Total Awesomeness!

Okay, so Matt and I are on this whole total money makeover thing. We're trying to save money wherever we can so that we'll be better prepared later on. With gas prices being what they are, our wallets have been hurting. We don't drive often, but we pay over $100 per month for bus/Trax passes. We've also been getting more and more out of shape.

The solution...


We found it at Walmart. There wasn't a price tag on it or anywhere near it. We asked what it cost and they told us $150, which was outrageous...it wasn't even brand new. It had been returned. So we asked to speak to the manager. She came after what seemed like an eternity and told us that she could give it to us for $94. I still wasn't satisfied and started pointing out the dents and scratches. She immediately caved to $65, so we took it.

Here's the outrageous part of our evening. Matt found a community bike program that functions off of donations. Volunteers work on donated bikes to fix them up for sale. Most of the bikes have been pieced together from several other bicycles. We went hoping to find a really good deal. Someone had told us that the bikes were free, but that it would be nice to leave a donation. We got there and found an 18-speed bike with no seat and no handlebars, and a broken gear shift. The frame was from the 80's, and they were asking $100. That was unreasonable, so we continued to look and came across a cruiser that had been pieced together from several bikes, only missing a gear shift...$150. For a used, pieced together, chop-shop bike. We were misinformed. So much for a donation only program.

Anyhow, we're hoping to save a little on gas this summer, and maybe get rid of our spare tires.