Yesterday we took in some culture in Champaign/Urbana. After picking up an Aunt we went to the Urbana farmers market. It was a sizable market and was well attended. Afterwards, we visited the Spurloch Musuem. The free University run museum showcases exhibits including Ancient Mesopotamia, Roman & Greek, Egyptian, Africa, East Asia, and Native American.
The Roman and Greek exhibit hall was filled with plaster replicas.
Some were quite eye catching!
Visitors were asked not to touch the exhibits, but you could get very close to them.
This Asian exhibit had some clothes you could try on.
If you aren’t interested in clothes, military history might be your thing.
I thought the mustache on this German suit of armor was entertaining.
Not all of the exhibits were about ancient history. Some of them explored modern propaganda and the importance of reassuring the audience that the enemy could be defeated.
Someone must have let a seagull into the museum!
After thoroughly exploring the museum it was time for lunch. We tried out a little Vietnamese place and even Frugal Boy got to experience some of the food.
Once our stomachs were full of tasty food we returned to campus to tour the Krannert Art Museum. As you enter the museum you are greeted with two rather savage statues. One depicts a Gorilla carrying off a cave woman, and the other shows a bear mauling a man.
On closer inspection though, your mind may change as to whom to pity. In Shae’s words, “They had it coming”. A nearby sign explains the artists vision.
Inside Krannert are multiple galleries. We enjoyed the historic wing the best (pictured below).
Many of the paintings tell a story or have a story attached to them. What may appear at first glance to be uninteresting suddenly becomes very interesting when you start seeing the nuances depicted in the painting. Symbols played a huge role in these older painting. Here is a painting depicting Saint George slaying a dragon.
The other galleries are worth viewing, but in my opinion weren’t as interesting as the first one. Call me unenlightened but taking five photos with rocks shoved into your mouth isn’t art to me.
Outside there are a couple of other sculptures. I couldn’t quite figure out why one of these policeman had a penis hanging out while he scooped up pennies. If you understand why, or why they are scooping up pennies leave a comment!
Our last stop of the day was at a local mom and pop pet store. Frugal Boy takes after his parents and loves fishies. We didn’t come home with anything but it was fun to look!
Finally, we had to get in a short game of Peek-A-Boo at Auntie’s apartment and show off Frugal Boy’s new ‘words’.
We had a couple of free zoo tickets that were about to expire so it was time to see another zoo!
The zoo had several birthday parties going on and there were lots of kids running around. According to the zoo’s website, a birthday party package runs $125 and covers admission, a goodie bag, and two hour pavilion rental for 20 individuals. I suspect that in a few years we will be much more familiar with the one upping birthday party scene.
Moving on, we spotted this fuzzy rodent. I was impressed that it was able to sleep through the noise.
The meerkat guard kept an eye on Frugal Boy.
The petting zoo goats were looking for handouts. They lost interest in us when we failed to produce any food for them.
The tiger also paid little attention to being poked and prodded.
Seeing all of those animals tuckered out Elmer Fudd.
On a completely different note, here is part of a recently completed home improvement project. Can you guess what it is?
Labor Day weekend seemed like an excellent opportunity to get out of the Midwest and do a little traveling. We decided to meet up with family and camp out in West Virginia’s New River Gorge for three nights. It is a full day’s drive for us, and the first extended trip in Frugal Boy’s new car seat (he outgrew his infant seat).
We only have a three day supply of cloth diapers and the total trip duration was six days, so we had to break out our emergency supply of disposable diapers. It was weird seeing Frugal Boy in paper diapers.
With the car all packed up we took off on Thursday morning and by the afternoon we arrived at our first destination, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens.
Second oldest zoo in the country.
Frugal Boy’s cousin loved the giraffes, so we walked over to check them out and see if he had the same reaction.
Watching giraffes
The giraffes were a strike out, but would the lions be more fascinating?
Lions are just as boring as giraffes apparently
What about the African painted dogs?
