A New Year's Resolution

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Aug 31, 2005
Messages
477
Location
Chicago, IL
I'm getting a jump on New Year's Resolutions to have some time to think them over before champagne and revelry blur the situation. Beginning in 2006, I will no longer take money for granted. I will not spend more money than I have to. I will take off my rose-colored financial glasses and put on my sound-reasoning-and-research-glasses when it comes to matters of money. Part of this fiduciary sensibility includes not using synthetic motor oils any longer. Since I drive about 12k miles per year, my car holds 7.5 quarts, and the oil life monitor generally runs to about 6 or 7k between oil changes, I will save approximately $22 per oil change by using a good quality conventional motor oil at $1.90 per quart as opposed to Mobil 1 at $4.90 per quart. At two oil changes per year, that amounts to approximately $45, or about 2 hours of salaried work (at my salary) per year. Instead of spending that money and time on an unproven automotive fluid that appears to offer little or no credible evidence of real benefits to my car, I will give the money to a children's hospital anonymously or spend at least two hours per year at a nursing home spending time with people who feel lonely during the holidays and just want someone to talk to. The benefits of those tasks are positive and directly and immediately measurable, and I will feel better about myself by helping another person than by putting synthetic oil in my car. Instead of spending time speculating on which motor oil I should use, I will instead spend that time finding ways for my family to eat more healthy foods or I will spend more time talking with my kids as their friend as well as their father. Synthetic motor oil does not cause me any pain or problems, but I have decided that it is an unnecessary expense. I will consult the experts at BITOG for the most efficient conventional oil to use in my car, and then buy that oil at a good price and use it without overthinking the situation. The engineers who designed my car and its oil life monitor system put more research and testing into the motor oil they recommend than I have, and I trust their decision because I have never heard of engine failures caused by lubrication problems that were not due to gross neglect. Since I don't neglect my car, I will no longer worry about using what the manufacturer says is best.
 
A clever way to start yet another "synthetic vs dino" debate.
spaz.gif
 
Well you could reverse your logic a bit. Put synthetic oil in, change once a year, don't sweat the few bucks difference, relax completely and use your extra free time to volunteer - which I salute wholeheartedly!
 
Of course, you could spend that extra few hours on searching through sales ad for good sales on dino oil.
smile.gif
J/K. I don't want to even think about how much valuable time I've spent loitering around this website.
frown.gif
 
My oil resolutions for 2006 are:

1) I will keep no more than one OCI's worth of oil in my garage per vehicle.

2) I will stop changing the Expedition's oil more than necessary .

3) I will stop wasting time at work posting on BITOG.
wink.gif
 
Pablo - Thank you for the sentiment. I have used Amsoil 10W-30 (ATM) oil before and have nothing but good things to say. Unfortunately, on my car, at $6.30 per quart and about $30 for 2 Amsoil EaO oil filters per year, that amounts to $77.25 for my annual Amsoil oil change plus two filters as recommended. Using Havoline at $1.90 per quart and a $6 Purolator PureONE filter, my two annual oil changes cost $40.50, a difference of $36.75 per year. While that is a little less than the cost of Mobil 1, I would rather donate that money or time to a worthy charity. I think you are a very valuable asset to BITOG. Unfortunately most Amsoil dealers give the company a bad reputation. You are the exception to the rule, and I do appreciate it.
 
I resolve to go fishing To spend more time doing the things I love with those I love and running my OCI's out past 10k miles to help in that cause.
 
Wavinwayne, I think those are all great ideas. There are so many things in life worthy of our time and attention, and I realize now that motor oil ranks very near the bottom of that list.

Bryanccfshr, I think those all sound like excellent ideas! May all your bobbers drown quickly.
wink.gif
 
My oil resolution for 2006 is since now I have 400 quarts in the stash, to slow down the buying of 49 cent a quart Chevron.
grin.gif



Now I need filters..
shocked.gif
cheers.gif


Take care, Bill
biggthumbcoffe.gif
 
Being I have over 140qts of M1 in stock at just under $3.00 per qt and after 6 samples tested for 10thou miles each(one at 15000-told to 17000 next oil change) and being told go 12000miles next change. Lets see 3.75qts per change/round up to 4qts needed per change times $3.00 = $12.00 + $2.77 for the Motorcraft FL400s filter from W-M rounded up to $3.00 == a $15.00 oil change good for 10,000miles!!!!
 
