Strollerderby : gas prices

Explaining Financial Troubles to the Kids

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:57:00 GMT

With disappearing 401(k) savings, exorbitant gas prices, and piling up medical bills, many families are being forced to make serious changes in their spending patterns. This can be a shock for teens and preteens who grew up in the 90s, during affluent times in which the prevailing wisdom in the U.S. extolled making your kids happy. Average teen allowances nationwide are upwards of $100 a month, and many high schoolers have credit cards.

But last week, a survey found that teen spending had dropped by 27 percent. Considering that much of this spending money comes from allowances or gifts, we can be pretty sure the kids are not being thrifty out of choice.

As parents struggle to explain the crisis to teens freaked out by dire newspaper headlines and cutbacks in family expenditures, parents may see their kids as spoiled or bratty, while teens may see their parents as unreasonable or over-anxious. One mother interviewed by the New York Times started showing her confused and upset teenagers the monthly bills. Another father threatened to charge his kids’ friends rent for sleeping over.

Some families have found the crisis to be a good opportunity to become close with their children in new ways. Asking your kids to brainstorm about ways to cut back on family spending makes them feel valued and useful, and helps prepare them to find their own way in less than optimum economic times. Some parents have stopped hiring lawn cutters and housecleaners, choosing instead to pay their kids (far less) for the same services.

How have other parents changed your families’ spending patterns? Have you talked to your kids about the changes?

Photo: New York Times

Budget Baby: 10 More Ways to Live Green for Less

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:29:00 GMT

These days, it's relatively easy to believe that unless we're riding in a Green Peace boat against the whalers, or eschewing our beloved vehicles for bikes or public transportation, we're personally responsible for drowning all the polar bears with our globally warming ways.

The other week, we reviewed 10 ways to live green for less, endeavoring to make living green seem less perfect, less intimidating, and less expensive.

Here are 10 more methods of accomplishing both savings and relief from eco-guilt:

1. Dark is good - this seemed obvious only a generations ago, but we've lost the knack of being careful with resources. By keeping lights off during the day and turning them off as we leave rooms, we'll save on electricity and conserve.

2. Running water hidden tooth brush - teaching my kids to turn off the water while they brush their teeth has gotten much easier now that I've kicked that bad habit. It's wasteful of water and

3. Sweet greens - Less meat, more greens is good for the pocketbook as well as the health of your family and the environment.

4. Weekly or bi-weekly grocery trips - It's so much easier to save money on groceries and plan health-conscious, less-processed, and therefore greener meals by making fewer trips to the grocery store. We've nearly kicked our thrice weekly runs by planning and making lists.

5. Fun with buses - Granted, taking the car from point A to point B makes the most sense in terms of efficiency as well as time. During the school year, particularly, it's not realistic for my family to use public transportation to get around. But this summer, we've taken the bus a few times as a novelty and the kids have a great time. This doesn't work when both parents work full-time, but if you have the time, it's fun to plant the idea of public transportation being an adventure rather than a chore.

6. Let's play box - My kids are bucket head kids. They seem to be able to have fun with rocks, strings, boxes, and other things mostly because they're relatively limited to their exposure to TV and oodles of toys. They played with a diaper box yesterday for an hour. And since less stuff seems a worthy goal in getting our familly greener, if my kids can entertain themselves without fancy and expensive toys, I'm proud.

7. Less righteous, more right - It's tempting to brag about our greener-than-thou ways, but by doing so, we're just promoting the dynamic that makes many of us just give up any efforts to make a difference.

8. Little baby foot prints - Everything has a footprint these days, even childbirth. Most of us are now well aware that Americans hog more of everything (food, water, consumables) than anyone else on the planet. By raising little people who are less wasteful maybe their footprint and those of our future grandchildren might be less obnoxious.

9. Throw away your mama - I'm so over all the single-use items for sale these days. Toilet cleaners, floor scrubbers, lunch boxes, tupperware, bibs. If you only use it once and throw it away, is it any wonder our landfills are full? And these single-use items are so much more expensive over time then their washable reusable counterparts.