Either in deep thought or completely tuned out
Okay, so the zoo was kind of a bust in terms of exposing Frugal Boy to some biodiversity. It is a nice zoo and if you are passing through the area or live nearby it is probably worth a stop.
Leaving the zoo behind, we navigated our way to the outskirts of Cincinnati and to a motel. Seeing the room doors open out to the street stirred many memories of childhood road trips and some real dives that I stayed at growing up. On the plus side, these types of establishments are generally pretty cheap.
easy come, easy go
Using Yelp, we checked out the nearby eateries to find something tasty for dinner. It wasn’t long before we were satiating our appetite at a nearby grill.
Food & Sleep!
The next morning we needed to cross over the Ohio river and complete our drive to West Virginia. Instead of taking the fastest, most direct route, we opted to drive along the scenic byway and take in some of the river valley sights.
neat bridge spanning the Ohio river
Welcome to Kentucky!
After connecting back up with the interstate we had to make a pit stop to stretch our legs and play.
It wasn’t long before we crossed into West Virginia and sped past the capitol in Charleston.
Kanawha County
We rolled into Army Camp (campground) around 2:30 on Friday. Army Camp is so named because in the 50s(?) the United States Army had a small training grounds set up there to practice building pontoon bridges. The army is long gone and now the area has been converted into a campground by the National Park Service.
Setting up “home” for the next three nights
Frugal Boy helped supervise.
One of the perks of traveling with a baby is that it is incredibly easy to meet people. As we waited for my brother and his girlfriend to arrive we had a long chat with the couple camping next to us in an RV. Apparently they had been camping there for the past two months and were locals to the area. Not only is socializing a good way to pass the time, it can be invaluable for information, and provided some genuine local flavor to our whole trip.
It was late in the afternoon, and we all needed a rest, especially Frugal Boy.
sweaty and tired
Later that evening, our campsite companions returned from their own day’s adventures. Frugal Boy wasted no time in making acquiantances.
gentle is not in Frugal Boy’s vocabulary
Thankfully, his new friend was good natured.
All in all, we had four tents set up for four families. This wasn’t even a full reunion!!
Late that night, the occupants of the blue tents arrived. In the morning we could say proper hellos. Frugal Boy’s cousin took to camping like a fish to water.
Meanwhile, Frugal Boy was getting tips from his Aunt on how to be a male model.
Blue Steel
Once everyone was dressed and fed, we loaded up in the cars and drove to Thurmond. Thurmond is an abandoned coal town (West Virginia is well known for its coal mining industry). The town and old train depot are now managed by the National Park Service.
The bridge in the background spans the New River and by far the most popular activity in New River Gorge is water sports. Kayaking, rafting, and tubing are all common sights.
kayakers shoot the rapids
After soaking up some history, we went to the visitors center for a picnic lunch.
A short boardwalk later and you have an impressive view of an iconic bridge.
According to the information sign, you can fit the Washington monument and two statue of liberties stacked one on top of the other and still have a few feet of clearance. It is the tallest bridge in America.
After driving back to camp it was time for some water fun, but first we needed to play with some bubbles.
bubbles are amazing!
Army Camp is situated in a bend of the New River and has a public access beach that is suitable for toddlers. There are also some class 1-2 rapids that you can easily tube down.
Waiting for the ladies to shoot the rapids
Weeeeee!
On Sunday, we played in the river some more and two of my brothers and myself took an extended tubing trip. That afternoon we all went to the local pizza joint, Pies and Pints, for some tasty specialty pizzas.
Mmmmm, grape pizza
With our stomachs (overly)full we decided a hike was in order and proceeded to Kaymoor Mine. Kaymoor mine is another abandoned coal mine that is now under the stewardship of the NPS.
Mining is brutally hard and dangerous work. Due to the fragility of the mine shafts, the height of the passages were limited to just three feet tall. I cannot even begin to imagine working all day stooped over.
By the time we got back to our campsite it was raining and dark so we called it an early night. The next day it was time to pack up and head home! We only made it across the bridge and around the bend (essentially the opposite bank from the campground) when we had to stop for a poopy diaper. The view of the river was stunning though and I am glad we stopped.
