My son has been away at camp all week. Today I had to make the 260 mile trip to pick him up. I left out at 5 this morning and returned home at 3 this afternoon… a long drive to say the least. Anyhow on the way there I got myself into some legal trouble… nothing too serious though. I was pretending to be Maria Andretti and got caught.

I was doing 68 in a 55… (at least that is what the officer said. But I say I’m innocent until proven guilty.) I asked the cop if she could give me a verbal warning instead of a ticket. But she was not up for negotiating. She wrote me the ticket and told me to have a great day.

A speeding ticket? That’s just great. I haven’t gotten a ticket in years. And in two months I have to renew my auto insurance policy. If they realize that they are insuring a Mario Andretti wannabe, my premium will go through the roof. So I have to do my best to prevent that from happening.

There are two things I plan to do.

First of all, I won’t just mail a check to pay for the ticket. Past experience has taught me that appearing for court is better choice. Some people like to fight tickets in court. But I will not fight it. I’ll concede to the judge that maybe I was going a little bit over the limit. And more then likely, the judge will reduce the ticket to a lesser violation. Then with all the remorse I can muster up, I’ll ask if it’s possible that this minor infraction not be reported to the DMV. And that judge will likely say ok. No report to the DMV means that my insurance company will not hear about this… Or at least this is how I hope the story will play out.

Second, I need to take precautions to make sure this does not happen again. The most logical solution is that I never speed again. And while I can promise ya’ll that I won’t, chances are that I will. I don’t try to be Little Mrs. Speed Racer… it is just that sometimes I can lose perception of speed. So I’m going to get a radar detector. And this way, when it beeps, I’ll be reminded check the odometer to make sure I am in compliance with the posted speed limit.

Best Buy has a pretty decent selection of radar detectors… as well as other promotions and specials.

• Save 10% on any single item from select categories or save 12% on any single item from select categories with your Reward Zone program membership
• Apply for your Reward Zone Master Card to quickly rack up points on your Best Buy purchases
• Rebates on Energy Star products
• Pay $30 when you buy two $19.99 video games
• $20 Price Drop on the Panasonic FS3S Lumix Digital Camera
• Write a product review and win $1,000
• 5-15% off select digital camera, plus free shipping
• 5-15% off select digital camcorders, plus free shipping
• Save $50 on Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 – Windows
• 12-25% off select GPS systems, plus free shipping
• Free shipping on Lexmark Printers
• Save $350 on Sony – VAIO Laptop
• Recently reduced items at the Best Buy Outlet
• Weekly Sales Event
• No interest for 90 days when you use your Best Buy credit card

Every year thousands of people leap into entrepreneurship. I was one of those people. Six years ago I decided to start a small business. I set up an online shop through eBay. I figured this would be cheaper than renting a brick and mortar location. And plus my customer base would not be limited to the folks in my area.

I called my store Orange Blossoms. My product line consisted of designer perfumes and colognes. I figured I would keep it basic to start. But eventually, I added more items like perfumed soap and shimmery, scented powders. Sales orders began coming in faster than inventory. I was actually turning a decent profit. Sounds good, right?

Well I thought so too, but unfortunately, I ended up in another group of people… those entrepreneurs who tried and failed. So where did I go wrong?

I’ll get to that part in a minute. But first I’d like to say… yes I am going to spew out some advice to ya’ll. And you may be thinking… how is she qualified to give advice when she failed? Well… I’ll tell you.

While is it advisable to take suggestions from people who are successful in their entrepreneurial endeavors, it is also sensible to take suggestions from those who failed as well.

Those successful entrepreneurs can tell you what to do to succeed. But you also need to know what not to do so that you won’t fail. Successful entrepreneurs can’t tell you that, because apparently they did every thing right.

So… it is ok to seek advice from those who made it… they can teach you what to do. But it is also ok to seek advice from those who did not make it… they can teach you what not to do. (And here is where I fit in.)

Alright now that I’ve convinced you to listen to what I have to say… I’ll continue.

Where did I go wrong? I was a horrible record keeper.

I had invoices, sales orders, purchase receipts, fee bills and all kinds of little pieces of paper coming out the wazoo. And all I did was toss it all in a big box. I was too busy doing something I enjoyed… buying and selling perfume and other frilly foo foo stuff. Who had time to track every nickel and dime of every expense and sale? My plan was to sort through it all at the end of the year.

