Bottled Water Equals Tap Water?

Americans spent $22 billion dollars on 9 billion gallons of bottled water in 2007, reports Web MD.  That’s 29 gallons per person.

That’s not too frugal, but I’m embarassed to say that I’m one of them.

I love Poland Springs carbonated water.   But in my research for this post, I found out some startling information about all carbonated water: that, because it’s carbonated, the FDA deems it a soft drink. And because it’s a soft drink, it’s subject to less stringent testing.

Life gets complicated, even with bottled water.

The Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC) did a study comparing the testing done on bottled versus tap water.

The results are disturbing. You can look at them in a table at the link below:

Key Differences Between EPA Tap Water and FDA Bottled Water Testing Rules

What the table says:

• Municipal water is required to be tested for E.Coli, other bacteria, and toxic chemicals regularly.
• Bottled water has to be tested only sparodically, if at all.
• Soft drinks don’t have to be tested for anything.

Here’s other pros and cons I came up with.

Pros

• Some bottled water distributors might argue that because of their water source, it doesn’t need to be tested as much as municipal water. Could be.
• Convenience.
• Most water distributors do more than the mandated microbiological testing to ensure that none of their customers become ill.
• There’s a phone number on the label that can be called to obtain detailed information on where the water comes from, and how it is purified and tested.

Cons-

• 25% of all bottled water starts as municipal water, says the NRDC.  Products such as Aquafina are made by filtering municipal water through complex reverse osmosis filtration systems (RO).    Activated carbon filters may be used before the RO system to remove organic impurities that can affect taste, and also the life of the RO filters. Why is this a con?  RO treatment is already used extensively at municipal water plants.  So the procedure is redundant.
• For tap water- using a home filter, such as a Brita filter, should remove any further taste affecting contaminants added to the water while traveling through pipes to your home.  So for pennies of day, you have the exact same water.
• Toxicity tests run on tap water screen out hundreds of carcinogens, and other compounds which effect development of children both before and after birth.
• Cost. Why buy something you can get from your tap?
• The bottles! It takes 140 yrs for most plastics to break down.  We’re being buried in plastic. 90% of all plastic bottles never make their way to the recycle bin.  The bottles can also have toxic leachables.

What choices do you make regarding bottled water?

As for me-

• I’ll probably never give up my carbonated water.
• I’m going with the Brita filtered tap water where I can, otherwise.
• When I do buy bottled water, I’m choosing filtered over non-filtered.

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Smart Meters Can Save You Money

Smart meters monitor specific electricity usage in your home - and report that usage to you on your computer.

Supporters of this innovative technology say that consumers can reduce electricity usage by as much as 20% simply by monitoring where their energy is going - without feeling any ill-effects.

Each of us could do our part to reduce strain on the national grid and reduce global warming.  All while saving money on our electric bills.

Do you think a smart meter would help you reduce your energy consumption?  President Obama thinks so.  He’s targeting enough stimulus money to install 40 million smart meters in homes across America.

This money is part of an aging national electric grid improvement package needed to stop the ensuing onslaught of power outages that will occur in the next few years if nothing is done.

If you’re interested in obtaining a smart meter, check with your local electric company.

Could you sustain reduced usage for long periods of time?

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Does Your Lawn Really Need to Look Like Astroturf?

(this is a re-post from April, 2008)

My grandfather was named the neighborhood “lawn manicurist.” I don’t think he particularly enjoyed the title. It was a little,um, feminine, for him.

And I don’t think the neighbors particularly enjoyed his lawn. It wasn’t the lawn itself - even though it rivaled Fenway Park’s turf - if he did say so himself. It was the unbridled collection of lawn treatment chemicals he had stockpiled in his shed. I still think my cousin, Henry, is a little off since, at five years old, he tumbled head first into the bin of Scott’s Turf Builder with Bug Control.

“Over a billion pounds of pesticides are sold in the United States annually.” Most inevitably end up in “non-target destinations, such as species, air water, bottom sediments, and food.” They’re one of the major causes of water and soil pollution.

The EPA regularly monitors these chemical levels in our drinking water. Foods such as fish and meats are not monitored, but research studies confirm the presence of varying levels of toxic pesticides in many species.

At the end of this article, I’ve added a list of typical pesticides, and their health effects. The list is taken from a study done at Cornell University for the EPA.

What you can do:

Take a closer look at the fertilizers and pesticides you’re using in your yard. There’s many organic available organic products now that work comparably to more toxic ones. Increasing demand for these products will make them more prevalent, and ultimately bring prices down.

