Depression? Is it coming?

[debakadeb]

Once my car is paid off, I plan to buy a hybrid. I simply can't afford the trade-in at this time so will continue to buy more gas. It would be far worse if my DH and I did not carpool. At least this way we buy just a little more than half of what we would be buying if we each drove our own vehicle. There are some days that carpooling is not possible but I would estimate that we can 80% of the time.

We do plan to keep for F150 truck simply because it will pull our little pop-up camper and haul lumber and stuff. We have never driven this truck on a regular basis -- to give you an idea, it has about 75,000 miles and we have owned it for 8 years.

I do think it is true that most people are living beyond their means. Many of the young adults have grown up this way and have not been educated differently. Teaching children how to save and educating them about finances, loans, etc. when the time comes is very important.

 

[NoSpringChick]

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"Make hay while the sun shines" or "MHWTSS"

 

[Sonia]

I look at it this way....pray for the best and prepare for the worst.

 

[Backyard Buddies]

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Sounds a lot like us. We are still mulling the hybrid option and how might be the best way to go about it. Our gas sucker has slightly fewer miles on it than yours and is also 8 years old, and much of that is mileage that we've put on it to visit family out of state. This is the first year that I considered flying there instead, but the cost to rent a car, stay in a hotel, etc. by far outstripped the cost of driving and towing our little trailer. We only make this trip every other year.

I've been researching this hybrid option for the past 3 years. For me, the best option so far is the Toyota Prius, adapted to be a plug-in, with solar panels on the roof of our house to provide the electricity. The vast majority of my about town driving could use next to nothing in gas costs. Currently, this is an expensive option, not available to most folks. If market forces could make this more affordable, I'd be there in a heartbeat!

 

[FutureChickenMan]

The problem that most seem to be forgetting about the plugin hybrids is that there is an additional conversion cost of between $5,000-20,000. Nevermind that converting it to a plug in voids your warranty.

Now when the price comes down and you can get a plug in hybrid from the factory, warranted then it's a viable option. Until then, bad economics.

The daily driver is a 30mpg average vehicle. Like others have stated, I too keep making payments to the savings account to pay cash for the next car. That said, the economics are still not there. There's no reason to get rid of a perfectly good and still under warranty paid for vehicle to get payments once again for a mere 15mpg increase.

I agree that if everyone or at least a major majority of people bought hybrids that it would have an affect on the market price of oil. However, people are not going to go out and replace perfectly good vehicles with hybrids. Many more cannot afford to go out and plunk down 20k on a car.

Additionally, why not wait a couple more years when the new version of the Li-Ion batteries come out that have a longer run time and longer overall lifespan? Considering the lifespan of the Gen 1 and 2 hybrids are just now being realized, it's worth the wait IMO.

Now, if you're already in the market for a new vehicle and your budget is already in the 20k marker, then by all means, look at a hybrid.

If you're driving a gas hog, that you need for the occasional stump pulling, don't go out and buy a 20k hybrid. Buy a used 1500$ puddle jumper and call it good. Or even a scooter/moped etc.

If you really want to be creative, build a browns gas generator.

 

[spatcher]

Mayberry Saint I'm with you! I hope all the Bush Bashers sent back their checks in protest!

 

[wendy]

my husband works in the oil industry and has for 8 years. because of back problems he switched to a job as a service technician. now work is slow, they say that no one is drilling. hard to believe with gas prices the way they are. but something is going on. the oil companies are playing a game with the government, the citizens, opec, the middle east, i don't know all who they are trying to play with this game. but it has us in a bind!

thank God my husband is and has always kept us on track and when i want something, i think do i really "need that or do i just want that?" we have a toyota tacoma truck, paid for, a honda mini van paid for. we have basic satellite, we can not get cable, don't want cable, they always went up when we lived in town, we have dropped att home service and have one cell phone as our home phone and internet through the cell phone company, it is cheaper than our att bill alone!!! can you believe that! so we got to drop dial up and our home phone bill that was $ 100 dollars a month, we don't have more than $200 on a charge card, that bill we have was only because of homeland security required my husband to get a " photo id" to be on a oil rig because of terrioism and we had to pay ourselves for that and go out of town for it, waiting on my hunsbands comany to pay that back to him for charging it, we have a garden, we only in a single wide trailer on our land that was already here when we bought the land and we almost have it paid for we about $9,000.00 on it and will own our land free and clear! we have a four wheeler that is paid for, my husband wanted to get rid of it, but i would not let him. we enjoy riding it for something to do now and then for fun in the mud!

i know several people that have second morgatages! i can't believe that someone would get a second mortgage or borrow against there home!!!!! just to be able to buy more "stuff" and then pay of the second mortgage!!

edited to add: i am a stay at home mom, i tried going back to work, between gas cost and daycare, it really does not pay for me to work!!!

 

[Half-a-dozen]

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[wendy]

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i agree with you on the walmart thing and buying american made stuff. it is harder and harder to find american made items!!!!

 

[wendy]

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PA, that was really good and you are right we do need to all unite!!!!