And for three years, my plan worked for me. When it was time to file my taxes, I’d grab the box. Then I separated the contents into two piles… a revenue stack and an expense stack… totaled them up, figured the profit or loss and threw the number on a tax form.

In addition to reporting my business income, I also itemized so I could maximize all the typical business deductions… like asset depreciation, mileage, home office, yada, yada, yada.

Well after the third year in business, I got a notice in the mail. It said… this is nothing to worry about it…but your tax return has been selected at random for further review and verification. All we need you to do is send copies of this, this and that.

So I made copies of this, this and that and sent it off. Nothing to worry about, right? (Here is where I scoff at that idealistic notion.) A week later, I get another notice saying that based on the documentation I provided, further investigation is warranted, i.e. I’m about to be audited by the IRS!!! (Here is where I scream.)

I scheduled an appointment with the auditor. On the day of my appointment I moseyed on down to the IRS office with my box of papers. The auditor asked me a few questions… like how I got that number and where are the records to substantiate this claim. I answered as best I could and left her with my box.

She called me a few times over the next couple of weeks to ask more questions. I did my best to answer. And then for nearly a week… nothing. The calls stopped. Next thing I know… I received a registered letter in the mail detailing the amount of unpaid taxes, interest and penalties that was due. The total sum… over $5,300!

Well that put a quick death to my entrepreneurial days.

I agreed that I owed the money. But the thing is, I was not trying lie or be deceitful on my taxes. All of the deductions I had taken were valid. The only problem is that my record keeping system was so screwy that I could not corroborate any of it.

So here is my advice to those who want to brave it in world of entrepreneurship… keep good records so you’ll be prepared when tax time rolls around.

The IRS is infamous for picking on small business owners… especially home based business owners. So be ready because chances are they will come a knocking.

Here are some things you can do to help ward off failure:

Categorize your receipts, bills, etc. using a logical filing system

Reconcile your books at least once a month

Document all of your business related expenses (and if you plan to claim mileage as an expense keep a notebook in your glove compartment and use it to log all of your miles)

Report all income whether it is taxable or not… if you are an independent contractor, make sure you wait for all of your 1099’s to come in before you file your taxes

Make sure every thing adds up – and I am not just talking numbers here. Let’s say you use a calendar to keep track of your busy schedule of business meetings or trips. Then on August 9^th, you log 43 miles in your mileage book for a business trip. However, August 9^th in your calendar is blank. That does not add up.

Taking on a new business venture can be exciting. Enjoy the process. But don’t let the fun be foiled if the IRS comes snooping. Keep good records, keep the man off your back, and watch your business grow.

This post is a part of the July MoneyBlogNetwork Group Writing Project focusing on the best advice for new entrepreneurs.

Many people may not know this about me, but I am a NASCAR junkie. I try to make it to at least one live race a year. For the past 5 years I’ve gone to Daytona. Unfortunately I could not make it this year. But I am really looking forward to October. We are going to Talladega to catch the Amp Energy 500.

My favorite part of the whole race is when they say, “Gentlemen, start your engines!” That’s when the crowd starts yelling and the engines begin roaring. I’m sure at that moment the energy in the raceway would register a 5 on the Richter scale.

I can’t imagine going to the speedway and not hearing engines revving because that’s what it’s all about… big boy toys making big boy noise. But if these hydrogen cars come along, that is what will happen… “Gentlemen, start your engines!” and then complete silence?!?!

The hydrogen car is the latest thing in the world of green. Basically it is a car that runs on water. I know there is a lot more to it than this… but from what I gather… it uses a fuel cell. The fuel cell does some magical stuff with hydrogen, oxygen and electricity and then… tada! The car starts rolling. And continues to roll for up to 300 miles or more.

There are a few hydrogen cars on the road today. They are still in the test stage. But reports estimate that there will be 2 million of these cars available by 2020.

These little cars have generated a lot of hype, but I am not so convinced that this will be the car for the future.

Well for one, the car hardly makes any noise. In this culture of suped up power engines… we Americans like big cars with big engines that make big rumbles. A hydrogen car can’t rumble! I am a woman and I like to hear the rev of my engine from time to time. So what man’s man would want a car that did not have some thunder under the hood?

Secondly, the car is very… I mean very expensive. Hydrogen technology is a new thing. And as with all new technology, costs are abundant. I think I read somewhere that it costs about a million dollars to produce one hydrogen car. I don’t know about you, but if I had a million dollars to spare, I would not be using it to buy a hydrogen car. Now granted the price is likely to come down with mass production, but that will take long time. And still even then, the cost to the consumer is still predicted to be astronomical.