Read. Knowledge is your best defense. There’s a wealth of information on the web, not all of it accurate. Be sure to check your resources. Here a few I’m enjoying this spring:

• GreenScapes - In 2006, the EPA started this website providing practical holistic tips for gardening homeowners.
• National Coalition for Pesticide-Free Lawns - for those who enjoy detail, a great site. There’s a series of links focusing on specific areas of yard care. I particularly enjoyed Lawns We Can Live With, and Read Your Weeds .
• richsoil.com - hilarious, practical, conversational, right to the point.

Pressure any local golf courses in your area to go green. Golf courses account for 30% of all the pesticides sold in this country.

Have any resources or thoughts on the topic you’d like to tell us about?

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Heirloom Seeds - Ever Taste a Tomato Grown for Flavor Instead of Transport?

(This is a slightly modified re-post from April, 2008)

In between discussions of high blood pressure, and the upcoming dreaded first colonoscopy, those of us of the “I owned an 8-track once” generation, will sometimes sit around reminiscing about the good old days. One sunny spring afternoon recently, amidst the usual memories of the firsts- first communion, first part time job, first kiss…- one of my friends looked up at the sky, big puffy white clouds rolling by, and said “Remember the tomatoes?”

We sucked on our frozen margaritas and fell silent.

Ahhh, yes, the tomatoes of summer from the local farm stand, or if you were even luckier , your own family garden, where you would pick one off the vine, and later sit on your back steps with your father, a tomato in one hand and the salt shaker in the other, and take a bite out of what had to be positively the best tomato in the world- or so your father said.

Now, tomatoes just don’t taste like they used to. I couldn’t even grow a good tasting tomato last summer. I diligently fertilized and watered three plants. The tomatoes sure looked great. But they tasted like grocery store tomatoes in February- bred for longevity, transport and the flavor of cardboard.

I bought my seedlings at the local nursery. Not this year. I’ll be buying heirloom tomato plants through the mail. Bred to test like a tomato, not the package they come in.

The largest provider of tomato seeds- and all seeds -to the commercial agricultural farmers these days is Monsanto Agrochemical. The seeds are genetically engineered(GE) to meet commercial grower’s needs for a sturdy, pest and drought resistant tomato. Notice flavor is not a Monsanto criteria.

There’s something inherently unnatural about one of the largest toxic chemicals manufacturers in the world now also being the world’s major seed - and therefore food- supplier.

And Monsanto is so big, they have been systematically buying up their smaller competition, now totally controlling the seed market.

Luckily, there are alternatives. A growing number of traditionalists are starting organizations around the world such as The Seed Saver’s Exchange. Their purpose is to protect heirloom varieties of fruits and vegetables for future generations.

Thank goodness.

I wonder if some day Monsanto will decide to genetically engineer the flavor back into the tomato?

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Save Some Green This Earth Day - Sales at Amazon All Month. Plus 5 More Money-Saving Links

Earth Day Savings Pro-Planet and Pro-Walletwise!

Amazon Celebrates Earth Day April 22nd With Green Sales All Month!

More Green Savings

Join the eBay Green Team

30 Daysof Green Deals at The Daily Green

The National Enquirer of Green

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Is it Weight Gain or Weight Loss This Recession? Plus 7 Tips to Avoid Weight Gain.

The recession hasn’t curbed my appetite.

I’m on a diet.

Like always.

And if I’m not careful, I find myself reaching for low cost comfort foods.

