Save fuel by winterizing your vehicle

Many frugal-minded consumers prep their homes for the colder months, but should you winterize your car? It's a little-known fact, but as the temperature drops so does the amount of gas in vehicles.

Yep, Jack Frost is the ultimate gas guzzler.

Fuel may be lost in your car faster than it should be, especially during the winter months. Luckily, there are easy ways to prep your vehicle to save fuel during winter driving.

Here's the lowdown:

Keep an eye on your tires
Watch the tires. Are they properly inflated? Add air if necessary, because you will get up to 10% better fuel economy with properly inflated tires according to AAA. Properly inflated tires reduce accidents by improving your car's traction on slippery roads.

Buy snow tires
Maybe it would be wise to buy snow tires this year. If you have the extra cash, it's probably better to spend it on snow tires instead of something unnecessary. Especially due to your safety. Snow tires have a deep tread and great rolling resistance in order to drive safely through bad winter weather. Snow tires will last for several seasons, and are a sure way to reduce your fuel costs.

Don't idle your car to warm it up
Idling your car to warm it up is a really bad idea, because it doesn't actually warm up your car. It does, instead, it keep the fuel economy at zero mpg. Instead, start your car up and drive it away immediately. This will keep your car operating at optimum efficiency, because this will generate the heat your car needs right away. Don't forget your hat and gloves!

Check the coolant
Watching the coolant levels in your car is very important, equally important as oil. Coolant gets dirty and needs changing regularly. Having the schedule handy in your glove box will help you know when it's ready for a change. It's important that the correct coolant ratio is being used for the vehicle... a 50-50 coolant to water is best to keep the car at its best efficiency.

Have a mechanic do a once over
It's probably best to take your car to get a check-up during the winter months, just to see if anything is on the fritz. Have the mechanic check all of the belts and hoses, along with looking for leaks. A small check-up bill is worth the time being stranded indefinitely in the freezing cold.

Weekly Deals: Ring in 2011 with a bang

Deal Of The Week:
Hotels.com: Ring in 2011 with a quick trip to celebrate the New Year. Save on last-minute stays at Hotels.com here until Friday, Dec. 31.

Other Weekly Deals:
Restaurant.com: Take 80% off $25 gift certificates from Restaurant.com with Consumer United's special code CLEARANCE through Friday, Dec. 31 here. Plus, buy five restaurant-specific gift certificates and receive one free $25 Restaurant.com eGift Card.

Best Buy: Redeem those Best Buy gift cards on a new digital camera. Get 10 to 40 percent off select digital cameras, plus free shipping here until Saturday, Jan. 1.

Wireless: Consumer United has teamed up with Simplexity to launch a new online wireless store for cellphones, services and accessories here.

Strive for savings and financial health in 2011

If your New Year's resolution for 2011 is to get your financial life in order ... you're in luck. The next 12 months can be a year of savings and good economic health, thanks to some tips compiled from the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.

Keep an eye on spending
It's easy to overspend, especially when using a debit card or credit card. If expenditures aren't tracked along the way, it's easy to go way over budget. Write down every cent spent for 30 days straight or use an online money-tracking service like Mint.com. This will make it easy to tell where the money is going, and where spending can be cut.

Pay off your debt

Striving to live below your means is important, especially if there's debt to be paid. Adjustments will have to be made in order to live a life that is realistic given a certain income. Otherwise, you are headed down the hole of future financial trouble.

Avoid avoidance

Don't avoid or ignore financial problems. Deal with them immediately! The sooner the financial problems are dealt with, the sooner good financial health will come in the future. Reach out for help, or talk to a counselor the first sign of financial trouble.

Talk with the family

Keep your decisions regarding money all in the family and your likelihood of success will increase dramatically.

Always have savings

If a credit card is the only form of savings when a financial emergency strikes, the chances are the bill will not be able to be paid back. Add to a savings account monthly... even if it's only $20. The savings will add up, and the credit-card debt won't.

Make a strict budget

Keep your budget tight. By allocating an amount of money to each spending category, you will spend money to your best advantage.

Set a financial goal

Plan ahead ... not just for the next day. Setting short and long term goals are important in defining an end result, and clearing a path in order to get there.

Weekly Deals: Holiday stocking stuffers

Deal Of The Week:
Restaurant.com: Take 70% off $25 gift certificates from Restaurant.com with Consumer United's special code PRESENT through Tuesday, Dec. 21 here.

Other Weekly Deals:
iTunes Card: With an iTunes card, it's easy to stock up on music and more entertainment from the iTunes Store. Get $10 off here when you order two iTunes® card 3-packs. That's six $10 cards for just $50 here.

Best Buy: Looking for the perfect holiday gift? Best Buy offers guaranteed Christmas delivery here with online purchases made before Dec. 21. Plus, they offer free shipping on thousands of items here.

