Fru-ga-LEE-sta. noun. “A person who lives a frugal lifestyle but stays fashionable and
healthy by swapping clothes, buying secondhand, growing own produce,
etc.”
Here's a strategy for hard times. Not sure you can really afford that new car? Buy a Hyundai.
Hyundai's latest tv campaign makes this offer: If you buy a new Hyundai and lose your job within a year, you can give it back. Yes, just walk away from your car loan.
"In this uncertain economy, we are looking for ways to reassure
shoppers that Hyundai still represents the best value in the auto
industry," said John Krafcik, president and chief executive of Hyundai
Motor America, the U.S. arm of the South Korea-based automaker, in a
company statement.
"If you find that you cannot make your payment
because of a covered life changing event, we'll allow you to return
your vehicle and walk away from your loan obligation - and in most
cases we will cover most, if not all of the difference," the carmaker's
Web site says.
With no extra charge to the sticker price, the
program pays the difference between the car's trade-in value at the
time the owner files a claim and any remaining balance on the loan up
to a maximum of $7,500.
I hardly know whether to laugh or cry. The financing deal is managed by a company called Walkaway USA.