When it was time for me to buy a new-to-me used car several months ago, I researched well, shopped a lot, and when I had settled on what I wanted, I headed straight to my favorite of all the used car dealers, CarMax.  When I moved two states away, I was thrilled to find there is a CarMax only an hour away from me! For the most part, I can take my car to the Toyota dealership in my city, and will be glad to do so. But for a couple of specialty items, it has to be CarMax and I was so relieved to find a friendly one so close by.

I spent most of my day there today and enjoyed their delightful hospitality. I especially appreciated that they have two desks available in the waiting room, complete with electrical outlets! My old CarMax didn’t have that but it was only five minutes from my house so I didn’t need it as much. It was wonderful to be able to get some serious work done for the time I was there. I actually got extra work done since I had no internet available. I was able to do some weeding, some filing, some planning, and some writing. It was great!

The Toyota dealership I went to in Virginia offered the same kind of setup and provided free wi-fi, so I was thrilled with them as well. Generally, if I have to leave my car for a prolonged period, I just have them give me a ride to and from my home. But for shorter trips, like taking advantage of their great oil change coupons (one of my favorite ways to save money is to get a high-quality yet cheap oil change with coupons ), it’s easier to just tote my laptop with me and work in peace and quiet at one of their desks.

I appreciate both the CarMax and Toyota dealership for providing these pleasant waiting areas for their customers. To me, it’s a sign that both these businesses are going the extra step to provide excellent quality service and I bet I’m not the only one that makes good use of the areas.

If you aren’t a writer or a blogger, it’s still a useful area for you as well. You can use it to get caught up on all those letters you never get a chance to write, work on your checkbook, or update your To Do list and calendar. It’s a great way for all of us Sandwich Generation senior home care givers and grandparents to get some serious multi-tasking done!

Continuing with the great links I’ve discovered through Twitter as well as some from Google Reader, here are a few more:

Grandparents, do you have a new grandbaby shower on the way? Would you like a special way to spice up the party? See Penny Raine’s site for a sale on her book, “How to Make A Diaper Cake .” Today and tomorrow you can purchase this ebook along with several other ebooks for only $7.95. I’ve seen these at a couple of showers and they are spectacular! It would certainly be one of the hits of the day, second only to the precious new arrival, of course

Remember the contests I wrote about? I won one! A big THANK YOU to Autism Learning Felt and Readeez for the new DVD by Readeez that is on its way. My grandkids and I will enjoy it very much!

Encouragement – I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills His purpose in me.

If you are wrestling with the question of when to start taking your social security , take a look at the article at Consumer Boomer . Excellent information on how to “double-dip” your income.

Per CaregiverCoach, the number 1 deadliest mistake for a caregiver is putting yourself last on the priority list. Remember, you need care too. And when you think about it logically, taking care of yourself is one of the best gifts you can give those who receive the care you give. So make sure you schedule those routine dentist and doctor appointments to ensure that you stay healthy.

Encouragement - Blessed are You, O LORD; Teach me Your statutes.

With job layoffs hitting so many, the problem can impact us or our adult children. Maybe even our senior citizen parents. I thought this article by Jean Chatzky was very timely: “Get Tips On How To Thrive, Survive In ’09” –

Exercise helps keeps brain fit, slows Alzheimer’s – Seniors benefit in particular from brisk walks that get more blood to the brain” – Thank you to Alzheimers98 for that link.

Is the family car showing signs of faltering? Are you looking for more reliable transportation to carry elderly family members to the doctors and grandkids to Chuck E. Cheese (or for that matter, the doctor as well)? Here is an excellent article to help you with negotiation. I have to admit though, I still prefer CarMax! It’s so much easier!

If you have a relative with serious medical problems, you might spend quite a bit of time researching online. Here is a scientific search engine that could be an excellent resource:

Encouragement – The Lord God is our light and protector.

Some good tips for those caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s Disease.

That’s it for this round of links. More coming soon.

social security retirement, dementia care, Carmax, Camax, carmaxx, used car dealers, ways to save money, senior home care giver

Time vs. Money – As members of the Sandwich Generation, it can be a constant “war” between saving time or saving money. It’s really nice to find ways where we can save both money and time. One company that provides that is CarMax.

I discovered CarMax few years ago when a good friend needed a new vehicle. As the manager of a bustling business and working full-time on her B.A., she was definitely short on both time and money. She did her homework well, using www.ConsumerReports.org (This is a fee-based subscription I have enjoyed for years. It has paid for itself over and over!), other online auto research sites, the resources available at the library, and asking various and sundry friends. Once she settled on the make, model and year she wanted, she started watching the papers and checking various websites, including CarMax. They had a couple of options available so off she went to check them out.

After test driving them, she settled on her favorite. It was a newer model, low-mileage SUV with a price tag that was in her budget and well within the guidelines of BlueBook – and Edmunds. After running a check on it through AAA, she decided to purchase it. There were no games like you often find at dealerships, no tricks, and no hassles. They wrote up the paperwork and made it easy and relatively quick for her. It took a couple of hours, but for car purchasing that’s pretty fast! They took her old vehicle out for a test drive, then gave her a reasonable trade-in price for it. She also opted to purchase their extended warranty and has used it happily a couple of times since the purchase. Today, she still has the car, still loves the car, and still raves about Carmax!

I remembered that this month when sitting at the car dealership, waiting for the repair of my car’s umpteenth problem. It’s not that old of a car, but that particular make and model has a terrible track record for repairs and I have the bills to prove it. I’m beginning to get serious about buying a new one and have started the research process. I’ve narrowed the choices down to three. I popped into a Kia dealership for one of them, just to see if the size of the vehicle will be big enough for all the grandkid and grandparent toting I do. Even though I told them I just wanted to look at the car, and wasn’t interested in buying right now, it still took me half an hour to do a five minute look over.

Among other things, I was a recipient of the game, “Keep her here as long as possible.” As I prepared to leave, I explained to the salesman I would probably be buying used, but just in case, I would like to take his business card. “Just a minute,” he replied. Ten minutes later (I kid you not!), I walked over to where he was talking to his manager, explained I was late for an appointment, and again asked for the card. He told me he was trying to get me more information on the car (which I hadn’t asked for), but did go ahead and give me his card. Don’t get me wrong, I understand business is slow, and I understand he is trying to earn a living. When a possible customer asks for your card, however, you don’t leave them hanging for ten minutes, just to try to change them into buying from you! I left with the card, but also with a bad taste in my mouth for that dealership.

I went home and headed straight for CarMax’s website. There I was able to peruse all the cars available within the mileage parameters I selected. I was also able to set up “alerts.” Now, when a car that meets my specifications becomes available, they send me an email with a link to the website for that car, with over 20 pictures, full details, and an email address I can contact for questions. When I write them my questions, they get back to me within 24 hours. When the right car finally comes along, I will go down there, spend a couple of hours of what should be no haggle, no hassle car buying, and head back home. For caregivers, whose days are often full of plenty of hassles, that’s a major blessing.