Early Hybrid: Insight vs. Prius vs. Civic

[Patrick]

Originally Posted by Jim-Bob

Insurance in Florida is completely out of control. Most homeowner's insurance is sold through Citizen's-which is run by the state- because major insurance companies will not touch it. Properly insured for wind storm, flood and fire/theft my house would run me $3-5k a year ( my home is not properly insured. The insurance only covers the mortgage). This is a house that has 1,000 square feet and a value of maybe $75-80k on a good day and $55k on a bad one. It's part of the reason I want out of this state. The taxes are low but the insurance is outrageous.

Jim-Bob, you might try contacting this company. I have my insurance with them. Frontline Homeowners Insurance - Home, Condo, and Mobile Home Property Insurance

[Jim-Bob]

Originally Posted by Daox

If you are breaking even financially (gas vs insurance), I think its more than worth it to keep the Metro due to other benefits. First of all, you aren't further wearing out a vehicle with over 360k miles on it. This prolongs its life and prevents you from needing to buy a newer vehicle sooner, and is thus actually large financial benefit. Second, there are environmental benefits which IMO should be weighed especially since you are a Christian (protecting God's creation).

Perhaps I'm missing something, but are there any downsides?

Also, if you put the Metro on the business insurance, I'm guessing you can remove the Frontier from the business insurance and thus get a price cut?


Sorry for going on about keeping the Metro. I don't mean to be a pest, but I think there are some things left to consider.

I can't afford to insure more than one vehicle at a time. The down side is that the insurance is a constant cost while fuel costs are variable. If business goes down then so do my fuel costs ( there can be 1,000 miles difference between months). ( I also just got a $250 a month pay cut in my base pay and I am trying to figure out how to compensate for it. Truth is though that I can't.) I currently own 5 vehicles and need to get rid of several of them due to finances and space ( 1979 AMC Spirit with 360 V8, 1985 Cutlass with 355 V8, 1992 Metro (under construction), 1991 Metro, 1998 Frontier). This is one of those "It's complicated" situations as explaining the whole game plan would require me to essentially write a book. My end game is basically to reduce both recurring bills and operating costs for my life in the short term for survival. Within 6-8 months I am selling off 4 or all 5 of my vehicles and my house to move back home so I can go to school full time. I am just trying to buy enough breathing room so that I can fix my house up so that it will sell at a good price. When I move back home I may quit delivering and drive the other Metro as my daily driver ( non-delivery insurance isn't bad) or I may buy another car entirely. I may even buy an older hybrid after selling the 1991 Metro and one of my other vehicles when my tax return comes in. Like I said, it's complicated and I don't really want to go into all of it here. I was just trying to get a feel for one of my options so far as vehicles go moving forward.

I'm also NOT an environmentalist. I am responsible in what I do but do not consider the Earth to be the most important consideration in every decision I make. I do things from a practical standpoint and thus properly dispose of chemicals and look at energy costs as one of the dynamics I can control to spend my money wisely. Honestly, when the developing world is allowed to pollute where the developed world is not the little changes in my life would not make a difference even if I cared. If you want to change the world, change the way things are done in Guangzhou or Shenzhen and stop dumping the E-Waste of the developed world on the developing one where processing it is poisoning local populations. Picking nits with the way those of us in the developed world live does nothing for the health of the planet when all we are doing is transferring dirty industries to poor countries who will allow the pollution and have low wages.