T-bone and the No Emissions Vehicle

Try not to gag when you read this, but I saw it on a sign today: "A smile increases your face value."

So, the Petite Filet wants a new (or a newer) car. Scratch that; she needs one. But our budget doesn't necessarily support her getting one. She drives our 1998 Dodge Ram pickup, which has three problems: 1) it is old and will eventually need some hefty repairs jut to keep it going 2) it uses a lot of gas, and her drive to work is taking its toll on our Shell card 3) it is incredibly hard to park.

We're going to analyze our finances and see if it would make financial sense to get a more efficient vehicle. If you see our gasoline bill, you'll see there's a chance we might save money by taking on a car payment for something that gets better than 11 mpg. Then we'll have to find something suitable, and she and I are on the same page in wanting something safe, reliable and not entirely boring. I like the Mazda3 sedan if we consider something that small, but there are several of that ilk or a tad bigger that may work as well. I've driven the Mazda and found it to be nicer than the price suggests.

Once we've selected the right vehicle, if it's new we have some flexibility for financing. Own or lease? I've never leased, but if anyone has experience with it, please share your thoughts. Might be a nice change to keep a car 2 or 3 years before problems arise rather than pushing it forward until the wheels fall off. Ultimately, I'd love to bicycle commute (I'd have to work closer and in a job where I don't need a car during the day) and let the PF drive my car to work.

Speaking of bicycles, I've wanted to make a T-shirt for sometime now about them. Maybe I should start a Cafe Press account.

On the front it would have a drawing of a bicycle and the words "No Emissions Vehicle." Then, on the back, it would say, "OK ... Low Emissions Vehicle" and have a picture of a cheeseburger or taco to illustrate the point. Or maybe a stick figure on the bicycle emitting an air biscuit of sorts. Any potential takers? Maybe I could sell a lot of them to help pad the new car fund.

One thing environmental science tends to ignore is that human-produced methane (for that matter, by other animals as well) is probably worse than carbon monoxide produced by all the world's motorized vehicles put together. But then, there many politicians on both sides of the aisle who probably just need to let out a big fart and not be so uptight about everything. Yes ... life should be a real gas. And you can take that to the bank! Or at least to the bike rack.