money on herself. Another was the habit of putting aside a portion of any windfall that came her way. She never talked about how much she saved, but always came up with the exact amount we were short with a wink and a “Pay me back when you can” admonishment. No amount of pennies could buy that kind of love.

I came in bald and broke. I’ll probably go out the same way.

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If you are someone whose career and place of residence changes a lot, then you might want to keep your banking constant. One way to do this is by using offshore banking, which allows you to keep your money in one country, yet have access to it wherever you go. If you want to know more about offshore banking then this guide has some information that might be useful

Why get offshore banking?

Getting offshore banking can be useful if you are travelling around a lot and aren’t really located in one specific place. If you use an account from one country then you will find it harder to get your money out abroad, and might have to pay fees each time you want to carry a transfer or withdrawal. You might not even be able to access your account in some countries. Offshore banking can help you to have access to your accounts like you were in your home country wherever you are in the world.

Tax exemption

Another reason why offshore banking is popular is for tax exemption. If you have a large sum of money that you don’t want to pay tax on, then moving it to an offshore account might be useful. Of course, you need to make sure that you abide by the tax laws of your country, but there are legal ways to save yourself money through offshore banking

Benefits of offshore banking

Apart from the tax benefits, having your money offshore means that you have equal access to all of the world’s markets, and this makes it easier to invest in a diverse range of products and services.

Offshore banking features

You can use offshore banking simply as a savings account, or you can use it as your main means of banking. You can have a current account with a debit card, and even make investments and buy insurance and loans using your offshore bank. Most of the products and services that your standard bank can offer are available offshore, with the added bonus of being available around the world.

Risks

Offshore banking does use the law to its fullest, and so there are a number of risks associated with it. Firstly, if you don’t know what you are getting into then you could end up in legal trouble. Before signing up to offshore banking you need to consult a lawyer. Also, you need to deposit a large amount of money in order to get offshore banking, and that money could be at risk if anything happens in the country you opt for. You know that your money in your own country is insured, but if something happens offshore then you might be in trouble. Offshore banking does have some benefits, but make sure that you know the details of the system before proceeding. If you do this then offshore banking can help you save money and access your finances wherever you are in the world.

Peter Kenny is a writer for The Thrifty Scot.
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