[MouseWife]

To me, just about everything is over priced. I mean, they keep raising the prices and people keep paying the prices. However they can, sometimes those payments are not easy ones.

We did get a Ford SUV recently. A small one. I really don't like the big ones but I did need more than a car. We've had a van for about 10 years which served us and our lives quite well but now only have really just one child who cruises with us. We wanted something we could comfortably travel in and carry all of our junk.

BUT yes, the gas mileage, even for a smaller suv, sucks.

I can not believe the costs of new vehicles. Blows me away completely. I guess I always hear my mom telling me 'I only paid $19,000. for this house...'.

We did look at the smaller vehicles, at a GM dealer, that had great gas mileage. But, I also worry about their safety factor. When traveling I always look at what side the boy is sitting on and encourage him {on a two lane road} to sit on the side not facing traffic.

A question for anyone who knows~ all of those safety airbags that they now have on the side of cars {mine doesn't}: if air bags aren't safe for kids, can kids sit next to these? Or are they blown out in a way that doesn't harm them as the front air bags do?

Great topic, GD. Just don't get me started on housing prices....