And on top of that, there are many other green car options that are comparable and in some cases better than the hydrogen car. The hybrid car and the EV provide similar benefits at a more palatable price.

Don’t get me wrong, I do agree that something needs to be done to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. And there is nothing wrong with change and moving forward. (Actually, I thought that by 2008 we’d be like the Jetson’s.) But I don’t think that hydrogen cars are the way to go. It’s nice research for physicists to explore, but the reality of the hydrogen car becoming a part of everyday life is very unlikely.

I have vivid childhood memories of sailing in the gulf with my grandfather. I remember one time, he tried to teach me how to fish. He let down the anchor and gave me a pole. I cast it out and after about an hour of trying, something finally bit my line. I was excited. I reeled it in and saw my catch… a small catfish that was not even 8 inches long. Gramps told me to toss it back out because it needed to grow some more. I was a bit disappointed that I did not eat the fish that took me so long to snag.

That little catfish was the first and only fish I caught. I never gave fishing another go. Now I prefer to do my fishing at my local grocery store… or when my grandfather has a bountiful catch, he brings me over a chest full of fresh fish.

My grandfather went boating all the time. And now that he is retired, he goes just about every weekend. He says that being on the open water frees him from the stresses of everyday life. It’s his favorite pastime.

For the past however many years, my grandfather’s homeowner’s insurance policy had an endorsement for boating coverage. But, last week he got a letter from them saying that this additional coverage will no longer be provided. So now he needs to get a boat insurance policy.

My grandfather is a sailor, he’s got boating mastered. He is not a finance person, so he called on me to help. Since he has given me hundreds of pounds of fish over the years, I figure I can pay him back helping him find new coverage. But the problem is that I know nothing about boat insurance. So to can help him make the best choice, I have to discover what it is all about.

My grandfather recently upgraded to a new boat. It cost him upwards of $40,000. While boat insurance is not mandatory, it is wise to have. All kinds of weird stuff can go wrong on a boat… fires, hurricanes, oil spills. And you would not want a $40,000 purchase to be left unprotected.

But in addition to covering damages to the boat, this insurance also comes with liability protection. This is good if someone sues you for injuries that may happen in a boating accident.

And anyway, most marinas won’t let you dock unless you have boat insurance.

So what is covered under boat insurance? Well as I already mentioned, it covers property damage and liability. But it also covers medical expenses and damages caused by uninsured boaters.

Most policies also come with an emergency services add on. That way… if you have any troubles on the water, someone is available to assist by delivering oil or gas or even towing the boat back to land.

There are many homeowners insurance policies that allow you to extend coverage to your boat. But there are also many companies that specialize in boat and marine insurance. The cost of boat insurance can vary greatly depending on coverage. But to get the best price, it is usually better to bundle other insurances. Most companies give a multi policy discount.

Of course, life jackets are a must, but a GPS system can also be very useful. Having this type of safety equipment onboard can help reduce rates. Also, you can bring down the cost of the policy by increasing deductibles and lower liability and property coverage. But be cautious when doing this, because being underinsured is just about as bad as being uninsured.

Now that I know a little bit more about boat insurance, I’m about to go so I can call around to compare some prices.

Do you get the feeling that your dollar is not worth much these days? Well believe me, I do. A gallon of milk costs $5, a gallon of gas is $4.15, a family dinner for 4 at Applebee’s $100! Do you know how long it takes me to earn a hundred bucks? And in an hour… one family meal takes it all away. So, no, a dollar does not get you much these days. In some states, it won’t even get you a can of Coke.

It wasn’t that long ago when the US dollar reigned supreme. However lately, I have been reading all the stories about how weak the dollar has become. But I did not need to read a fancy article in the Wall Street Journal to figure that out. I realize it every time I buy groceries or fill up my gas tank.

I saw a story on Fox that talked about how many foreign tourists are vacationing in the US. They said it was because their native currency is more worth in the US because the value of the dollar is declining. But reading this story got me thinking… are there any places where the dollar is still gold?

And actually there are… you can get 7.5 South African Rand (ZAR) for a dollar. I have always wanted to visit Cape Town. And there is no better time than now because at 7.5 ZAR to a dollar… I can live like a king for hardly anything at all.

Cape Town is one of the largest industrialized cities in southern Africa. It’s known for its picturesque landscapes and waterfronts. And there is so much to do there.

