SAH/WOH - Why?

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-18-2005
SAH/WOH - Why?
3166
Mon, 02-20-2006 - 7:41am

I am sure this has been done before but I was wondering this in light of recent posts lately.

Why did you decide to sah/woh?

Was it a choice or something expected of you?

Was your plan to sah/woh though out or impulsive? Long-term or short-term?

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Avatar for mom34101
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Thu, 03-09-2006 - 2:42pm

My kids will drive, but when they live with us, they will drive one of our cars. We've been over this. That will limit their driving considerably more than if they had their own cars. We will expect them to carpool and use public transportation in addition to driving. You say when you woh ft, which you will be doing when your kids are teens, you put 35K/yr on your car alone, even without them driving. You also say the extra driving to drive your kids around for four years would be equal to you buying a new car. That's a heck of a lot of driving, far more than most people do. I think the average person only puts 10K/year on his car. And on top of that, you say that each of your kids is going to put 60-70K miles on their cars in two years.

Yes, my family does carpool and use public transportation. My dh uses public transportation to get to work, and I try to ride my bike to work when the weather permits. It's not always as easy as driving, no. When the weather permits, we also try to walk or bike the kids to school. Since we live one mile from my office and one mile from the school, compared to the 16-mile round trip to your kids' school, we don't do the kind of driving you do even when we do drive. When there are kid activities, we do try to carpool with other parents if we are going outside the neighborhood. Based on what you've described, I don't really think you want to get into a pissing contest with me about who is using more resources. We are certainly not perfect, and I'm sure there are many families who do better than we do, but we do consider these things in making choices about cars and schools and places to live. That's all most of us can do.

What you do is your choice, but don't kid yourself that your choices have no more effect on the community than somebody who is more environmentally conscious.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-12-2003
Thu, 03-09-2006 - 2:46pm
Ummm... they may have different tank sizes. I can get almost 500 miles on one tank of gas in my SUV, but it holds 42 gallons so that isn't saying much. SUVs usually have bigger tanks than minivans.
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-18-2006
Thu, 03-09-2006 - 2:51pm

***You say when you woh ft, which you will be doing when your kids are teens, you put 35K/yr on your car alone, even without them driving. You also say the extra driving to drive your kids around for four years would be equal to you buying a new car. That's a heck of a lot of driving, far more than most people do. I think the average person only puts 10K/year on his car. And on top of that, you say that each of your kids is going to put 60-70K miles on their cars in two years.***

Yes I drive a lot when I WOH. It is part of my job. No the average person drives about 12-15K per year. That number will be increased in the next year or so according to JD Powers. Where did I say my kids would put 60-70K miles on their cars?

***Based on what you've described, I don't really think you want to get into a pissing contest with me about who is using more resources.**

WHy would I want to do that? You don't live where I do. Unless you live inside the city here there is NO public transportation and there are hardly any schools that are a mile away from someone's home. There are a few neighborhoods here where the school is inside the neighborhood. WE don't live in a neighborhood so that isn't our luxury. We also don't want to live in the city. YUCK.

***What you do is your choice, but don't kid yourself that your choices have no more effect on the community than somebody who is more environmentally conscious.***

I never implied that I was Mrs Greenhouse. Again I have posted stats on SUV's. Go have a look.

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-18-2006
Thu, 03-09-2006 - 2:52pm
Not that is what I mean. She told me that she spends almost as much as I do on gas. But she gets about 60 miles less on her tank than I do.

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-03-2005
Thu, 03-09-2006 - 3:01pm
How much she gets on her tank is completely irrelevant. You can't compare miles per tank.
Avatar for mom34101
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Thu, 03-09-2006 - 3:04pm

You said the extra driving your kids will do would require you to buy a new car during the four years they will be driving. That's 120-140K over two years for two kids, or 60-70K per kid.

Yes, you drive a *lot* more than the average person when you woh, which you say you will do when your kids are teens. And from what you've posted here, I don't think you are driving a lot less than most people now. How many miles/year do you put on your suv?

"WHy would I want to do that? You don't live where I do. Unless you live inside the city here there is NO public transportation and there are hardly any schools that are a mile away from someone's home. There are a few neighborhoods here where the school is inside the neighborhood. WE don't live in a neighborhood so that isn't our luxury. We also don't want to live in the city. YUCK."

You made a choice to live where you do, just as you make a choice not to carpool and to drive an SUV and to buy your kids each a new car because it wouldn't be "fair" to make them share one.

No, I don't think anybody thinks you are Mrs. Greenhouse.

Avatar for mom34101
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Thu, 03-09-2006 - 3:14pm

I'm saying that your decision to buy your kids new cars when they turn 16 isn't about values. There are other parents for whom that decision is about values, so what you do affects them.

I've already told you what value I see in not buying my kids cars, so I don't really see anything more to discuss there.

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-27-1998
Thu, 03-09-2006 - 3:14pm

You said my van specifically.

PumpkinAngel

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-27-1998
Thu, 03-09-2006 - 3:24pm

It's hearsay, I didn't say she was lying but it's just hearsay and not an accurate comparison.

PumpkinAngel

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-27-1998
Thu, 03-09-2006 - 3:25pm

Mine holds about 17 gallons and I fill up about every 8-10 days depending on activities.


PumpkinAngel

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