Here’s two examples of how tough times have affected the weight of many of us, with 7 solutions for the “weight gain” camp.

~~~

1)  Financial hardship has led to “recession pounds”

Less expensive foods fill you up faster.  And when I need comfort food, I don’t reach for an apple.

Wall Street tells the story.

• McDonalds and Burger King is the place to be in the stock market these days.
• “Buy stock in pasta,” advises Stockweb.com.  “Shares of AIPC ( American Italian Pasta Company) have something around 110% performance since the beginning of the year and is one of the best performing stocks this year (2008.)”

What you can do?

If you’re finding your comfort in food these days:

• pick up a copy of Dr. Judith Beck’s, The Diet Solution at the library, and learn to “think like a thin person.” Not your run of the mill fad diet book, Beck bases her suggestions on sound cognitive principles developed by her father, Dr. Aaron Beck.

• stay at the perimeter of the grocery store. That’s where most of the more nutritional foods are.

• think about it. If you eat less, you’ll spend less, and will be able to afford better food.

• HALT.  it’s ok to let yourself feel hungry for a few hours.  But a lethal combination is being hungry, angry, lonely and tired.  This is an Alcoholics Anonymous acronym that I use for everything.  To battle the hungry part, keep healthy snacks with you.

• it takes twenty minutes for your body to respond to something you eat. So eat slower, and consciously wait to feel the response.  You’ll realize how little your body needs to ward off hunger.

• follow these tips from Wise Bread’s post “How to Avoid Putting on Recession Pounds.” It’s full of great suggestions for staving off the pounds.  Here’s a great quote from the article: “It is ironic when you think that in the past, lower socioeconomic standing often resulted in people losing weight due to lack of food. In the modern era of plenty, however, obesity has now become a symptom of poverty because these highly processed foods are not only promoted vigorously and widely accessible, but they are also cheap.”

• you’ve heard it before but I’ll say it again.  Exercise! Do anything!  You’ll feel better!

2)  Companies have been tightening their belts on corporate lunches

“I can’t justify cocktails and fillet mignon when I’m laying off employees,” says one CEO.  “It’s coffee at Starbucks now.”

And when executives are springing for lunch they’re often choosing healthier options.  “Sometimes I’ll ask clients to meet me at McDonalds,” says a well known publisher.  “But often we’ll hook up at a lower priced restaurant with a good salad bar.”

According to the Boston Globe, “The thinning ranks of the region’s executives and financiers has spurred business for tailors in Wellesley and Harvard Square on Newbury Street in Boston, who report a steady stream of clients dropping off cashmere top coats, Brooks Brothers suit skirts, and Brioni trousers in need of resizing for trimmer physiques.”

They don’t want to spend the money on new clothes.  After all, the layoffs are still going strong.  Who knows if they’ll be next?

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5 Consumer Trends in the Recession Economy

Alcohol consumption -  is down.

Home consumption of alcohol was down 9.3% in 2008. Beer led the way with a 14% drop, while wine and spirits were off 1.6% and 0.8% respectively.  I guess if you’re a Ford factory worker drinking beer, you’re more worried about your job than the Ford executive getting bonuses and drinking Macallan Single Malt Scotch.

This trend is also being seen in Ireland, where the Irish Times reports that alcohol consumption was down 5.9% in 2008.

Chocolate consumption - is up.

Chocolate sales in the U.S. reached $16 billion in 2006, and are expected to top $18 billion by 2011.  Cadbury reported a 30% increase in profits for 2008.

Makes sense to me.  When you’re feeling stressed, or just trying to watch your cash, what better way to splurge than on a 50 cent Snickers bar? Or perhaps you’ll give up going out for dinner, but maybe you’ll treat yourself to some Ghirardelli dark chocolate for dessert.  Studies show dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants, after all.

On the flip side:  In London, doctors are pressing the British government to add a “fat tax” on chocolate, saying it’s one of the leading causes of obesity and type 2 diabetes in the U.K.

Movie Attendance - is booming.

“What’s doing well?” says the 538 Blog.  ” The movies. The movies, also historically a recession-proof industry but not a counter-cyclical one, are doing terrifically well. Motion picture theaters increased their revenues by 10.9 percent in the fourth quarter, according to the Commerce Department. But the movies are not typically seen as extravagant. You don’t feel guilty after purchasing a movie ticket; you feel kind of wholesome.”

Gambling -  is down.

The Journal of the North America Gambling Industry reports that in 2007 $92.7 billion was spent on gambling - before “the crash.”

Gambling of all types was way down in 2008, with casinos being hit the hardest.  The impact was devastating.

For example, in Las Vegas “air traffic down 13.2% in September 08; room rates down by double digits week in week out; casino stocks off 40% to 90% from their twelve month highs; a negative outlook from Moody’s and other rating agencies; layoffs at properties all over town (and around the world) except Steve Wynn’s; new condominium towers standing empty, vertical ghost towns; business at the Strip’s storied or notorious night clubs off 20% to 25% and “wait until December” when club owners expect things to get really bad.  Gross gaming revenue, the engine that built Las Vegas, was down 8.1% in August, 5.4% in September and no relief in sight. “

