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Buzz Out Loud Lounge: Molly's Callifornia Smugness
What...Me Type?
by milkky - 6/16/08 12:31 PM In reply to: Nice homework--I forgot about NASCAR dads by milkkyI'm not sure I'd want anything to do with "muc" research even if I could, and you can TRY to apply "c-o-f" to both ends of the equation if you like, but I meant to say "c-o-l".
Really doesn't save as much time as you think if you abbreviate things but totally screw it up all the time.
Let them eat cake
by Chris_the_crazy - 6/14/08 8:30 PM In reply to: Fighting smugness with self-righteousness by milkky> There are lots of people out there living
> paycheck to paycheck
I think that is not a problem many really worry about when trolling tech sites.
Its all about the 1000$ gaming stations and the 600$ phones and 2500$ laptops.
Rarely do you hear about how this is beyond the price of the average american's budget.
If its low cost, low end, low price (or free), its not sexy enough for tech news. But overcharge for something that has 'cool' factor and techies will pee themselves in excitement, no matter how ridiculous the price.
Doesnt make it right but dont act like this is ever a problem here.
Poor people can just eat cake.
If the iPhone price had doubled, we would have heard a rant.
by rnoyce - 6/11/08 9:25 PM In reply to: Molly's Callifornia Smugness by JT_RayA 14-to-35mpg increase is "not that significant of a jump"?! I think being able to drive over twice as far on the same amount of fuel is very significant, regardless of where you live or how much you make. Molly's pathetic commentary came across like a soccer-mom-to-be clumsily attempting to justify her love of F-150s.
Mint
by Oakraidr - 6/12/08 12:03 PM In reply to: Molly's Callifornia Smugness by JT_RayMint showed me I exceded my Fuel budget by $180 last month.
From the amount I paid in Jan and Feb of $250 went to over $400 in May.
So, I did the math...
by milkky - 6/12/08 4:25 PM In reply to: Molly's Callifornia Smugness by JT_RayThis all got me curious enough that I did some research. I started my current job in 3-03, with a ridiculously long drive of 100 miles (round trip). So I Googled and found that the national average at that time was $1.72/gal.
My old car got a quite respectable 30mpg. So, let's round the commute to using 3 gals/day, or $5.16/day. Now (using $4/gal) that would be at least $12/day, an increase of 133%.
However, seeing the writing on the wall, I bought a hybrid last year, so now I'm getting 45/gal. So now let's call it 2 gals/day to get the same 90 miles I used above. That STILL costs $8/day. So, although I'm saving $4/day because of my switch, I'm still at an increase daily expense that is 55% higher than 5 years ago. So, I guess I made a good move to minimize my damages, but I had no idea I was still that far behind.
Make of it what you will--I just got curious and decided to share the results. As prices continue to rise, I'll be both more ahead and further behind depending on which direction you look in.
Good Points
by Renegade Knight - 6/16/08 11:24 AM In reply to: So, I did the math... by milkkyNice post with a 'suprise' ending. The hybrid minimizes the damage but you sill pay more (plus payments that you wouldn't have had if you kept the 30mpg eco car?)
Basically true
by milkky - 6/16/08 12:26 PM In reply to: Good Points by Renegade KnightThe 50% increase in mileage was more than cancelled by the increase in per gallon in terms of real expenses. I was in a position to pay cash for the car, so no monthly payments at least (although you really should back out the lost interest on the money). Pus there was a tax credit on the hybrid that added a couple K to the tax return. And, finally, based on 2000 miles/month at $4/gal, I'm saving about $90/month over what I would have been paying for gas with the previous car that got lower mileage. (Hoever, looking in the other direction, to belabor my previous point, I am still paying $60/month more than I was paying with the old car at the old gas prices!)
So there are the variables I can think of offhand--make of them what you will--now my head hurts. Actually, I guess there's one more variable--I been able to mostly go to a 4 day work week (making it 1600 miles/month) and sometimes working at home. Every day I don't drive in is a savings of (2 gal) X (that day's price), so that adds up too. Any time I can NOT go to work AND have someone hand me an extra 8 bucks, I'll take it.
Did the math include?
by Pocketfox8 - 6/17/08 8:58 AM In reply to: So, I did the math... by milkkyDangMI:
Your calculations omitted one very important item: how much did the hybrid cost you ABOVE what you would have paid for the same car as a NON-HYBRID. If you paid an extra $5,000 to get that $4.00 a day less, then it would take you almost 5 years of owning that car to make back the $5,000 extra initial investment (using 52 weeks in a year and 5 business days per week for the commute).
You are right!
by milkky - 6/17/08 9:28 AM In reply to: Did the math include? by Pocketfox8I forgot that issue. Good catch. And I did think it was about $5,000 for the premium. Tho that was, at least in my head, the specific thing that the tax credit was offsetting, so that drops it to $2 or $3,000 (sorry--just can't remember how much it increased our return) to divide the $4/day into. Let's split the difference and cut your 5 years in half for a 2 1/2 year payoff and then I'm only half as upset as I was when I first read your post!
And, actually, going back the other way, as long as I'm on the 4 day work week (and maybe I even dare to take a vactaion or two)the real elapsed time before breaking even on this calculation will be longer.
The payoff gets shorter as/if gas increases. Cold comfort there though.
tax credits eliminated for Toyota/Lexus
by ktreb - 6/21/08 11:54 PM In reply to: You are right! by milkkyFor purchases on/after October 7, 2007 and reduced for Hondas for purchases on/after January 1, 2008. But the full credit remains in effect for manufacturers that haven't reached 60,000 sold (Ford and Mercury).
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=107766,00.html
Missing the point
by Nicholas Buenk - 6/21/08 7:15 PM In reply to: Did the math include? by Pocketfox8Hybrid cars are essential. They reduce dependance on oil, and as the oil market is tight with supply at the moment we *need* more fuel efficient cars.... They're a transitional step to battery electric cars.
My new car gets about
by fbbbb - 6/13/08 10:11 AM In reply to: Molly's Callifornia Smugness by JT_Ray9mpg in traffic. Gas prices are around $9-$10/gallon here. And it has no impact on my pocketbook.
That's London Smugness 
around here...
by kid_entropy - 6/13/08 2:43 PM In reply to: My new car gets about by fbbbbwe call that ******-baggery
enjoy peak oil! followed by the zombie apocalypse.
Rest assured...
by fbbbb - 6/15/08 8:17 AM In reply to: around here... by kid_entropy... that when the time comes, I'll of course pick up the *********'s electric/hydrogen car du jour.
My car
by DaveBinM - 6/14/08 8:08 PM In reply to: My new car gets about by fbbbbgets about 9L/100KM Petrol is about AU$1.60 a liter (3.8 liters being in a gallon), so that's about AU$6.00 a gallon (If my maths is right). However, being a student, I don't have a tonne of money, and if fuel hits about AU$2.30 a liter, it's going to be costing me a weeks pay from my part time job to fill up my car.
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