New River in the Smoky Mountains
We did the entire drive back on Monday so we could spend all of Tuesday recovering and cleaning up. We had a great time and the trip was relatively inexpensive. Frugal Boy got to add two more states to his list and is turning into a well accomplished traveler.
With the end of summer rapidly approaching we have been trying to cram in a few last minute trips. I’ve seen a lot of kids sporting mohawks and I guess that is a sign of me being out of touch. Why?!
I can be cool too!
Yesterday we drove up to Rockford to visit with Frugal Boy’s Great Aunt. Since it was a longer drive, we tried out a new thing and checked out an audio book, War Horse, from our library. Listening to Joey’s adventures in France helped the miles pass by quickly. Upon arriving at our destination we decided that the best (cleanest) place to change Frugal Boy’s diaper was in the backseat of the car.
It’s a little cramped in here!
We walked around for a little bit while we waited for Auntie to arrive. It didn’t take long before we had to retreat back to the car to fetch the first aid kit. Shae had stepped on a broken beer bottle and had to patch up her foot. Yay, litter!
Nothing a bandaid can’t fix (as she hobbles on)
For lunch we went to a Vietnamese hole in the wall restaurant.
When eating at an ethnic restaurant, I always pay attention to the other customers. If the majority of the other diners are of the same ethnicity as the restaurant, then it is probably a good spot. In this case, the food was great!
While we were eating and talking I couldn’t help but notice the torrential downpour occurring outside. The short trip from the restaurant to the gardens proved to be an adventure as the car splashed through huge puddles. At one intersection, a car’s exhaust pipe was underwater, I’m not sure if they got out or not.
Soaking wet, we resumed our day at Nicholas Conservatory and Gardens. While the gardens and greenhouse were no match for Garfield Park a couple of hours away, they still boast to be the third largest in the state. Before even entering the greenhouse area, visitors are treated to a view of the immense mechanical systems required to keep the temperature and humidity at proper levels for growing tropical plants in northern Illinois.
The conservatory has an abundance of Koi ponds and for a certain six month old, that was pretty fascinating.
There are also many waterfalls.
This kaleidoscope bowl was pretty neat. You look through the eyepiece and then spin the planter bowl.
Benches are tucked away and provided ample opportunities to slow down, chat, and enjoy the surroundings.
This plant would appeal to many little girls egos out there.
Queen Emma’s Lily
Leaving the greenhouse we ran into the first little princess (with 7 escorts).
A Quinceañera is a traditional rite of passage from girl to womanhood for many Latin American cultures. In case your spanish isn’t too good, it is celebrated on a girl’s 15 birthday.
We left Princess Peach behind and strolled through the rose gardens.
2:45pm
Working our way back we stopped to take a picture of the pond and greenhouse. You know it is someone’s special day when they don’t bother to stop to stay out of your pictures.
Quince-zilla
It was starting to feel very Jets vs Sharks when we ran into the second princess.
This one had a photographer and a videographer.
It was a good thing that we went early in the afternoon. By the time we returned to the conservatory it had been closed for a special event.
I wouldn’t make a very good spy
Here was the third princess’ gang of lackeys.
They were notably older and not male. Princess Peach and the rest of the jets had finished their pictures and were crowding into a stretch limo.
The groom and groomsmen piled out of a stretch pick up truck. Why in the world would you ever need a stretch pickup truck?!
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
Shae had grabbed a brochure, and the price to rent out the conservatory for an event was $3200. That did not include catering.
All in all, it was a very fun day. The people watching was extraordinary and we didn’t have to move much because the sights came to us.
The ride back was uneventful besides the fact that Joey got tetanus and was almost put down. Then he was almost sold to the evil French butcher. Mmmm, now I’m hungry for some horse meat. Can you tell I’m not a horse person and would rather feed starving human refuges.
Frugal Boy got to try out a brand new toy.
Village of the Damned anyone?
