For whatever your reason for needing to keep track of your vehicle mileage, my guess is you’ll also agree with me that it can be a very tedious chore. First you need to remember to record your car’s beginning mileage and then when your trip is complete, you’ll need to record the ending mileage. Don’t forget to mark down the date of your trip and any necessary details.

And then there is the need to assemble your mileage report. You need to make sure you have all of your data that you’ve collected and then you need to assemble it into a report, manually doing a number of repetitive calculations by hand.

This task can become a nightmare when you are keeping track of your vehicle mileage log manually. But fortunately for us, the technology of the digital age has come to the rescue.

There is a new type of product available called a “digital mileage log” that will automate this task and make your life much simpler than ever before.

The tool is small – less than the size of a dollar bill and so it’s portable should you have the need to track mileage in different vehicles. And it’s easy to use as well.

You simply plug it into your car’s cigarette lighter and turn it on. The little digital “gizmo” will use Global Positioning System technology (GPS) to monitor your car’s exact location. After your trip is complete, your auto’s mileage is calculated and uploaded to the maker’s website. You can then login to the website whenever you would like and add any notes necessary and download and print your mileage log.

Gone forever are the days of manually monitoring and recording your mileage. The digital mileage log takes care of it all for you and your task has just become very small compared to the labor intensive project it used to be.

For anyone that needs to keep track of any significant amount of mileage, for whatever reason, a digital mileage log might be “just what the doctor ordered” in terms of making it easier than ever to manage your vehicle mileage log.

That’s because, as of July 1, 2008, the tax deduction for business mileage has been increased to $0.58 per mile. This increase means you really need to keep the most accurate vehicle mileage log possible for two reasons:

Since you’re getting a larger tax deduction for business miles, it just makes sense to record 100% of your business mileage if possible. If you forget to record even 100 business miles, you’ll be paying tax on an additional $58 of income.00!

Many accountants believe that with an increase like this, the IRS will be scrutinizing mileage deductions even closer now. You’ll want to maintain the most accurate records possible in the event that the IRS questions you about your deduction.

Most folks cringe when you even mention the term “mileage log” to them. If you have ever had to keep track of your vehicle’s mileage, then you know how cumbersome a manual mileage log can be …

First off, you need to find your Daytimer or a scrap of paper and then record the beginning mileage you’re starting with plus the purpose of your business trip and the date. Then at the end of your trip you need to remember to record the ending mileage. Next you need to calculate the actual number of miles you drove.

Then you need to input your raw data into a spreadsheet and go through all that’s involved with that.

It can (and does!) get to be a real horror story! Keeping track of a manual mileage log is definitely no fun at all. Anyone who needs to track their mileage on a regular basis knows just what I mean, right!

Thankfully, modern digital technology provides a simple solution to this chore in the form of a digital mileage logger. These relatively new products will automate the process of maintaining your mileage log and make it a snap to generate the documentation you need for IRS reporting or any other mileage log requirement.

And it’s so easy to do. No more scrambling around for a piece of paper or your Daytimer to record your mileage. A digital mileage logger simply plugs into your car’s cigarette lighter and then at the beginning of your trip it starts recording your mileage, using GPS (Global Positioning System) technology to calculate your vehicle’s position and thereby its mileage.

At the end of your trip, the tool sends your final mileage to the website associated with it where you’ll be able to login and add any details necessary or format and download your reports.

And the units are so small that it’s easy to move them from vehicle to vehicle in case you use more than one for your business trips.

Anyone with a significant amount of mileage to track really needs to consider automating their mileage log.

The American Chemical Society (ACS) assigns a Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) registry number too many different chemical compounds for identification purposes. The CAS for Vinyl Chloride is 75-01-4.

The ACS keeps documentation on research and events which involve Vinyl Chloride and are an excellent resource for these materials. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is another body regulating vinyl chloride.

The EPA has calculated an inhalation unit risk estimate of 8.8 10-6 (g/m3)-1 for lifetime exposure to vinyl chloride.

Vinyl Chloride itself is a flammable, colorless, sweet smelling gas. However, OSHA has classified vinyl chloride as a hazardous chemical with a permissible exposure limit of 1 ppm (part per million), at which level it is impossible for the human nose to register a smell. Thus, if a person were able to smell vinyl chloride this would be indicative of an egregious overexposure.