For only 312 ZAR or $42 a night, you can stay at a luxury Cape Town hotel. The 18 on Crox seems like a quaint place to stay. They offer all the amenities that us Americans expect, yet with an old fashion Cape Town elegance. And the rooms start at only $66 a night.

At Marimba restaurant, you can dine on fine cuisine at a fraction of what is costs in America. Look at this… I took this straight from Marimba’s menu – Trio of Dukkah Spiced Lamb Cutlets with baby jacket potatoes, rosemary jus and buttered green beans – all this for only 73 ZAR (or $9.73!) And many nights, a live South African jazz band serenades the patrons. (Take a listen at this sample selection… isn’t that enchanting?)

And at Azure’s, you can have a romantic dinner and a private movie showing for 195 ZAR ($26). This even includes the popcorn and candy.

One of Cape Town’s biggest attractions is Table Mountain. Many famous people have been spotted scrolling around the mountain. And it easy to understand why. It’s a tranquil getaway lined by a calming sea shore. But there are also restaurants, bars and a lively night life.

And for the more adventurous PFA’ers… Its rugged terrain and mountainous landscape makes Cape Town an excellent place for backpacking.

There are other places around world where you can live lavish on a dollar… but first you have to get there.

Check out these sites to find the cheapest prices on international flights:

Cheap Flights Airline Consolidator Fareline International Globester

And here you can find some tips that’ll help you get the lowest fare.

Ok, it is time for me to be honest with you guys. I am the type of vacationer whose destination sometimes depends on which out of town relative has a spare bed or sofa that I can crash on for a week. I love to vacation but the expense is often more than my penny-wise budget can bear. And while I enjoy reconnecting with distant relatives, the sleeping on the sofa thing just ain’t working for me anymore. I’m getting older and the lumpy sofa is not good for my back. And anyway, it makes me feel like a moocher. So I have given up on this method is saving money.

I am planning to take a trip for my birthday, which is only a month away. I haven’t settled on a location as of yet… but one thing I know is that I will not spend this vacation sleeping on the couch. This decision really broadens my possibilities. That means I can go anywhere I want… (well, within the confines of my budget that is)

Although I have come to this “no more sofas” conclusion, my budget has not changed. This means I have to figure out how to squeeze in lodging expenses without going over budget. I have been looking ways to do that. And I discovered that this will be easy to pull off if I take advantage of Expedia coupons and specials.

Expedia has all kinds of great deals going on:

Free gas card when I book my hotel through Expedia

Save 30% on flights through booked though 7/31 for travel up to 9/5, plus get 20 points per dollar from Memolink

Third night free at Starwood Hawaii when booked by December 16

Round trip flight on Delta for as low as $216, good through July 31

4 night hotel stay plus air fare to Hawaii for under $1000

4 night hotel stay plus air fare to California for under $500

Last minute 4 day Mexican cruise on the Royal Caribbean for $219

Las Vegas hotel room for only $29 a night

Save $10 per night enter when I enter this code, good through July 31 for travel through September 30

All inclusive Cancun and Riviera Maya vacations… flight and hotel for $740

A 2 day free car rental from Europcar, valid until July 31

A 4 day Bahamas cruise for $189 on the Norwegian

Get money back on Expedia purchases when I use these sites:

Get 2.8% cash back from cost.com

Get 1.8% cash back from bigcrumbs.com

Get 2.4% cash back from fatwallet.com

Get 2.0% cash back from mrrebates.com

Get 1.0% cash back from ebates.com

Get 1.0% cash back from cashbaq.com

As you can see, I have a lot more budget friendly choice when I book with Expedia. I think I may go on a cruise. I have not been on one in awhile and 4 days in the Bahamas for $189… that’s a bargain. As soon as I am done talking to ya’ll… I am going to book that cruise. And after I am done booking it, I need to get prepared.

Since I’m going to Bahamas, I need to work on looking good in my bathing suit. So, I’ll try extra hard to drop another 5 pounds.

Anyway, enough of my babbling, I’m getting excited… No more couches for me and I’m going on an inexpensive Bahamian cruise!

This post was included as a part of the 141st Festival of Frugality at Almost Frugal.

Does everyone remember Jared? He’s the guy who lost 240 pounds by eating Subway for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s been about 8 years since Subway revealed to the world Jared’s new slimmer look. Recently I have been seeing Subway commercials that congratulate Jared on his 10 year anniversary of keeping it off. I am so proud of Jared. Losing so much weight and maintaining a weigh loss of that magnitude can be an insurmountable feat for anyone.