10. Free is good - Is it possible that the best things in life are still free? If that seems like a revolutionary statement, that gives some very great indication of how far down the scale we've gone in our pursuit of happiness through consumerism. Does buying stuff bring long lasting happiness? Absolutely not.

Top 5 Nerdy Cars with Great Gas Mileage

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Sun, 25 May 2008 22:01:00 GMT

Clearly, many of us are willing to make sacrifices in the face of high gas prices and a flailing economy, but just how far are you and your family willing to go?

Did you know that the Geo Metro actually gets the same or better gas mileage than the super hip Brad Pitt Driving Prius?

Here are 4 other cars that make up for their nerdy rep with kicking gas mileage:

1. Pinto - Yes, it's ugly and might blow up if you're rear-ended, but this baby is so horrid, it's chic.

2. Festiva - Lovingly called the "tuna can" in my family, this baby often topped out at 50 mpg highway miles.

3. Subaru Justy - Like justice, but cuter. The Subaru Justy could fit two beach blankets and a toddler and maybe an angry ex-, but not much more than that. But 3 cylinders will buy you a lot of trips to the local 7 Eleven, as long as you're not in a hurry.

4. Yugo - They don't make these puppies anymore (thank God??), but if you can find one, prepare yourself for some serious gas savings. Can you say "serbo-croatian engineering"?

This list reads like the parking lot at my high school. You may not be able to fit in your entire crew, but with all the gas savings, you won't mind. Meanwhile, some of these cars are mustering a come-back, thanks to E-Bay Motors, so if you're going to trade in that Suck U V, you better giddyup.

Budget Baby: 5 Money-Saving Tips that Won't Make You Crazy

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Tue, 20 May 2008 19:31:00 GMT

Let's face it. Budget consciousness isn't particularly sexy, but for many of us it is no longer optional. Gas and house and health prices, oh my!

But by employing a little patience and some creativity, even frugality can be clever. Here are 5 money-saving tips that won't make you (or your family) crazy:

1. No Shop. No Buy - I'm not a disciplined sort. Not at all. But one thing that helps me avoid those last-minute clothing or shoe purchases is to avoid shopping anywhere hocking adorable wares. Even an innocently inexpensive place like Target.. the clothing section of which lures me onto the rocky shores (especially in spring and summer with all those innocent little tank tops and bikinis singing to me).

2. Chicken - Yes cooking at home is far less expensive than eating out, but try and pull that off on a Wednesday night when everyone is hungry, cranky, and mommy and daddy need a drink. Sunday roast chicken can help with that. Roasting is easy for even non-cooks like me. Buy a 5 pound chicken, rub it with paprika, salt, and throw some rosemary sprigs inside the body. Bake at 350 for a few hours and dinner (and fabulous leftovers) is served.

3. Pack Up - Packing lunches and snacks may seem intimidating and time consuming but it's really not that bad if you add a few extra items to your grocery list. By buying a few extra granola bars and breakfast cookies, we save money on those drive-by purchases. On the West Coast you can drop serious dosh at all those drive through latte stands. But a carful of snacks and some hidden cans of caffeine save us from the perils of overpriced coffee.

4. Life is Free - The old saying goes "the best things in life are free" and for the most part, there is no better season to test this theory than summer. Water parks and children activity centers and Gymboree can be expensive, but parks are mostly still free. A little lead-based paint on some 70s structures never hurt anyone... For all the hardworking parents out there, summer can be mega-expensive. Why not send the kids to grandma's so you and the spouse can catch up on some personal free time? Who needs Club Med and Family Disney Vacations when a shag lock properly administered provides ample relief from the daily grind?

5. Waste Not. Want Not - Americans are a wasteful bunch. We suck down resources faster than anyone else in the world. Using less stuff one category at a time is an easy way to cut back. Pick a weekly theme and follow-through. This week, I'm focusing on reducing our grocery bill. So, for the first time in my adult life I brought coupons to the store and used them. We saved about $20 and then about another 20% by shopping at the less slick store in town. The one without the Starbucks inside.

Many people have wisely been careful with their money all along. But if you're like me, sometimes it takes a recession to get you to change your profligate ways.