One of the reasons why we live frugally and try to cut costs in our lives is so that we can travel more and take Frugal Boy with us. Being frugal isn’t the same as being miserly!
Buying a car is almost inevitable in America today. Sure some city slickers can get by with public transportation, but for the majority that isn’t the case. If you are buying a car, then that means someone is selling a car. This week, we filled the shoes of the seller as we looked to send our 15 year old sedan out to pasture (or maybe it was to the slaughterhouse).
Trade, Private Sale, Donate, or Scrap
There are four common ways folks “sell” their used cars.
Trade
The first is to trade it in to a dealership for either cash or collateral towards a new purchase. The pros of trading a car is that it is fast, dealerships are ‘safe’ in the meaning that you won’t be literally robbed, and it requires the least amount of leg work. The con of trading a car is that you as the seller pay for the convenience. You will not get as much money because the dealer wants to make a profit on the trade.
Dealerships will take that trade in and either list it on their lot or sell it at auction (especially if it is a make and model that they do not specialize in).
Donate
Another route that some people choose (one of my brothers included) is to donate their used car. Often times, donated cars are past their prime and have little value left in them. Depending on the organization that it is donated to, you may be able to write off some of the value of the car from your taxes. If you have a charity budget, you might be able to lump it into your charitable giving and ‘convert’ it into cash value that way.
Scrap
This option is for cars that are dead. They do not run or cost too much to get into running order. Junkyards may be willing to pay a few hundred bucks to be able to pick over the carcass of this once majestic beast. End of the line, if you are scrapping a car, it has hit rock bottom.
Private Sale
Finally, there is the private sale. In a private sale, you the owner act as your own 1 man or 1 woman dealership. You advertise the vehicle, find a buyer, take care of paperwork, and hopefully make a sale! The pro of a private sale is that you will likely make more money. The cons include more work, some degree of risk, and a longer time table.
We knew pretty early on that we wanted to do a private sale.
Step #1 – Do Your Homework
Before you list a car for sale, you need to know a couple of things.
Where is the title? Who is listed on the title? Are there any liens on the title?
What condition is the car in?
What is the car worth? What are similar cars going for in the area?
#1 was easy for us. The title was in our safety deposit box, and we were the sole owners of the car.
#2 we knew that the car was in rough but working condition. The whole point of deciding to sell the car was because we were tired of sinking money into repairs.
#3 The fastest way to get a starting number for this is to go to Kelly Blue Book. This also highlighted the discrepancy between trading and private sale.
A “Fair” condition trade in vs “Fair” condition private sale
and here is the “good” condition trade in vs “good” private
There is almost a $1000 difference between trading in and selling it yourself for this particular car!
Step #2 – Clean!
Americans live in their cars. Long commutes, constant errands around town, and a deluge of pet hair, kids snacks, and shoe debris build up a strata of crud over the ownership of a car. New owners want a new car smell, not mashed cheerio paste. We started by emptying out the car of all our personal belongings and giving it a thorough cleaning. Start on the inside and wipe down all of the glass, vacuum out all of the crevices, and remove all of those old window decals. Once the inside it properly clean, take it to a car wash and get the fanciest wash possible. A super duper unicorn tear wash set us back only $12 but made the car really spiffy and shiny. Immediately after the car wash, stop and take pictures of those shiny wheels. Here is our advertisement picture showing off the tire tread of the wheel. The picture was taken 20 feet from the car wash. That leads us into step 3.
Step #3 – Lights, Camera, Action
Now that the car is at its cleanest, it is time to take pictures. Find a picturesque location (not your driveway) and take some glamour photos. Follow good photographer rules of thumb. Shoot with the sun behind you, frame the car nicely, and use plenty of natural light.
Now that’s a car that stands out!
Include lots of photos. If you aren’t sure what should be photographed, take a look at a dealership’s website and see what they take photos of. Try and mimic a dealership. Take more photos than you need so you can pick out the best ones later. I ended up posting 19 photos with my ad.