Lottery ticket sales fell 2.8%.

Newsday reports a 5% increase in calls to national gambling hotlines in 2008.

Eco-Trends are the way of the future.

Regardless of how tight money’s been for consumer’s, there’s an every-increasing “green” awareness that is and will continue to grow.

People are willing to pay a little more to stay green.  But not too much more right now.

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It’s EPA Fix a Leak Week.

According to the EPA, the average home loses 11,000 gallons per year - 1 trillion gallons total.  That’s 1 cubic mile of water.

Here’s some more interesting info from the EPA:

The Facts on Leaks:

• Leaks can account for, on average, 11,000 gallons of water wasted in the home every year, which is enough to fill a backyard swimming pool.
• The amount of water leaked from U.S. homes could exceed more than 1 trillion gallons per year. That’s equivalent to the annual water use of Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami combined.
• Ten percent of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day.
• Common types of leaks found in the home include leaking toilet flappers, dripping faucets, and other leaking valves. All are easily correctable.
• Fixing easily corrected household water leaks can save homeowners more than 10 percent on their water bills.
• Keep your home leak-free by repairing dripping faucets, toilet valves, and showerheads. In most cases, fixture replacement parts don’t require a major investment and can be installed by do-it-yourselfers.
• The vast majority of leaks can be eliminated after retrofitting a household with new WaterSense labeled fixtures and other high-efficiency appliances.

Leak Detection:

• A good method to check for leaks is to examine your winter water usage. It’s likely that a family of four has a serious leak problem if its winter water use exceeds 12,000 gallons per month.
• Check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, you probably have a leak.
• One way to find out if you have a toilet leak is to place a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank. If the color shows up in the bowl without flushing, you have a leak. Make sure to flush immediately after this experiment to avoid staining the tank.

Faucets and Showerheads:

• A leaky faucet that drips at the rate of one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons per year. A home with WaterSense labeled toilets could use that water to flush for six months!
• Leaky faucets can be reduced by checking faucet washers and gaskets for wear and replacing them if necessary. If you are replacing a faucet, look for the WaterSense label.
• A showerhead leaking at 10 drips per minute wastes more than 500 gallons per year. That’s enough water to wash 60 loads of dishes in your dishwasher.
• Most leaky showerheads can be fixed by ensuring a tight connection using pipe tape and a wrench.

Toilets:

• If your toilet is running constantly, you could be wasting 200 gallons of water or more every day.
• If your toilet is leaking, the cause is most often an old, faulty toilet flapper. Over time, this inexpensive rubber part decays, or minerals build up on it. It’s usually best to replace the whole rubber flapper—a relatively easy, inexpensive do-it-yourself project that pays for itself in no time.
• If you do need to replace the entire toilet, look for a WaterSense labeled model. If a family of four replaces its older, inefficient toilets with new WaterSense labeled ones, it could save more than 16,000 gallons per year. Retrofitting the house could save the family approximately $2,000 in water and wastewater bills over the lifetime of the toilets.

Outdoors:

• An irrigation system should be checked each spring before use to make sure it was not damaged by frost or freezing.
• An irrigation system with pressure set at 60 pounds per square inch that has a leak 1/32nd of an inch in diameter (about the thickness of a dime) can waste about 6,300 gallons of water per month.
• To ensure that your in-ground irrigation system is not leaking water, consult with a WaterSense irrigation partner who has passed a certification program focused on water efficiency; look for a WaterSense irrigation partner.
• Check your garden hose for leaks at its connection to the spigot. If it leaks while you run your hose, replace the nylon or rubber hose washer and ensure a tight connection to the spigot using pipe tape and a wrench.

About EPA’s WaterSense Program

WaterSense is a partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Its mission is to protect the future of our nation’s water supply by promoting and enhancing the market for water-efficient products and services. Currently, there are more than 250 WaterSense labeled toilets, 700 labeled faucets and faucet accessories, and more than 600 certified irrigation partners. WaterSense labeled products must achieve independent, third-party testing and certification to prove they meet EPA’s rigorous criteria for efficiency and performance.

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Ford CEO Takes Compensation Cut. But are the Vehicles Better?

Let’s talk about Ford.  I just bought 150 shares.

Two epiphanies about Ford have come out of this recession:

• CEO compensation is out of control.  Who gets paid $20 million to lose $14.7 billion, and need a $9 billion dollar bailout to stay in business?