Check's in the Mail? When You'll Get Your Rebate

Madeline Holler — Wed, 07 May 2008 21:01:00 GMT

Tired of waiting for a little fiscal stimulation? If you had the good sense to get your tax refund deposited directly in your bank account, then you only have a few more days to wait for the controversial, possibly too-little-too-late, hand-out not a hand-up federal government stimulus package rebate checks.

When, exactly, can you expect the money?

It depends on the last two digits of your social security number and also how your tax refunds were sent to you. For payment details, including a calculator to determine how much your family will get, go here.

Here's a rundown of anticipated mailing dates:

Direct Deposit: Depending on the last two numbers of your Social Security Number, your rebate should be deposited by:

00-20: May 2
21-75: May 9
76-99: May 16

By Mail: Depending on the last two numbers of your Social Security Number, your rebate check should be mailed by:

00-09: May 16
10-18: May 23
19-25: May 30
26-38: June 6
39-51: June 13
52-63: June 20
64-75: June 27
76-87: July 4
88-99: July 11

What are you going to do with all that money? Or, in anticipation of this, did you already spend it?

Photo: ghostrider30.blogspot.com

Greenhouse: Why $4 Gas is a Good Thing

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:03:00 GMT

People are freaking out about the high price of gas ($100 to fill up your tank!!) but they shouldn't be. Higher U.S. gas prices are long overdue, and should come closer to offsetting the costs of automobile usage on the environment. European countries have long had high gas prices (a gallon of gas in Germany costs $8 or more). As prices climb higher, more people will have more incentive to walk or take the bus or ride a bike and cut down on the number of unnecessary trips.

But nothing compares to the sheer pleasure of watching SUV drivers have to finally begin to pay for all the lousy mileage they ignored a few years ago (fuH2, anyone?)

Obviously, people earning low wages are also hurt by higher gas prices, and higher food and rent costs, and the slumping real estate market. If we had any sort of social safety net, gas prices wouldn't make or break families.

Even so, it's high time people in this country got smarter, dumped their unnecessarily big ass cars and learned how to live smaller and hold public officials accountable for corporate welfare. And I hope it is obvious, here, that I'm talking about people driving H2s, not families without access to public transportation who drive what they have to get where tehy need to be.

Edited to add:

Will someone explain to me how it is elitist to pick on people who choose to have Escapades and Hummers when they could easily afford a Prius?

Crude And Unusual Punishment: Gas Prices Affecting Children's Healthcare

makeitadouble — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 18:45:00 GMT

The ever-rising cost of crude oil is affecting consumers in more ways than just what they pay at the pump for gasoline, which reached a National average of $3.11 in mid-November. Many common household items are derived from oil (plastic products, polyester, synthetic rubber and soapless cleaners just to name a few) which, coupled with increased shipping costs, is causing most Americans to closely monitor their spending and cut-back where they can. I think we’ve all felt the pinch and have tried to phase out spending money on unnecessary items and amenities like that $6 Starbuck’s Caramel Macchiato on the drive to work, certain name brand products at the grocery store and the health care of our children.

According to a poll conducted over the summer, before the gas prices even passed the $3 gallon plateau, 6% of parents surveyed admitted to cancelling a doctor’s appointment and/or not buying medication for their children in 2007 due to the cost of gasoline. If these numbers are accurate, that equates to over 4 million children on a national level that have had a medical visit or medications postponed because of high gas prices. Now, I think the easy targets here are the heartless and gluttonous oil companies as well as the self-interested politicians and policy makers, but I am going against the grain on this one and placing the blame squarely on the parents.

If you’re a parent in the lower 6% of this bell curve who thinks sacrificing the health of your child is justified due to the global demand of crude oil causing the price per barrel to flirt with the $100 mark I’d like to walk you through a simple exercise. You’ll need a piece of paper and a pencil, preferably a No.2 (ink is derived from oil you know). Ready?

Make a list of everything you can possibly cut-back on or sacrifice as a way to save money due to the high cost of gasoline, but leave “Denying My Child Healthcare” off the list for now. I’ll give you a couple minutes.

Done?

Alright, now that you're done take your kid to the Doctor.

(Photo: Bloomberg.com)