I am in the market for a new car so I checked the rankings of some fuel efficient cars for 2008 based on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) miles-per-gallon ratings for city and highway travel. The EPA has a combined fuel economy formula of 55 percent of city mpg rating plus 45 percent of highway mpg rating. The rating for each vehicle is expressed in mpg as a city / highway ratio.
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 |
Manufacturer / Model
Toyota Prius (hybrid-electric)
Honda Civic Hybrid
Nissan Altima Hybrid
Ford Escape Hybrid FWD
Mazda Tribute Hybrid 2WD
Mercury Mariner Hybrid FWD
Toyota Camry Hybrid 33 / 34 6
Toyota Yaris (manual) 29 / 36 7
Toyota Yaris (automatic)
Ford Escape Hybrid 4WD
Mercury Mariner Hybrid 4WD
Mazda Tribute Hybrid 4WD
Toyota Corolla (manual)
Honda Fit (manual) 28 / 34 |
MPG
48 / 45
40 / 45
35 / 33
34 / 30
34 / 30
34 / 30
33 / 34
29 / 36
29 / 35
29 / 27
29 / 27
29 / 27
28 / 37
28 / 34 |
You can always
Get a Free Quote on a New Car
Technorati Profile
Many pets are above their ideal weight and the majority of research shows that being overweight can shorten the lives of your precious pets.
The causes of weight gain can be overfeeding, feeding too many table scraps and treats, lack of exercise, and age (older, less active pets are prone to weight gain).
Weight loss will improve your pet’s appearance and health as well as his enjoyment and length of life:
• Feed a low-calorie high-fiber food formulated for weight reduction.
• Divide the total amount of food to be fed each day into 3 or 4 smaller meals.
• Exercise your pet regularly if recommended by your veterinarian.
If you are going to board a Trans Bridge bus and travel into the city for the day or perhaps you want to spend a long weekend in the “Big Apple”, here are a few suggestions of things to do. Enjoy the indomitable spirit and energy of the city that is like no other in the world and is just a short drive away.
Museums
On Fifth Avenue’s Museum Mile you can visit the stately Metropolitan or the Frank Lloyd Wright’s unmistakable Guggenhiem. There are some smaller jewels also such as the American Folk Art Museum or the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. It’s very popular so get tickets in advance. The Museum of Television and Radio is great fun. Uptown you’ll find The Cloisters which has medieval art, frescoes and peaceful gardens.
Outdoors
Bike, blade or stroll on the Hudson River Greenway, a 11 mile path along the West Side from Battery Park to the George Washington Bridge (parks) or visit the Union Square Greenmarket where local farmers sell their wares Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Walk to the secluded Conservatory Garden at Fifth Avenue and 105th. Street and admire the abundant plantings. If you are interested in songbirds, warblers and waterfowl go to the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge on the border of Queens and Brooklyn.
Shopping
Soho is a bit pricey as shopping districts go but the Flatiron District from 14th Street to 23rd Street, Sixth Avenue to Park Avenue is gaining favor with a mix of local favorites and national chains such as Old Navy. Head downtown for bargains on designer clothes, shoes and bedding. If you desire a taste of old New York hit the Lower East Side for hundreds of discount apparel and home decorating shops. In Chinatown you’ll find Pearl River Mart with its paper lanterns, soup bowls, brocade jackets and much more.
Restaurants
You might want to begin by consulting www.zagat.com for reviews of hundreds of eateries in all of the five boroughs.You can also check www.restaurantweek.com for some fine selections. When you are in midtown Manhattan around Times Square be sure to stroll over to Restaurant Row around 46th. Street where you’ll fine a great selection of eateries.
Theatre
You can get cheap tickets at TKTS in Times Square or Bowling Green Plaza. Remember that on Wednesday and Saturday there are matinee performances of Broadway shows.
Pick up any newspaper or turn on your TV and you are instantly aware of the global financial crisis and how it has hurt the banking industry and dried up all available credit to business and individual alike. If you need some extra cash don’t despair. I have an alternative source of money for you and it’s called a “Social Lending Network”.
A Social Lending Network also know as Peer-to-Peer lending is an organization where members lend and borrow money from each other at better rates, bypassing the banks.
Here is how peer-to-peer lending works. One person has money to invest and another needs a loan. The two connect on the Internet through sites such as Prosper, Loanio, Virgin Money USA or Lending Club. Borrowers get loans to fix their cars, pay for college tuition or start a business. Lenders and borrowers are anonymous. But lenders learn something about the people they loan money to because borrowers list their profiles on the group’s website.
1. Save some of your paycheck, don’t spend the whole thing
Start out by saving small amounts of your income. Try to save approximately 15% of every paycheck, but don’t get worried if you see that you cannot save that much. The important thing is to save a little on a consistent basis.
