For about three weeks my car has been telling me that my key fob needs a new battery. I didn’t think it was urgent so I waited, and today I called the dealership to find out how much a new battery would cost me.

The response:  Twelve dollars! For one stinking battery!

After hearing that, I decided to buy it myself from a third party. I found my closest Radio Shack and after a few minutes in the car and a few minutes in the store I had a new battery for $5.29. I installed the battery myself. This, of course, is a small savings, but an important lesson. With just a little work I saved over 50% off the cost of this new battery including installation.

The lesson learned? Laziness can be very costly over the course of time.

Side Story: When I got back in the car, the battery light did not turn off. It is not the car battery; my car has been operating fine. But it does make me wonder if the car is set to alert the driver after a period of time, opposed to the energy left in the battery, so that the dealer can sell a battery that has a super high profit margin.

By Mr. Frugal