• You don’t want to be driving a Ford lately. The Consumer Reports Car Issue tells all.

OK, so these aren’t exactly epiphanies.  U.S. consumers have felt let down by Ford - and other U.S. car companies - for a while.  The difference now is that Americans are no longer willing to tolerate poor quality for the sake of buying American.

Let’s look at Ford in more detail.

CEO Compensation

In an effort to address investors’ and taxpayers’ explosive negative feelings surrounding skyrocketing CEO compensations whilst they are all being hung out to dry,  CNN reports that Ford has given their President and CEO, Alan Mulally, 5 million shares of stock options between now and 2012.

Mulally will take a 30% pay cut for the next two years, reports CNN.

Further, all previous incentive bonus plans for both 2008 and 2009 have been eliminated - not only for. Mulally, but for all executives and salaried employees.

Mulally can sell up to 1/3 of the options a year from now, 2/3 two years from now, and all must be sold by 2019.

What’s good about this announcement?

• (Finally) tying executives’ incentive packages directly to profits makes sense.  They got away with blockbuster paychecks for as long as they could.  And without any regulation, you can bet when the heat’s off they’ll be walking away with  them again.  But at least their salaries are being held in check right now.
  

• As an owner of 150 shares of Ford stock (purchased at $2.04/share this week,) it gives me a “we’re all in this together” kinda feeling.  I like that.

What stinks about this announcement?

• On Dec. 4th, 2008, CNN reported that Ford promised to cut Mulally’s salary to $1 per year if they took the government bailout loan. Well, they took the $9 billion loan, but even with the 30% pay-cut, Mulally is still making over $1 million dollars a year. His standard salary without bonuses was $2 million.
  

• His stock options were priced at $1.96/share.  The stock closed at $2.19/ share on Friday.  That means if the company goes nowhere and the stock stays exactly where it is until 2012, Mulally still makes $11 millon.

Have You Driven a Ford Lately?

The really sad question, of course, is “Why would you want to drive a Ford lately?“

And the really sad answer given by many Americans is “You don’t.”

In 2007, Time magazine published the Top 50 Worst Cars of All Time.  The Ford Model T (1909), Edsel (1958), Pinto (1971), Explorer (1995), and Excursion (2000) all made the list.

I owned an Escort station wagon in the 1990’s, and once the car hit 75,000 miles it was over.  I became friends with the Triple A towing service dispatcher.

This got me to wondering:  “Were Fords ever any good?”  Or was it just that we didn’t know any better?  The success of Ford - and other poorly built American cars - may be purely the result of:

• brain-wash type marketing, and
• the “I must buy American” guilt complex.

Were Fords actually better built then?  Or was it just that we didn’t know any better?

Case in point.  Who remembers the Ford Pinto scandal?

Many of the Ford cars made the 50 top selling lists and 50 top famous cars lists as well.  That’s what makes me love them even as I hate them. When I was in college, I traveled many miles in an old (even back then!) blue ’60’s mustang.  A milk crate kept the driver’s seat from falling back.

So, if I feel this way about Ford, why did I buy those shares?  Because Ford has momentum right now.  They aren’t going under any time soon.  They’re making press announcements that say what I want to hear.  And the market is gaining momentum. Oh, and at $2/ share, they’re a bargain.

I checked out the Ford website, and right now - other than the Ford Ranger pick-up, which has always been my secret dream vehicle - nothing is catching my eye.  How about you?

What’s been your Ford experience?

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Google’s Powermeter Would Provide Instant Energy Consumption Data

What if you could monitor your home energy information from your computer screen?

You would have instant feedback about how much energy and money you were saving every time you shut off a light or converted another lamp over to CFLs.

With instant feedback, homeowners could easily optimize their power usage and reduce consumption.

Google believes in this theory so much that they’re investing thousands of dollars  in a product that will allow you to do just that.

Called the Google Powermeter, it would plug into a “Smart Grid” Network and relay specific power usage information to your computer.

Watch this short video to learn more.

Do you think knowing your electricity usage real-time would motivate you to use less of it?  I think I would definitely use less, especially at the beginning.  Once I’d optimized my usage, I don’t think I’d look at it all that much again, though.  It might be better to be able to rent the Powermeter than actually purchase it.

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Being Frugal? Just Use a Little Less

I’ve been thinking about it.

Do I really need that much -

• shampoo when washing my hair?
• laundry soap per wash?
• dishwasher detergent per load?
• Spic and Span washing my floors?
• Drano unclogging my sink?

Simple answer:  No, I don’t.  A little dab’ll do me.

I find cutting back on cleaning products pretty easy. And I get a good “green” feel about it. The planet’s happier, and I have a little extra jingle in my pocket.

Other ways to save on cleaning products:

• Buy in bulk when it’s on sale.  It won’t go bad.
• Try generic versions. A chemical is a chemical, just like with your medical prescriptions.
