Page 3 - AAA Schuylkill County – AAA Now! – July/August 2017

Beyond Bartering:
The History of Banknotes
AAA
Volume 29, No.3
HEADQUARTERS OFFICE
340 South Centre St. P.O. Box 990 Pottsville, PA 17901 Telephone: (570) 622-4991 1-800-666-SCMC
BRANCH OFFICE
202 East Broad Street Tamaqua, PA 18252 (570) 668-1003
OFFICE HOURS
POTTSVILLE
Monday through Friday: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - Noon
TAMAQUA
Monday through Friday: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - Noon
OFFICERS
ROBERT W. WACHTER - Chief Executive Officer GEORGE URITIS - Chairman of the Board DAVID J. HOLLEY - President RONALD DERENZO - Solicitor
DIRECTORS
Wayne S. Hamilton...................... Orwigsburg David J. Holley.....................Schuylkill Haven Allen C. Koch .......................Schuylkill Haven John Levkulic.......................Schuylkill Haven Lowell P. Martin ............................. Frackville Robert Mills ..................................... Pottsville John D.W. Reiley ............................. Pottsville George Uritis.....................................Cressona
JUDIE KARHAN - Editor-in-Chief DOROTHY CROUCH - Senior Editorial Director HANS FRUST - Creative Director ANGELA ILICH - Director of Production LORRIE MULHALL - Regional Editor
AAA Now! (ISSN 08988552; USPS 002-243) is published four times a year (Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, July/Aug, Nov/Dec) by AAA Schuylkill County., 340 South Centre St., Pottsville, PA 17901. Periodicals postage paid at Pottsville, PA 17901 and at additional mailing offices. A subscription price of $1 per year to primary members is paid through dues.
POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to AAA Now! Schuylkill County, 340 South Centre St., Pottsville, PA 17901.
AAA does not endorse any product or service advertised in this publication other than AAA club services and products. The publisher of AAA Now! Does not endorse or make any representations or warranties concerning any service or product advertised in this publication. The published is not liable to any advertiser or reader for any errors or omissions in advertising or editorial copy appearing in this publication, provided, however, that the publisher will print a correction after the publisher has been notified of an error or omission.
TM
GEORGE A. URITIS
Chairman of the Board
Long before the hundreds of foreign currencies recognized today came into existence, people bartered,
or traded, to obtain goods and services. The development
of coins and paper money sped up the time-consuming bartering process, eventually opening the doors to global trade.
didn’t start issuing paper currency until the colonies in North America needed a way to continue commerce while waiting for shipments from Europe.1
Today, with the prevalent use of credit cards
and increasing availability of mobile payment technology, it may seem like the need for paper currency is rare. Despite new conveniences, we
will continue to rely on banknotes as a means of payment, especially when traveling abroad as access to a given technology may vary, especially
in countries where cash is used more often than other forms of payment. Regardless of how travelers pay at home, it's a good idea to purchase the foreign currency equivalent of at least $50 to $100 for each day you plan to be abroad. TipPacks® and foreign currency are available through AAA Schuylkill County. Call today for details.
1. Investopedia.com. “The History of Money: From Barter to Banknotes.” Referenced March 14, 2016.
The first representations of money are believed to have been used around 1100 B.C. in China, where people exchanged small replicas, cast in bronze, of the tools and items previously used in a barter exchange. By the time explorer Marco Polo arrived in China in 1200 A.D., both minted coins and paper money in various denominations were in use.
In Europe, banks began using paper banknotes approximately 400 years later. European governments
Good Car Care Keeps You On the Go
JULY/AUGUST 2017
3
ROBERT W. WACHTER
Chief Executive Officer
Well-maintained vehicles deliver stronger and more efficient performance. Proper maintenance also helps avoid breakdowns and costly repairs, which can save you money. And when it comes time
to replace your vehicle, a documented maintenance history will contribute to a higher resale value.
Confusion Still Reigns
Still, many motorists are not maintaining their vehicles adequately. Based on 2012 Car Care Council vehicle inspections, 77 percent of vehicles had overlooked maintenance items – the majority of which involved
low or dirty engine oil. But many also had other service needs that are not routinely prompted by in-vehicle maintenance reminders, things such as low engine coolant, dirty air filters, or burned-out headlamps.
Oil changes are another point of confusion. Advances in modern engines and improved oil formulas have made the 3,000-mile oil change obsolete. Based on in-vehicle computer monitoring of engine operation and oil condition, today’s average oil-change interval is around 7,8000 miles, with some models that use full-synthetic oils able to travel up to 15,000 miles between oil changes!
What’s Right for Your Vehicle?
Whether you personally perform vehicle maintenance or rely on a trusted technician, the key is to follow the schedule set by the vehicle manufacturer. If your car has a reminder system, trust it to schedule your oil changes, but also be sure to review your owner’s manual or maintenance booklet to learn what other services are due at the same time. Never ignore a maintenance reminder. Doing so will increase engine wear and potentially cause long-term damage. Proper car care is the best way to keep your vehicle running reliably and avoid costly repairs.
How do you know when your vehicle needs routine service? With older vehicles, motorists had to study the owner’s manual or maintenance booklet and decide if they drove in “normal” or “severe” conditions, then they consulted a time/mileage chart that indicated when the car should be taken to the
shop – and hopefully they remembered to do so. Most cars today are equipped with computerized maintenance reminder systems that remove much of the hassle from car care.
In a recent AAA survey, six out of 10 motorists said their cars have a built-in maintenance reminder
system that alerts them when it’s time to change the
oil or perform other services. More importantly, the survey also found that the reminders are actually driving many owners’ service decisions, with 51 percent of respondents saying they follow the computer’s recommendations.
Now!