Recently I have embarked on my own Jared-esque weight loss journey. My diet is not as Subway rich as Jared’s was, but I do eat there just about everyday for lunch.

In my local Subway, there is a larger than life cardboard replica of the skinny Jared holding up a pair of his fat pants. Every time I go in there, I rub his flat cardboard belly for inspiration and good luck. The folks in there think I am loony. But I tell them, loony or not, that belly rub is working or me.

I don’t know if it is the belly rubs or the subs or maybe the combination of the two, but over the past thirty days I have lost about five pounds. That is little more than a pound a week! If I keep it up, I might get myself a spot on TV commercial right next to my Subway hero.

And despite my obvious intention of using Subway to help me attain my weight loss goals, I actually like the food. It beats those microwaved Lean Cuisines and Health Choices. Hands down, no competition… it’s more filling and tastes better.

Typically I get the same thing every time I visit Subway. My favorite sandwich is sweet onion chicken teriyaki with Swiss cheese on a 6 inch slice of honey oat French bread. I like it topped with sweet onion sauce, black olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, three jalapeno peppers (just 3 else my mouth would be on fire) and extra spinach leaves (I like to get the extra spinach for the added antioxidant, vitamin A and vitamin K)

And man, do I love this sandwich? My mouth is watering as I think about it. The bread is freshly baked. The veggies are crisp and flavorful. And the whole thing only costs me 384 calories and 9.5 grams of fat.

Anyway since I’ve been eating out for lunch everyday at Subway, I’ve been on the hunt for ways to stretch my subway dollars. Because Subway is a franchise, you may not be able to use the same coupons in every location. But here is what I found:

Subway coupons for select Florida restaurants

Subway coupons for select New Jersey restaurants

Subway coupons for select Utah restaurants

Subway coupons for select California restaurants

Many locations now sell the most popular foot long subs for $5, at some restaurants every foot long is only $5

Earn points that can be redeemed for free stuff when you reload your Subway cash card

Sign up here for the latest Subway promotions

Test drive a Vespa and get a $5 Subway gift card

Get Subway cheap coupons and find cheap gift cards at EBay

Subway coupons sent to your cell phone

Enter here for a chance to win a $50 gift card

No sure if these will work, but I’ll give it a try

Hey Everyone,

I’m here again with this weeks carnival round-up. As usual there’s great personal finance articles out there in the blogosphere so be sure to visit the carnivals and let me know which ones you really enjoyed!

- Money Hacks Carnival #20 (The Chicago Style Edition) was hosted by This Writer’s Wallet and you can find our post entitled The Basics of Life Insurance listed there.

- Festival of Frugality #134 was hosted by On Financial Success and you can find our post entitled Get a Break From the Pump by Improving Gas Mileage listed there.

- Carnival of Personal Finance #161 (The ‘Feeling Renewed’ Edition) was hosted by The Budgeting Babe and you can find our post entitled Netflix Promotions Presented by a Bizarre Netflix Fanatic listed there.

- Finance Fiesta #7 (The Mama Mia Edition) was hosted by Living Almost Large and you can find our post entitled Pet Insurance: Fido Gnawing at Your Finances? listed there.

Who are they?

Juniper is a relative new comer to the banking scene. Established in 2001 by Jim Stewart and Richard Vague, Juniper Bank has grown to become one of the largest issuers of credit cards. Though it is officially called a bank, they do not provide the typical services that most associate with banks. Their only product line consists of array of Visa and MasterCard cards.

In 2004 the bank was acquired by the London based, Barclays, one of the largest bank institutions in the world. Barclays has a customer base of over 20 million spread throughout more than 60 countries. After the acquisition, the banks name was officially change to Barclays Bank Delaware. However, it still uses its signature brand, Juniper Bank, on most of its products.

Under the direction of CEO, Lloyd Wirshba, Barclays Bank Delaware continues to grow. Its major competitors are strongholds such as Bank of America and Capital One.

In the news

Not much news going on in the life of Barclays Bank Delaware. However it was recently announced that the bank would be adding another credit card to its line. L.L. Bean, a well known clothier, recently partnered with Juniper to issue its new Visa card.