• If you’re financially able, spend a little extra for “green” cleaning products and Clean Green. Their prices are coming down, and there’s more and more coupons available.  Amazon often has great deals.  When I see them I post it here.

Now, let’s move on.

Do I really need that much -

• ice cream?
• chocolate?
• wine?

Simple answer:  Yes.  I do.

Sigh.  Nobody said being frugal would be easy.

What are your frugal strengths?  Frugal weaknesses?

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“Have You Ditched the Landline?” and Other Pressing Money-Saving Questions

Still searching for ways to save money, I did a little assessment of my expenditures.  I learned I could only take frugal so far.   How about you?

Have you ditched the landline?

My potential savings - $360.

I can’t let it go yet.  It costs me $30 a month.  That’s $360 a year out the window.  It’s killing me.  But I have to admit, it was tough switching to push button, too.

Gone (news)paper-less?

My potential savings - $265

I haven’t let this one go either.  It’s that local paper.  It just doesn’t read well on-line.  And the Sunday paper, too.  Most major newspapers are available on line for free now.

Turned the heat down?

My potential savings - I estimate about $500

This is worth every penny to me.  I hate being cold.

Gone fluorescent?

My potential savings - I estimate about $20

Light bulbs, I can change.  I have mostly done this.  I am getting used to the way I look in the mirror under fluorescent light.  That was the hardest part of the transition.  Has anyone found 3-way fluorescent light bulbs?

Switched to regular gas?

My potential savings - $0

I’m there already.  I  have no problem with this one.  I always buy regular gas.  Most cars are fine on it.  The premium grades offer nothing, really.

Stopped changing your oil every 3000 miles?

My cost per year - $0

No problem for me here, either.  I’m always late having it changed, anyway.  But every 7,500 miles is fine for most all cars.

Stopped buying a new car every three years?

My cost per year - $$$$$$$

This was forced!  My car was totaled by a falling tree - nope, I wasn’t in it, thank goodness!

Increased expenses:  for car insurance, loan interest, and excise tax on a new car are brutal.

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Federal Cash for Clunkers Update: On Hold

In July, I posted an article on a potential federal economic stimulus program called Cash for Clunkers.

Already being run by a number of states, the program boasts two benefits - 1) get the old gas guzzling polluter cars off the roads, and 2) pump cash into consumer pockets that is spent on newer, more environmentally friendly vehicles.

To ensure the money is spent on another car, the proposed federal program offers “vouchers” rather than cash towards the next car purchase.  And the Senate changed the name from Cash for Clunkers to Voluntary Retirement of Fuel-Inefficient Vehicles.  Under this plan,

“consumers who voluntarily turn in cars or trucks that get less than 18 miles a gallon would receive vouchers worth up to $4,500 to help them buy more economical replacements.” (New York Times quote)

To date, the Federal Program’s on hold.  And the reasons they use for not implementing it seem pretty bogus to me.

Here are the purported reasons:

1. It’s unclear how successful the state run programs have been.
2. Many cars turned in had been sitting in people’s yards anyway.  So even though the economy was getting a potential boost with the cash back, the polluting car was already off the road.
3. No records were kept in any of the states on what people actually did with the received cash.
4. Many people that did buy new cars didn’t buy American cars.
5. Antique car groups were outraged with the program.

In my opinion, it’s a great program. There’s no question that the feds want to 1)  get money back into people’s pockets, and 2)  decrease pollution.  This plan does this.

So why is it on hold?

My opinion’s that the government wants people to buy American cars, and the plan’s on hold because those nose-diving US car manufacturers have yet to provide a variety of dependable gas guzzling vehicle alternatives to their current antiquated product line.

When - and if - these manufacturers get their act together, and the American public is willing to take a chance on them again, I bet the plan gets passed.

What do you think?

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Amazon is giving away Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On”

Amazon is giving away Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On”

Obama’s favorite song. 

Happy Valentine’s Day

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Hyundai Assurance Program: Get Laid Off and You Can Bring the Car Back

The Hyundai Assurance Program will let you sleep at night - at least for the first twelve months of those pesky car payments.

Here’s the deal.  Get laid off in that first year, and you can return the car.  Hyundai covers the first $7500 loss in value.  So if you buy a $25,000 car and get laid off, if the value of the car is more than $17,500, Hyundai lets you return the car for the full $25k and picks up the difference. If the car has depreciated to less than $17,500, you can still return the car, but you need to cover any amount above the $7500.

That’s quite the port in a storm.  Other car companies are bound to follow Hyundai’s lead.

NPR reports that Hyundai currently has 3% of the US market share.  Sales fell 14% for them in 2008.

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