Planned to buy a car..will buy a >>>

I'm glad that the BIG 3(Ford, Chrysler, and GM) are coming out with economic vehicles. However Honda is coming out with these hybrid vehicles. These vehicles are somewhat ugly...but aren't most of the vehicles going millenium. By the year 2015, we're going to think...

"gee never woulda thought I'd be driving a car like this."

Ford has even gone back to making the Mustang somewhat of its orignal style.

[quote=Roxette]I was planning to buy a good CAR for myself???. Now, I think of buying a CYCLE.[/quote]

I too plan on buying a car sometime soon. I do A LOT OF TRAVELING between Ann Arbor, and Detroit (which is about 80 miles round trip). I do this probably about 2 times a week. I would definetely need an economic vehicle.

I currently commute to work taking the Universtiy shuttles, and live close enough to walk everywhere when I need to leave my home. But with gas prices rising...are we going all going to be the next NYC, with no cars and just taxis. Are taxis going to become obsolete?

Gas prices have come down about a dollar where I live. So far I hear no word of anything rising.

-Mike

GAs orices have gone down about 50 cents where I am at. I wish I had another option like shuttle or bus (although I wouldnt know how to begin to take one). However with driving from one city to another for kids schools and work, it would be next to impossible to not drive a car.

Rhonda

Are you the one that commutes to the next city?

When I lived in Oklahoma City, the buses were confusing to me. However everything out there is on a grid. Name streets one way, and number streets the other. I believe the busses just go up and down one street, then change the follow street. Thus each bus alternating.

Anyway, the buses out here are faily easy to learn. With about 2 universities, 1 private college, and 1 community college there has to be some type of easy public transit service. And this is all in a 10/15 (maybe 20 top) mile radius. We're pretty much a college town. The big university, University of Michigan, has it's own shuttle that goes from campus (luckily where I live) all over the school and to the hospital (where I work). The UMICH shuttles are free for anyone to use. So if you live by one, and are going to any of its stops...it's free.

Soon, I hope, all cars will be totally engery efficient...just barely using any gas at all.

-Mike

Yeah, DH wants to buy a small disel and make his own biodisel.

I am very concerned about how fuel prices are going to affect our winter budget. I would love to get a corn or wood pellet stove, but it looks like we will only be able to afford a wood stove. :( We sure as heck can't afford propane!

Well my winter budget wont be affected ( I live in Florida).

Mikey,

Yes I am the one that commutes from one city to another. I try to take all the shortcuts, but then I have to pay tolls! I still go through about 80 or so worht of gas every week.

Well I use to take the bus and it is very hectic to get back and forth were you need to go because you have to sit and wait for 30minutes to a hour sometimes but it is cheaper but only thing that sucks about it is that if you have kids you better have a stroller cause sometimes it is hot and then sometimes it rains and if everywhere you need to go is not in the same facinity then it is very hard!I prefer a cab even if it cost more your at a set rate cause it is a whole lot easier if you are in a cab!But I don't currently own a car but I will soon so I will know how the gas prices will be then I currently pay my ride $50 dollars a week which is cheap I would say to get back and forth to work and where I need to go!

chmarinbaby06

Waiting is the worst part. You are correct on that. Rain...some places don't have the shelter. Most stops out here run every 15 minutes, but there are others that come only 30...and if you miss that, you have to wait for the next.

Do you have to travel far to get to and from work? Do they end up going back home after dropping you off. You might want to see if there others that live by you to carpool with. Peronsally $50 seems like a lot. But if they're also helping you with errands then it might be a go to pay that.

It seems interesting to ride a bus, but I dont know if I could deal with the wait. And how would you know where the bus is going? I think I will stick to the car.

Rhonda

The bigger the city, the harder it is. I'm sure I would just die...and probably start crying to if I lived in NYC and had to take the bus. I would get soooo lost the first 3 years...haha.

Asking the driver when you board is always helpful.

You're lucky to have the car. I do have random rides I can usee, and on occasion I can use my roommates car. It's much easier for me sometimes (no, not really) to take the bus.

Hopefully, come the begining of the year I can afford to get a gas efficient vehicle.

Mikey,
That $50 pays for all expenses like if I have errands to run and stuff and my ride travels all the way from St.petersburg,Florida to where I stay which is about a 25 minute drive to Tampa,Florida and then they have to drop me off and pick me up from Clearwater,Florida so I think $50 dollars a week is pretty reasonable because that is alot of gas if you ask me and I really don't know too much people in Tampa so I have to deal with it until I get my own car!Yeah it may seem like alot of money but if they take me where I need to go I can't complain cause I have to admit with gas prices these days that is pretty reasonable!

Public transportation isn't even an option here. Of course there would have to be more people for it to be available and I wouldn't want that! I am definitely a country girl!

My car is out of commission right now, but we are considering selling it (mid-sized sedan) and purchasing a more fuel efficent compact. DH is also looking at getting a scooter to drive to work. I don't really like that idea. It is too dangerous. I trust his skills, but you just can't count on every one around you to drive like they have good sense.

$50 a week sounds really reasonable.
a. They supply the vehicle and its inheirent expenses. Fuel, oil, tires, wear and tear....
b. They are available when she needs them - that is a big one!
c. That is pretty mileage intensive.

The federal government allows 35 cents per mile as a deduction so it sounds like they are being quite generous at $50 a week.

With the gas prices the way they are I wish I could pay 50 bucks a week for someone to drive me everywhere.

ttthayden

I know what you mean about the expenses on the car, I spent well over 400 this month fixing my car. Which obviously is a necessity for me. When my car was out of commission, I had to get a rental for almost a month, because I have no clue how to take public transportation (except taxis) and DH car had broken down the same time.

Well ttt,
Thank you I know that $50 dollars may sound like alot these days with us being in debt like we are but it is pretty reasonable cause if I catch a cab back and forth to work I would probaly looking at maybe 200-250 maybe more a week and that is about half of my paycheck so if I can take a ride for $50 dollars I would prefer to that not to mention if I did take a cab that wouldn't even include my errands so I am very glad I have a ride who understands that I can't give them my whole paycheck simply because I have bills to pay! :wink:

Public transportation is much cheaper...and better for the environment :D
$35 is filling up my car now, a 15 dollar decrease from what it was about 2 weeks ago...so that's good.

Gas prices are ridiculous right now. I wish I could walk to work. They hiked the prices wayyyyy up and then people started freaking out and so when they did lower it to like 2.90 a gallon, people were relieved. But it is a false sense of relief because 2.90 is still SOOOOO expensive, especially from the prices last summer & year before.

It's so hard to catch up on bills when everything is rising...gas, heat, electric....ugh EVERYTHING. And now my health insurance also. I hope the economy gets better real soon.

I guess you have to step back from all the craziness and be thankful because we are a very fortunate country. I just try to think of all the people that don't have anything when I get down about bills.

Thankfully fuel is down to about $2.40 here. Of course that is almost double what it was last year. But I think people are cutting back!

Yeah I've definately cut back a bit. Gas is down to around 2.33 where I live. Thank God.

Gas is now around $2.17 in my area now,isnt it funny how a year ago,when it went over $1.99 we went crazy,and now we are just happy its closer to $2.00 than $3.00.After hearing about all the money these Gas companies made off us this year,maybe they should send us all coupons for a free tank of gas.I can dream cant I. :wink:

Sounds like a good dream to me! :D Fuel prices have dropped to around $2.23 here. Still terribly high, but better than a few months ago. I do expect price increases around the holidays.

I know what a mind game they play with us. First they boost the prices extremely high and then lower them to a price that is still high and we feel better even though it is way more than last year.