The card

Barclays Bank Delaware issues millions of credit cards under many different affiliations all with different good and bad points. So for this take, I’ll do something a little different. I’ll tell you where you can find Juniper cards that are parading around under the names of companies we know and love and some companies we’ve never knew existed.

Southern Home Living Frontier Airlines DirecTV I Fly America Air Jamaica Bank Atlantic Best Western Emigrant Direct Midwest Airlines Miles and More Lufthansa LL Bean BJ’s Icelandair Free Spirit Airlines Century 21 AirTran Airways Buckmasters US Airways Princess Cruise Lines Harvard Alumni Association Carnival Cruise Lines National Park Foundation Vegas.com Shopko Casey’s General Store IBC Clark LukOil and Getty China Airlines Future Trust Gulf Gas Station The Mailbox Mall Raceway Gas Station RaceTrac Gas Station Travelocity JoAnn Fabric and Craft Stores OshKosh Barnes and Nobles Ameriprise Financial

Ok I guess that’s enough. As you can see, Barclays offers many, many credit cards. So many in fact, that it is very possible that you have one or two in your wallet.

The basics:

Most of the APRs on these cards range from 10 to 20% and just about all have a 0% introductory period

The extras:

Most of these cards offer cash rebates or reward points

My take

Juniper has a lot of associations with many reputable companies. So one would imagine that they had a good reputation among consumers, but that’s not the case. Most people who have a Juniper Bank issued card complain about the deceitful terms, questionable fee assessment, holding payments, poor customer service and unapplied rewards.

My take: I am not sure what to think about Juniper cards. On one hand, they must have a positive relationship with the businesses that they partner with. If they didn’t, they would not be the 13^th largest issuer of credit cards. But on the other hand, there are many card holders that condemn their Juniper cards. I’d just be very cautious with this one. I would go over the terms and conditions of the card with a fine tooth comb. Make sure I understand and am willing to accept the terms.

Most of the offers and rewards look pretty decent on the surface, but there are too many dissatisfied customers. I’d be wary of Juniper.

Tired of spending $100 a week on gas? Forget fuel efficient… Try fuel nonexistent! A car that doesn’t run on fuel isn’t a new idea. The first electric car dates back to the late 1800’s. Although the technology back then was relatively archaic, the model gave automakers a framework to build from. Just charge and go.

It’s been around from more then a hundred years, yet most still think of the electric car as a novel concept. This little car has travelled many a rocky road. It seemed to get thrust into the people’s life… but then just goes away as quickly as it came. And then we just forgot about it. This has been the yoyo life of the electric car for many years.

Then in the 1990’s, the electric car bounced back with a vengeance. There were nearly 2000 of them sharing the road with their eco-ly challenged cousins, the gas guzzlers. They were becoming so popular that charging stations were popping up next to fueling stations. They even ignited enough excitement that they managed to spawn their own cult-like following. And then the cars were gone again.

It was almost like a dream (or nightmare for their fans)… California passed some law, the auto companies said it would be too expensive to comply with the law… and just like that, the cars were gone again. They were all gathered up, taken to an open field and shot. The charging stations were dismantled and all signs that the electric car ever existed were gone. That is except for the loud, angry voices of those who love them.

And that’s it, the life story of the electric car … born, killed, born, then killed again. Its just the same ole story repeating itself.

Recently the electric car has been making yet another a comeback. After being resurrected by some automakers we’ve heard of and some we’ve never heard of, the electric car is alive again. If there is a hint of truth to all of the stories I’ve been reading, the electric car is here and it’s here to stay. (Well, that’s if the critics and nay sayers don’t take them all out to that open field again.)

You see, we Americans have grown accustomed to our big, roomy mansions on wheels. So when we see these small, goofy looking cars, we just scoff at them. But there has got to be something special about them because they keep rising from the dead. So what is it about these cars? If we can get over the fact that they look so silly, there is actually a lot of good rolled into this little package.

1 – By far the most impressive thing – you’ll never have to spend $100 on gas filling up the tank… you’ll only have to pay a few bucks extra on your electricity bill so you can charge the car (and some of the solar powered ones won’t cost you anything)

2 – They don’t release those harmful emission that are contributing to melting the planet

3 – Most of them, with the exception of this $100,000 Roadster, are relatively inexpensive

4 – Although the quirky designs make them look like whimpy, some of them are able to keep with up and beat their counterparts when it comes to speed.

The electric car is the underdog in this competition. And if the past is any indicaton of the future, the electric car will be dead again. But I am rooting for them!