Strollerderby : SUVs

Wanna Save Money? Keep Driving the Gas Guzzler

Madeline Holler — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 18:03:00 GMT

If you are thinking about selling off the family tank in an effort to save money, you might want to think again. Some financial experts are warning that it might be cheaper to hang on to these $100-per-fuel-up, formerly fun, now just-giving-you-a-money/eco-headache SUVs and trucks.

Impossible, considering the fuel efficiency of a Prius or Honda Fit? Consider this from a story in the NY Times:

Jack Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst at Kelley Blue Book, says that the rate of depreciation on large S.U.V.’s over the last six to eight months has been about twice what is normal.

Here are what experts say you should consider before posting an ad on Craigs List:

What's the true cost of the trade-in?

Is a smaller car even practical?

What's your large vehicle worth?

What's the demand for small cars now? (Spoiler alert: high!)

Is this an emotional or a rational decision?

On that last one, here's some help in determining whether the numbers work out -- a gas mileage savings calculator from Edmunds. There, you'll find it would take 15 years to break even on trading in your 2005 Ford Escape for a new Toyota Highlander Hybrid.

Of course, money isn't everything (just most things). And maybe you've felt the call of Al Gore and would like to end your dependence on fossil fuels. Well then, by all means (and this is me speaking, not the experts), get rid of the guzzler and get in line to buy one of these.

What's your family planning to do with the low mpg roadster? Selling? Parking? Sucking it up and keeping on keeping on?

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Photo: aboveallautorental.com

Return of the son of stuff YUPPIE parents like

Brett Singer — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:00:00 GMT

Because too much is never enough. And besides, didn't you want to see this photo at least one more time?

1. Organic everything: from a commenter. I've succumbed to some of this, partly because, living in Manhattan, the cost difference isn't as great as it used to be, and sometimes the quality is better. I also admit that I feel less guilt giving my kids "organic" pre-packaged crap than I do giving them "chemical-laden" pre-packaged crap. It's still crap, but it's ORGANIC crap.

2. Classes and activities: yes, from the same commenter. She said, "mommy and me classes" but in my experience it's much more than that. Around here, it seems like everyone has their kids doing something all flippin' day. A parent once told me that she didn't understand why Kindergarten went until 3pm; she wished it ended at noon so her kid could take advantage of everything Manhattan had to offer. I replied that I thought Kindergarten should go until 8pm. We don't talk much anymore.

3. Kids' music that parents can enjoy: All parents have benefited from the boom in kiddie rock. While I am of course very glad that children's music has evolved beyond Raffi (who really isn't that bad) and Kidz Bop (which is), sometimes this preciousness can go a little too far. Sure, anything by Dan Zanes or The Dirty Sock Funtime Band is better than Barney's Greatest Hits, but a little James Taylor, Peter Paul and Mary, The Beatles – lots of great "adult" music out there that kids might like.

4. Taking their children to live rock 'n' roll shows: "Alternadad" Neal Pollack brought his little one to see The Hives, a rather loud quasi-punk act. I spotted two sets of parents who had dragged their children to see Yaz at the Beacon theater (I myself was dragged by my wife, but that's another story). When commenters on Gawker are giving good parenting advice ("Neil [sic], seriously--ear plugs"), you know something is out of whack in the universe.

5. Anything that isn't made of granite. At least after we found out about the radiation.

For more, click here.

image: nostalgiacentral.com

More stuff YUPPIE parents like

Baby Penis Album only five bucks

Stuff White Parents Like

When playgrounds attack, the sequel

The Dark Knight -- parents strongly cautioned (to go see it)

Here's to the laddies who lunch

Kid Food Is Mostly Crap, and It's a Little Shocking

More stuff YUPPIE parents like

Brett Singer — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 14:00:00 GMT

If you want to know why YUPPIE is written in CAPS, check out the comments on Redsy's post.

Also, a word of explanation for our younger readers: "yuppie" is a term that was coined in the 1980's. It means "Young Urban Professional." Obnoxious spin off terms include "buppie" (black urban professional) and "guppie" (gay urban professional, which is at least vaguely amusing). In general, I think that the term "yuppie" is (like myself) color-blind, so we'll just stick with that. (My color-blindness mostly means I need help choosing ties, but it also refers to non-clothing related issues.)

And now – the stuff!

1.   Fertility treatments: maybe this is a Manhattan thing, but I've seen several signs in drug store windows advertising help getting your health insurance to help pay to get you pregnant. My theory (unfounded and unresearched) is that there are a large number of parents having children later in life, and also a huge number of older dads starting second families with their second wives.
2.   Wooden toys: this is from a commenter, and it's totally true. I fully expect some "mompreneur" to start selling unadorned two-by-fours in colorful packaging. (Hang on, I need to copyright that idea.)
3.   SUV's: hopefully the price of gas will put the kibosh on these. There are other ways to schlep a family around town.
4.   Hybrid cars: for the parents who don't want SUV's. It's all about extremes, people.
5.   Feeling entitled to brunch: In some cases, even men want to emulate the Sex and the City gals.

For more, click here.

image: nostalgiacentral.com

Baby Penis Album only five bucks

Are Brangelina Too Posh to Procreate (the Old-Fashioned Way)?

Return of the son of stuff YUPPIE parents like

Mister Frickin' Rogers

Kids Stuff I like that my kids don't care about

More Kids Stuff I like that my kids don't care about

When playgrounds attack, the sequel

The Dark Knight -- parents strongly cautioned (to go see it)

Here's to the laddies who lunch

4 (Possibly Useful) Ways to Save on Gas

Madeline Holler — Wed, 07 May 2008 22:26:00 GMT

I love tips for increasing my car's gas mileage as much as the next semi-aware steward of the earth, but it's hard for me to get on board the "hypermiling" mania. For one, I tend to find it necessary to use my brakes. For another, hypermilers are dorks.

Still, we drivers could all use a break at the pump. The Boston Herald's Working Stiff -- hardly a hypermiler -- has come up with a few tips, some even more plausible than his admittedly asinine suggestion to move to Venezuela, where filling a swimming pool with unleaded costs about the same as it does my neighbor to fill her Jeep Liberty.

Apparently right turns are more fuel efficient than left turns. (Experts, please tell me why!)
Be sure your tires are properly inflated. (Which is ... how much?)
Drive 55 -- it's the most fuel efficient speed (And about 25 miles over the speed limit on the roads most traveled by me.)
If you're going to be idling more than 30 seconds, it's more fuel effiicent to turn off the car. (It would take me more than 30 seconds to decide if I'm going to be idling more than 30 seconds. Feel my conundrum?)

What's your secret for better gas mileage? Did you cancel the summer vacation? Or are you still glad to be sticking it to SUV drivers?