Bill in Utah - that is just astounding. You have 100 gallons of motor oil at your house? Dare I ask why? Tell me you have a huge yacht with a couple of 8 cylinder Caterpillar diesels that take 15 gallons per oil change every quarter or something similar.

gudmund - 140 quarts at $2.89 = $404.60 worth of oil on hand. At 4 quarts per change and 10k miles per interval, that means it will take you 350,000 miles to deplete your supply. At 15k miles per year, that means you have a stockpile of oil that will last you for over 23 years. Am I missing something here?
 
quote:

Bill in Utah - that is just astounding. You have 100 gallons of motor oil at your house? Dare I ask why? Tell me you have a huge yacht with a couple of 8 cylinder Caterpillar diesels that take 15 gallons per oil change every quarter or something similar.

Ok, you dared...

No, I have the 400 quarts just for my lawn mower.
grin.gif


You should see my stash for the cars!
shocked.gif


Ok, Just kidding..
tongue.gif


I've got 4 outfits that I do every oil change on.

A 2000 Silverado V-8 that holds 6qts.
Cost per oil change is around $6

A 2002 Silverado V-8 that holds 6qts.
Cost per oil change is around $6

A 2005 Toyota Corolla 4cyl holds 4qts.
Cost per oil change is around $7

A 2005 Honda powered Vue around 5qts.
Cost per oil change is around $7

The trucks both get 3 month Oil changes because they are subjected to very short mostly city drives of less than 2 miles here and there. A few trips that warm up the oil (I'll drive to work a few times which is 120 miles round trip).

The 2000 has 41k miles and the 2002 has 11k miles, so you can see not driven alot for these 2.

3 month oil changes,so 4 x 6 qt per outfit = 24 quarts x 2 = 48 quarts per year.

Total cost per truck per year is $24

The Toyota gets driven 28k miles per year. 4k average oil change for 7 oil changes per year X 4 quarts = 28 quarts.

Total cost per year is $49

The Vue gets oil changes every 3 months so 5 qt x 4 = 20 quarts.

Total cost per year is $28

48+28+20 equals 96 quarts per year with little more for burning in the Toyota.

Add a few oil changes thru out the year for other family outfits and when they don't bring their own oil and that uses maybe 20 quarts a year.

So, I have a little over 4 years worth of oil in my stash. Most of it well under $1 a quart. Alot of it for .49 cents a quart.

Why go to Wal-Mart and spend $2 or more a quart when you can plan (buy the oil on sale) and do the whole oil change for the cost of a few quarts?

My whole stash costs under what iffy lube would charge for less than 10 Oil changes!

See, there is a reason for my madness... (which alot of folks will disagee...)
cheers.gif


Plus I don't have to worry about shortages, cost going up, if the oil is being changed because of weather or such..
gr_stretch.gif


It's my story and I'm sticking to it...

Take care, Bill
biggthumbcoffe.gif
 
quote:

Well I certainly can't argue with the cost savings!

See, I'm not totally crazy!
gr_eek2.gif


quote:

Where do you take all that used oil?

I take it to the recycler. All the outfits I work on have a Fram Sure Drain and just drain it into my Pennzoil 6 quart jug and take it in.

Nice and clean..

quote:

Which store usually has the 49 cent sale?

Checkers has Chevron for .89 with coupon then .40 cents a quart mail in rebate. Last sundays paper and yesterdays paper had the coupon...

quote:

Where are you in Utah?

In the Provo/Orem area (about 40 miles south of Salt Lake)

So, I can get a case of Chevron for about a buck more than someone going into Wal-Mart and buying a single quart of Mobil 1 without the API ring....
smile.gif


Take care, Bill
biggthumbcoffe.gif
 
J.A.Rizzo;

If your New Year's Resolutions are anything like mine, you'll grab your first case of M1 by the 5th
smile.gif
 
new years resolution: don't stock up on oil. I have a 3-4 year supply. I thought I told myself this last new years eve but it didn't work out that way.
wink.gif
 
Well I certainly can't argue with the cost savings! Where do you take all that used oil? Which store usually has the 49 cent sale? Where are you in Utah?
 
New Year's Resolution: Get my average cost per quart in the stash below $1.50, even if I have to run my stash up to the size of Bill's to do it! (I have a bunch of $2 MaxLife Synthetic messing up my average!)

smile.gif
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top