STORY AND BRING YOU THE LATEST. WERE SOUNDING LIKE A BROKEN RECORD PLAYING A SONG NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR BUT HERE WE GO AGAIN. AGAIN.ANOTHER TOUGH DAY FOR THE STOCK MARKET.THE DOW FELL 206 POINTS.THE SP LOST AS WELL AND SO DID THE NASDAQ. NASDAQ. EXPERTS SAY ITS JUST ONE INGREDIENT IN THE RECIPE FOR A RECESSION. FOOD PRICES ARE A BIG PART OF IT TOO ANDE ALL KNOW ABOUT THE GAS PRICES. BUT WE CANT STOP EATING JUST BECAUSE MONEYS TIGHT. TIGHT. AND WE CANT STOP DRIVING EITHER AND AS NEWS 12S SAMANTHA ANDRE FOUND OUT PEOPLE ARE DOWNSIZING IN THAT DEPARTMENT TOO. TOO.THATS RIGHT, MEREDITH AND RICHARD.THE SHRINKING ECONOMY ISNT STOPPING PEOPLE FROM BUYING CARS. ITS JUST FUELING SMALLER SALES. BUDDY HYNES AND HIS WIFE ARE LOOKING TO BUY A NEW CAR. THEYRE THINKING ABOUT GOING WITH THE SAME KIND THEY ALREADY HAVE...A CHEVY HR. HR.SOMETIMES ON THE ROAD I GET ABOUT 33 TO 34, SO WITH TODAYS PRICES IN GASOLINE YOU CANT BEAT IT. BUYING A TRUCK OR SUV...IS SOMETHING HE WOULDNT EVEN CONSIDER RIGHT NOW. SUVS ARE NICE, THEYRE COMFORTABLE, BUT LOUSY GAS MILEAGE. BECAUSE OF GAS PRICES, SOME PEOPLE ARE WALKING AWAY FROM SUVS AND CHOOSING SMALLER CARS BECAUSE THEY GETORE MILES TO THE GALLON. TRUCKS AND SUVS USUALLY DRIVE THE BUSINESS AT GDON CHEVROLET...ABOUT SEVENTY PERCENT OF IT. BUT NOT LATELY. LATELY.WE SAW ALMOST THE INVERSE OF THAT: 7 CARS, 30 TRUCKS. HE BELIEVES AS GAS PRICES GO UP... PEOPLE ARE DOWN SIZING. SIZING. THE THOUGHT OF DRIVING THAT FULL SIZE SUV AND WHAT IT WAS GONNA COST THEM ON A REGULAR BASIS. AND THAT COST... EVEN HAS PEOPLE GETTING RID OF THEIR SUVS. AT ANOTHER DEALERSHIP... ABOUT SIX TO TEN PEOPLE A WEEK HAVE BEEN TRADING IN THEIR SUVS OR TRUCKS... AND BLAMING THE GAS PRICES. SOME DEALERSHIPS ARE OFFERING MORE INCENTIVES TO REV UP SALES OF THE BIGGER VEHICLES. VEHICLES.CHEVY FOR INSTANCE RIGHT NOW IS OFFERING UP TO FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS ON FULLSIZE TRUCKS AND SUVS. BUT STILL, FOR THE HYNES...THE DECISION IS CLEAR. THEY WANT TO PUMP UP THEIR WALLET BY SAVING AT THE PUMP. EVERY PENNY YOU CAN SAVE, ITS A PENNY EARNED. FOR SOME BUYERS...ITS PROOF BIGGER ISNT ALWAYS BETTER. ANOTHER WAY TO SAVE AT THE PUMP, OF COURSE IS THROUGH HYBRID CARS AND EVEN HYBRID SUVS. THOSE CAN BE PRICIER, BUT SOME PEOPLE SAY ITS WORTH IT BECAUSE OF WHAT THEYLL SAVE IN GAS. EXACTLY HOW MUCH ARE WE TALKING HERE? HERE?THE CHEAPEST HYBRID CAR I FOUND WAS THE TOYOTA PRIUS, STARTING AT 21,100. HYBRID SUVS CAN START AROUND 26,000. THE MOST EXPENSIVE ONE I FOUND THOUGH, WAS A LEXUS HYBRID CAR THAT STARTS AT 104,000 DOLLARS. WHILE YOURE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SAVE MONEY LEADERS WITH THE RICHMOND COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT ARE TRYING TO PINCH PENNIES TOO.

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AIRDATE: 05-07-2008
TRANSCRIPT: story and bring you the latest. were sounding like a broken record playing a song no one wants to hear but here we go again. again.another tough day for the stock market.the dow fell 206 points.the sp lost as well and so did the nasdaq. nasdaq. experts say its just one ingredient in the recipe for a recession. food prices are a big part of it too ande all know about the gas prices. but we cant stop eating just because moneys tight. tight. and we cant stop driving either and as news 12s samantha andre found out people are downsizing in that department too. too.thats right, meredith and richard.the shrinking economy isnt stopping people from buying cars. its just fueling smaller sales. buddy hynes and his wife are looking to buy a new car. theyre thinking about going with the same kind they already have...a chevy hr. hr.sometimes on the road i get about 33 to 34, so with todays prices in gasoline you cant beat it. buying a truck or suv...is something he wouldnt even consider right now. suvs are nice, theyre comfortable, but lousy gas mileage. because of gas prices, some people are walking away from suvs and choosing smaller cars because they getore miles to the gallon. trucks and suvs usually drive the business at gdon chevrolet...about seventy percent of it. but not lately. lately.we saw almost the inverse of that: 7 cars, 30 trucks. he believes as gas prices go up... people are down sizing. sizing. the thought of driving that full size suv and what it was gonna cost them on a regular basis. and that cost... even has people getting rid of their suvs. at another dealership... about six to ten people a week have been trading in their suvs or trucks... and blaming the gas prices. some dealerships are offering more incentives to rev up sales of the bigger vehicles. vehicles.chevy for instance right now is offering up to four thousand dollars on fullsize trucks and suvs. but still, for the hynes...the decision is clear. they want to pump up their wallet by saving at the pump. every penny you can save, its a penny earned. for some buyers...its proof bigger isnt always better. another way to save at the pump, of course is through hybrid cars and even hybrid suvs. those can be pricier, but some people say its worth it because of what theyll save in gas. exactly how much are we talking here? here?the cheapest hybrid car i found was the toyota prius, starting at 21,100. hybrid suvs can start around 26,000. the most expensive one i found though, was a lexus hybrid car that starts at 104,000 dollars. while youre trying to figure out how to save money leaders with the richmond county school district are trying to pinch pennies too.