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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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-18-2006
Sun, 03-12-2006 - 3:54pm

***I see far too many people on the expressway everyday, alone, in their ridiculously large SUV's. ***

Ever cross your mind that they are coming home or going to work and they have 3 kids? Maybe they have a job that requires them to have a lot of room i.e. medical sales rep, homebuilder, realtor? You might be right...they might just be single and driving an SUV. I must say..I drove an SUV when I was single and I hated it. I would have much rather had a sports car. However my job required a much larger vehicle, so I drove an SUV.

***I must admit though, I take great pleasure in listening to them grumble at the gas pump, lol.***

Really? I have never heard anyone grumbling at the gas pump. Interesting.

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-01-2003
Sun, 03-12-2006 - 4:01pm
You know what? I drive a Honda Odyssey and it can lug around a LOT more than an SUV (except for maybe the Excursion - I don't know how the seats work in that). You can literally take out the back captains chairs and put the 3rd seat in a well. You can actually lug a refrigerator in the Odyssey. I don't think many SUV's can tout that claim.
Avatar for mom34101
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Sun, 03-12-2006 - 4:01pm

"So I will ask AGAIN. Do you think because someone buys an SUV or a truck that automatically means they don't care about the environment? There are so many other issues when it comes to the environment, i.e. recycling, planting trees, composting, etc. You seem stuck on cars."

Not necessarily. But I think that someone who buys an suv and says they don't consider the environment in determining what car to buy (or how many cars to buy) doesn't care about the environment.

"Why do you need a minivan when you only have two kids? For someone that is ranting about driving an a SUV when I don't really need it you certainly are driving a minivan when you would do just fine with a sedan."

I do kid carpooling, and I bought the van, used, 3 years ago when the carpooling began. I often have more than three kids in my car, which is all the subaru holds. I also have a lot of family in town, including an elderly mother, so I frequently need a car that seats 5 or 6 comfortably. We also use it when we go camping. When I'm with the kids alone, I normally drive the subaru.

Yes, I put 7K/year on the van. I'd have to check the subaru to see what the mileage is, but it's well below average too.

Avatar for mom34101
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Sun, 03-12-2006 - 4:17pm

"care about something you can actually do something about."

I can't do anything about what you do, but I can do something about what I do. I don't live in a 5,000 sf house (and I never will). I don't drive a bigger car than I need. I've been recycling for years. Yes, I've volunteered for an organization that plants trees. I'll try to pass these values on to my kids.

And frankly, I'll get as worked up as I want about people who don't care about the environment. The more people get worked up about it instead of just insisting it's the American way to use way too many resources, the more likely it is that things will change.

Avatar for mom34101
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Sun, 03-12-2006 - 4:40pm

"I dont need an SUV right now."

That's from your post 2483.

"I am still waiting for you to answer my question about PKA driving a minivan when she only had 1 child and didn't carpool. I guess you aren't going to answer that one. *shrug*"

I don't understand why you want to keep getting in a pissing contest about who's doing more, but if you insist, I've answered this several times already. Even if pka did anticipate her need for a van a few years early, she says she *did* consider the environment in choosing a larger vehicle. You've said numerous times you *did* not consider the environment. The vehicle she chose has better gas mileage than yours and emits less pollution than yours, so she has been polluting less than you have. She *is* presently carpooling on a regular basis, which reduces the need for other people to drive, whereas you are not. She says she will be looking at hybrids for her next vehicle, whereas you scoff at spending extra money on a hybrid. Therefore, she is more environmentally conscious than you are.

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-18-2006
Sun, 03-12-2006 - 7:05pm

***You know what? I drive a Honda Odyssey and it can lug around a LOT more than an SUV (except for maybe the Excursion - I don't know how the seats work in that). You can literally take out the back captains chairs and put the 3rd seat in a well. You can actually lug a refrigerator in the Odyssey. I don't think many SUV's can tout that claim.***

Today many SUV's can claim that. The Explorer now has a third row and all seats fold down. So does the Honda Pilot. My Sequoia also has removeable or fold down seats. I also have towing compacity much greater than you do.

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-18-2006
Sun, 03-12-2006 - 7:08pm

***Not necessarily. But I think that someone who buys an suv and says they don't consider the environment in determining what car to buy (or how many cars to buy) doesn't care about the environment.***

Well I am a person that drives an SUV. We have different opinions on the effects of the environment my vehicle poses. We will not ever agree how, so I guess this is a dead end.

***Yes, I put 7K/year on the van. I'd have to check the subaru to see what the mileage is, but it's well below average too.***

Really? That is about the most amazing thing I think I have read in a while. All that carpooling and caring for an elderly parent and only 7K miles? Everything you do must be very close to your home. Where you camp must be too. What does your DH drive?

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-18-2006
Sun, 03-12-2006 - 7:10pm
Well if you really think that SUV's will ever go away...ok.

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-01-2003
Sun, 03-12-2006 - 7:13pm
You are right. If you need towing capacity, you need some kind of an SUV. However, my point was that you don't need a gas-guzzling 12-mpg vehicle to lug stuff around. A Honda can do just as well as any of those SUV's.
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-18-2006
Sun, 03-12-2006 - 7:23pm

***That's from your post 2483.***

You forgot the follow up sentence to that...So I will post it here.

However we both drive what we drive for certain reasons.

***Even if pka did anticipate her need for a van a few years early, she says she *did* consider the environment in choosing a larger vehicle. You've said numerous times you *did* not consider the environment.***

So what? The end result is the same. She is driving a van that is much larger than she needs with 1 child. She is driving a van that emits higher emissions than a sedan would. Even if I said the environment was a priority I still would have ended up with the same. I don't drive an F350 or an F250 because of the environment. I don't want to fuel that thing. So in that the perk is a SUV with better emissions than a huge truck.

***The vehicle she chose has better gas mileage than yours and emits less pollution than yours, so she has been polluting less than you have.***

Doesn't change the fact for a minute that what she drives is not adequate for our family, nor what I do for a living. I am not going out to buy a sedan then an SUV when I return to work. That is a bad financial decision.

***She *is* presently carpooling on a regular basis, which reduces the need for other people to drive, whereas you are not.**

But she drove that van for years before she carpooled. Does she get a pass on that from you? As a matter of fact she is probably emitting more emissions than I am. According to her she has over 100K miles on her van. That means she is driving about 14-16K per year. When I am driving about 10K per year.

***She says she will be looking at hybrids for her next vehicle, whereas you scoff at spending extra money on a hybrid.***

I don't scoff at the money. Read up on Hybrids. They aren't worth the money that you spend on them now. The mileage you get out of most Hybrids is NOT significant. I suggest you check out Consumer Reports. They will give you the full details on Hybrids and how they really aren't much to cheer about. They even say give them another 5 to 10 years then you might see a difference. MOney is not the issue...Hybrids aren't worth the time to even look at now.

***Therefore, she is more environmentally conscious than you are.***

Nice spin. She drives more miles than a do per year. She also drove a van with 1 child for years and didn't carpool for years with that van. She might be more environmentally friendly driving what she drives than I am, however to say that she is or you is more environmentally conscious than I am is really without foundation. I don't base what one drives as the prime factor on environmental issues.

 

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