2. Reduce your amount of ATM fees
Every time you make a withdrawal using your debit card, you are charged an extra fixed rate. That fee is even higher if you’re not making the withdrawal at your own bank.
So instead of making multiple withdrawals, estimate how much cash you’ll need for the week and make only one withdrawal at your own bank. If you have any money leftover at the end of the week, put it into your savings account.
3. Keep track of your money
Keep track of where you’re spending your money. Those who know where their money is going tend to spend less and save more. By keeping track of your expenditures, you’ll have a better idea of how much money you have already spent and prevent you from going over your budget.
4. Pay off your short-term loans
Money that you’re spending on interest payments is money that you could be saving. Try to reduce or eliminate any short-term debts such as credit card balances, or car and student loans.
5. Set up an automatic savings plan
Many people tend to procrastinate. This is not a good trait when it comes to saving money on a consistent basis. Arrange to have as little as $20 to $30 a month deducted from your bank account and deposited into a savings or mutual fund account.
click the box above for current gas prices at gasoline stations
throughout the lehigh valley
Federal, State, and local taxes are a large component of the retail price of gasoline. Taxes (not including county and local taxes) account for approximately 27 % of the cost of a gallon of gasoline. Within this national average, Federal excise taxes are 18.4 cents per gallon and State excise taxes average about 21 cents per gallon. Also, eleven States levy additional State sales and other taxes, some of which are applied to the Federal and State excise taxes. Additional local county and city taxes can have a significant impact on the price of gasoline.
Refining costs and profits comprise about 15% of the retail price of gasoline. This component varies from region to region due to the different formulations required in different parts of the country.
1. Regular Mealtimes
Toddler thrive on routines, even when it comes to snack and mealtimes. Providing a regular routine will help your child eat better.
2. Make Mealtimes Pleasant
Toddlers eat at their own pace and to their own tastes. The best thing you can do here is be respectful of your toddler’s own eating pace which certainly is never in time with your own. Be supportive and never forceful. Remember that for toddlers, eating is still a time for learning: a time to touch and experience different foods…so let them take enough time - as much as 20 to 30 minutes, if needed. Sit with your toddler while he or she eats. They love the company. Your toddler will probably feel more comfortable in a highchair where they are at your level with their feet supported, not dangling.
Create amazing digital scrapbooks in minutes!
3. Don’t Force A Toddler To Eat
If your toddler refuses to eat, let him/her know it’s okay, but that they have to sit with the family or the other children while they eat so you can all spend time together. In time your child will tend to join in. Worse case scenario….snack time is only a couple of hours away and he/she may be hungry then.
4. Let Your Toddler Be Messy
Playing and experimenting with food is a toddler right of passage. They have a natural curiosity about new foods and will often play with them before eating. Unless things get really messy or the child starts throwing food on the floor, let him or her enjoy the time. After all, we want children to learn to eat, but we also want them to learn to be pleasant at mealtimes.
The USO is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the troops by providing morale, welfare and recreation-type services to our men and women in uniform. The original intent of Congress is to represent the American people by extending a touch of home to the military. The USO currently operates more than 130 centers worldwide, including ten mobile canteens located in the continental United States and overseas. Overseas centers are located in Germany, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Qatar, Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan, Guam, and Kuwait. Service members and their families visit USO centers more than 5.3 million times each year. The USO is the way the American public supports the troops.
Lehigh Valley Business Online - Blog
www.lehighvalleybusiness.org
Residents of the valley have access to area restaurant guides, shopping malls, bargains, coupons, gift promotions, valuable tips, current events and attractions in the Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton and greater Lehigh Valley area.
Do your taxes for FREE with TurboTax Federal Free Edition - the #1 rated tax software. Start Now - It’s Easy.
2008 Property Tax Deduction for Taxpayers Who Don’t Itemize
Updated: 11/19/2008
Tax break applies to years 2008 and 2009
Property owners who use the standard deduction, rather than itemize their individual deductions when filing their income taxes, will get a new tax break for tax years 2008 and 2009.
A chance to deduct property taxes
Prior to 2008, only taxpayers who itemized their deductions – that is, listed certain expenses such as mortgage interest to reduce their overall tax liability – could deduct state and local property taxes. Those who took the standard deduction, or a fixed amount of income not subject to tax, could not.
Limits set on deduction amount
However, for 2008 and for 2009, non-itemizers will be allowed to take a limited property tax deduction, up to $500 for single taxpayers and up to $1,000 for married couples filing jointly.
A couple in the 25 percent tax bracket would save $250 in taxes, while a single filer in the 25 percent bracket would save $125.
The deduction is determined by whichever of the following is lower:
The amount of property taxes paid, or $500 for single taxpayers or $1,000 for married, filing jointly.
