Picked up 3 new tires for my car

I have always felt I get screwed when it comes to maintaining on my car. This is in large part to my own ignorance.

So when I decided I couldn't put off getting new tires any longer I thought I was going to do some serious comparative shopping for my new tires.

I checked out BJs, The Tire Rack, and Super Walmart and ultimately went to Walmart getting 3 new tires. The 4th tire was replaced not too long ago and look like it would be good for a long time - we will see if that was the right decision.

Here is a line item breakdown of the Walmart fees:

(2) Goodyear tires @ $48.74	$97.48
(1) X-trac tire @ $30.00	$30.00
(3) Valve stems @ $1.75	$5.25
(3) Mounting, installation, balance @ $8.01	$24.03
(3) Tire Disposal fee @ $0.70	$2.10
State Sales Tax (tires, valves) @ $132.73	$9.29
2% scrap fee on tires @ $127.48	$2.55
TOTAL	$170.70

I don't know if I got a great deal, but I don't feel like I got screwed like I usually do. How do all these fees compare to my previous tire purchases?

I dug out my previous tire work receipts and compared the fees.

Store	Valve Stem	Tire Disposal	Balance
Walmart (9/05)	$1.75	$0.70	$8.01*
Atlantic Tire (3/03)	$2.50	$1.50	$15.00
Goodyear (10/01)	$2.99	$1.50	$10.50

*Walmart mounting & install package also came with free rotation and road hazard (which I believe means if I put a nail in the tire they will plug it for free).

Walmart end up with the cheapest fees compared to all my previous tire purchases.

Related in General:

Save Money on Overhead Garage Storage (Aug 28, 2012) With the upcoming expansion of our family, my wife and I have been discussing the space in our home. While we have a good size home (~2,600 sq ft), its currently laid out with 3 bedrooms and 1 bonus room...

When is a SmartPhone the Right Financial Decision? (May 14, 2012) I last purchased a typical cell phone back in October 2008 with a 2 year contract when we returned from China. My old cell phone broke while we were on assignment in China and I needed something once we...

Black Friday Shopping Highlights (Nov 27, 2011) I have little interest in going out and standing in long lines to pick up a few deals on Black Friday. However we did pick up a few deals over the weekend mostly online: $159 GE Front Loading Washer @...