Step #4 – Craft The Ad
Once upon a time, people use to stick a “For Sale” sign in the window of a car along with a phone number and wait. Folks still do that today, but there are better ways of getting the message out. We chose to utilize Craigslist and a similar private classified that is limited to Shae’s workplace (we’ll call it XYZ). The bulk of what people look at on a listing are the pictures and if we did a good job on the previous step, then they may be interested in what the text of the actual ad says. It is here that you should list all of the great features of the car while sneaking in any of the standout issues that it may be having.
Here is our ad text:
Have a young driver heading back to school soon? This sports edition altima is the car for them!
• 142000 miles (below average) • Leather seats • Tires have good tread • Gas sipping commuter (24/31 MPG) • Aftermarket stereo, plug & play w/ phones • New front suspension • Fun to drive!
This car has been well maintained with synthetic oil changes every 6 months for the past 5 years. It has a brand new battery, front suspension, tie rods, wheel hub, and a recent alignment. The AC does not work and the rear brakes are nearing their service date. Front brakes are good and it has plenty of stopping power. Spark plugs have another 40-60k miles to go, tires have another 20k. New air filter, premium wiper blades, and all fluids have been topped off.
Other features:
• Cruise Control • Driver & passenger air bags • Alloy wheels • All around disk brakes • Power windows • Power driver seat • Power mirrors • 60/40 fold down back seat (you can fit a lot in this car!) • Full sized spare • Very little rust or fading • Car alarm • USB port in stereo • CD/MP3/AM/FM • Non smoking • Clean & ready to roll!
Title is in hand just waiting to be signed over. Cash or cashier’s check. Call, text or email to see it and take it home!
Notice how it is succinct but still gives plenty of information. Prospective buyers will appreciate that you are upfront about problem areas and will likely tunnel vision onto those instead of examining other parts of the car. Color me skeptical when I read listings for 15 year old cars that state it is in perfect running condition. Sure it is buddy, whatever you say.
In general, I find the oreo style of writing to be very easy and effective. Sandwich any negative bits in-between good ones. A prospective buyers attitude will be positive after reading the first good bit and that will help carry them through the negative bit before finally washing that away with a final good bit again.
It is important that you list contact details so prospective buyers can get a hold of you if they are interested. From the time we posted the ad on Monday to when we took it down on Thursday night, we had 11 individuals contact us.
As expected, Craigslist generated more hits than the private classifieds.
The best offer, and the one we accepted, started with an email from one of the XYZ hits. In fact, of the three offers that we ended up receiving, each one originated from an email contact.
Step #5 – Sell the Car
Answer emails, texts, and phone calls from prospective buyers. Arrange to meet them in a safe place such as a mall parking lot so they can see the car in person. Ride along for test drives and be prepared for low ball offers. If you did your homework at the beginning you should have a good idea of how much the car is worth.
After a little negotiating we ended up selling the car for $1800, $36 above KBB value. The new owner will have to put some money into repairs, but they also are saving quite a bit by buying from those “sketchy” folks in the parking lot versus going to a car lot. I looked up the same year, make, and model car at dealerships around us and found one with similar mileage listed for $3800. Sure that could probably be haggled down a bit, but the buyers saved a boatload by doing their own legwork and dealing with us. We earned money by selling instead of trading. Everyone wins! Yay capitalism.
Step #6 – Tie up loose ends
Make sure all paperwork is filled out properly when you exchange keys and money with the buyer. We filled out a simple bill of sale, a notice of sale, and the title. After the sale is done, mail the notice of sale to your secretary of state and notify your insurance company to stop coverage on the car.
Conclusion
We cleaned the car on Sunday, listed it on Monday, and had cash in hand on Thursday night. It is fun to take on new challenges with your spouse and I find that those challenges usually help strengthen a relationship. If we can sell a car, then you can too!
Immediately after the car wash, stop and take pictures of those shiny wheels. Here is our advertisement picture showing off the tire tread of the wheel. The picture was taken 20 feet from the car wash. That leads us into step 3.