Fandango: Send the gift of movies and receive a special reward with your offer here.

Inside Consumer United :: Muhammed Latif

Muhammed Latif currently works at Consumer United as a life insurance specialist, providing detailed life insurance consultations to our members. Born in London and raised in Los Angeles, Latif moved to Boston to attend college at Boston University.

Since Latif came aboard in December 2009, he witnessed the company grow immensely and launch new products and services, like the life insurance division he is currently working in. When asked what he loves most about his job, Latif answered, “I really enjoy working with the people we have here in the office, but mostly I love helping people save money and find the right insurance products."

As for financial advice, Latif cautions against senseless spending on unnecessary goods. “Spend within your limits because people appreciate who you are, not what you have."

To save money, Latif harnesses the power of the internet to search for deals and discounts. He recommends shopping online because it helps him compare the prices of different products and services and find bargains on new and used goods.

In his free time, Latif is an avid Lakers fan and enjoys watching basketball, listening to music, and traveling the world. “My goal in life is to visit at least 20 other countries. So far, I've visited six different countries."

Weekly Deals: Ho ho ho-liday savings

Deal Of The Week:
Groupon: Stock up for the holidays and pay $15 for $30 worth of gifts from RedEnvelope here.

Other Weekly Deals:
OnSale: Score discounts on PCs, accessories, electronics and MP3 players this holiday season until Dec. 23 here.

Wireless: Consumer United has teamed up with Simplexity to launch a new online wireless store for cellphones, services and accessories here.

Best Buy: Looking for the perfect holiday gift? Best Buy offers guaranteed Christmas delivery here with online purchases made before Dec. 21. Plus, they offer free shipping on thousands of items here.

Fandango: Send the gift of movies and receive a special reward with your offer here.

Restaurant.com: Take 60% off $25 gift certificates from Restaurant.com with Consumer United's special code SNOW through Thursday, Dec. 2 here.

'Tis the season for holiday scams

Shoppers beware. Before heading online to book that last-minute trip home or to shop for the holidays, consumers should be aware that the gift-giving season is also a time for fraud.

In fact, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) warns that the most wonderful time of the year is also the season for identity thieves, hackers and deceptive online merchants.

Unfortunately, there are a few scam artists out there who are more naughty than nice.

“While the rest of us are pulling the decorations out of the attic, scammers are blowing the dust off of their tried and true holiday scams,” says Paula Fleming, BBB spokesperson. “We can all help make these holiday scams a ghost of Christmas’ past by not falling for them anymore.”

Here are a few tips from the BBB to keep your holiday season jolly:

Scam shopping sites online
We’re all looking for a great deal online, but some sites offer electronics or luxury goods at prices that are too good to be true. Every holiday season BBB hears from holiday shoppers who paid for a supposedly great deal online, but received nothing in return.

• BBB advice: Always look for the BBB seal when shopping online and click on the seal to confirm it is legitimate. When shopping on sites that you aren’t household names, check the business out with the BBB before you buy.

Finding the season’s hottest toys and gadgets online
Every year, holiday shoppers fight over the “must have” toy or gadget of the season. When the item is sold out in stores, you can often find it online through sites like Craigslist or eBay—for a much steeper price. The problem is that some sellers will take your money and run.

• BBB Advice: Shop locally on Craigslist and conduct the transaction in person—never wire money as payment. When purchasing items on auctions like eBay, research the seller extensively and always listen to your doubts if the deal doesn’t sound legit.

Identity theft at the mall
While you’re struggling at the mall with bags of presents, identity thieves see an opportunity to steal your wallet and debit or credit card numbers.

• BBB Advice: Don’t let yourself get bogged down in purchases and lose track of your wallet. Know where your credit and debit cards are at all times and cover the keypad when entering your pin number while purchasing items or getting money from the ATM.

Bogus charitable pleas
The holidays are a time of giving which creates a great opportunity for scammers to solicit donations to line their own pockets. Also beware of solicitations from charities that don’t necessarily deliver on their promises or are ill-equipped to carry through on their plans.

• BBB Advice: Always research a charity with the BBB Wise Giving Alliance before you give to see if the charity meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Phishing e-mails
Phishing e-mails are a common way for hackers to get at your personal information or break into your computer. Common phishing e-mails around the holidays include e-cards and messages pretending to be from companies like UPS or Fedex with links to package tracking information.

• BBB Advice: Don’t click on any links or open any attachments to e-mails until you have confirmed that they are not malicious. E-mail addresses that don’t match up, typos and grammatical mistakes are common red flags of a malicious phishing e-mail. Also beware of unsolicited e-mails from companies with which you have no association. Make sure you have current anti-virus software and that all security patches have been installed on the computer.

Click here for more holiday-related tips from the BBB.