Vinyl Chloride is also known by the names chloroethene, chloroethylene, chlorethylene, ethylene monochloride, monochloroethene, monochloroethylene, VC, and vinyl chloride monomer. It is supplied commercially as a liquid under pressure.

Vinyl Chloride is used primarily in EDC (ethylene dichloride) plants, in methyl chloroform plants, and, most frequently, in PVC (polyvinyl chloride) processing and fabricating plants. Vinyl chloride monomer is the compound from which PVC is derived. PVC is used to make a plethora of different consumer products including, but not limited to:

* Vinyl siding.

* Plastic cards (credit, ID, etc.).

* Window profiles.

* Pipe/plumbing/conduit fixtures.

* Insulation.

* Clothing and upholstery.

* Flooring.

* Roofing membranes.

* Electrical cables.

* Containers.

* Battery cell separators.

* Phonograph records.

* Irrigation systems.

* Latex paints.

Clearly, individuals working in or around any location or manufacturing plant utilizing vinyl chloride should be aware of the risks inherent in exposure to this chemical. Indeed, those working in PVC plants receive a higher dosage of vinyl chloride than those employed to create it.

In the past vinyl chloride was also used as a component of aerosol products, and also for medical applications. Now though, it is illegal to employ vinyl chloride as an aerosol propellant according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the EPA, and the FDA.

The Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act both mention a reduction of vinyl chloride emissions and usages as necessary to avoid adverse health effects. In both pieces of legislation maximum exposure and contamination amounts are defined.

The EPA is the government body which has the authority to regulate vinyl chloride as established under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976. The FDA has disallowed using this substance in pharmaceuticals, and in any materials used to contain consumables.

Not only have the uses on vinyl chloride been restricted, but according to the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 one or more pounds dispersed into the local environs (air, water or soil) must be stated and registered with the Toxics Release Inventory established by the EPA.

Not only are there monthly payments such as the mortgage and the insurance on the home but there are also maintenance expenses that need to be taken into consideration.

While many buyers may be baffled at trying to determine just how much it will cost them, it’s helpful to know the life expectancy of some home items. This will provide the homeowner with a general idea of when things will need to be repaired or replaced and how much it will cost them.

Foundations: A foundation that is made from poured concrete block footings should last for eighty to one hundred years. This is also true for slab foundations. Termite proofing, which is applied to the foundation generally lasts for twelve years. A waterproofing coat that contains bituminous coating will last for ten years.

Flooring: Wood flooring will last the longest, about one hundred years with proper care and maintenance. The same is true for marble, slate, and granite floors but these also need care. Vinyl floors will last fifty years, linoleum will stay in good shape for twenty-five years and carpet has the shortest life span, with only about eight to ten years.

Electrical Systems: The actual structure of an electrical system such as wiring that is copper plated, copper clad aluminum, and bare copper wiring will be good for one hundred years. However, things like outlets and light switches will need to be replaced after ten years.

Outside Materials: There are many components outside the home that may or may not need replacing. The actual materials used to build the home such as brick, vinyl, wood, or stone will stay with the house for its lifetime.

Wood shutters will last for twenty years, the amount of time gutters last will depend on what they are made from. Copper can last up to fifty years while aluminum will only last about twenty. The same is true for downspouts as well. Copper will last one hundred years and aluminum will last about thirty.

Doors: Outdoor doors that are constructed from wood, steel, or fiberglass will last about one hundred years. Screen and vinyl doors can last anywhere from twenty to forty years. Closet doors will generally also last for one hundred years and French doors have thirty to fifty years of life in them.

Windows: If the homeowner wants the window to last for as long as possible, wood is the way to go, as they last twice as long as other types.

HVAC Systems: These systems need very careful care and maintenance. Furnaces have twenty years max, heat pumps have fifteen or sixteen years, and air conditioners only have ten to fifteen years. Tankless gas water heaters are best as they will last about twenty years.

Appliances: If homeowners want to keep their appliances for their lifetime, gas stoves will last about fifteen years. Dryers and refrigerators only have about thirteen years and dishwashers and microwaves have the shortest lifespan with only nine years.

Roofing: Typically slate, copper, clay, and concrete roofs are best with life spans of fifty years. Wood shake roofs last about thirty years, fiber cement shingles are good for twenty-five years, and asphalt shingles will deteriorate the most quickly at about twenty years.