As you might remember, I’m shopping around for a new (used) car.

One thing I’ve noticed is that SUVs are ridiculously cheap right now. Much cheaper than the subcompact models I had been considering.

Now, I’m not especially attracted to SUVs and I don’t often haul stuff around, but let me play devil’s advocate: I’ve run the numbers, and with the low amount of miles I drive, I’d come out financially a couple grand ahead with an SUV vs. a more expensive compact car after two years (even assuming $5/gal gas).

It seems like SUVs are selling for less than they’re worth right now because everyone’s gone crazy over gas prices. Everyone wants a Prius or a Civic.

Should I consider bucking the trend in order to save some money? Do we really think gas prices are going to remain this high?

When the rest of the country zigs, should you zag?

From the Guppie Life

Are SUVs Evil?

Yesterday, Newly Corporate blogger Jennifer posted about the HRC CEI because of a comment I left earlier in the week in which I said that the HRC’s list is more important to me than Forbes’ 2008 list of most admired companies.

What is the HRC CEI?

The CEI, or Corporate Equality Index, is a yearly report issued by the Human Rights Campaign, a group dedicated to advancing equality for LGBT people. The report rates over 500 U.S. corporations based on how well they handle GLBT issues, such as domestic partner benefits and sexual orientation/identity non-discrimination policies.

Why should you care?

If you’re searching for a new job in the corporate world, the CEI can be a great resource. If you’re having trouble deciding between two or more employers, their CEI scores might be a deciding factor. Or if you’ve just begun your search, you should check out the HRC’s list of best places to work for help narrowing down your options to GLBT-friendly employers. The list is conveniently broken down by industry.

I’m not suggesting that as a gay person the CEI score should be the deciding factor between taking this job or that job. It’s merely something to take into consideration.

For example, I’m single and pretty young. I’m not getting gay-married anytime soon, so I don’t really care on a personal level about health insurance for domestic partners. But all other things being equal, I’d rather go with the employer that does offer domestic partner benefits.

If you’re already employed, I suggest checking to see if your company is on the list. If your company scored a perfect 100%, then congratulations! You’re very lucky. (I was impressed to see my former part-time employer Abercrombie & Fitch had a 100% rating, but then again, their business really depends on the gays.)

But if your current employer doesn’t score 100%, you need to let them know (nicely) that they need to do better next time. First, I’d write a polite letter to human resources letting them know about the CEI (though it’s likely they’ll know already) and how your company could better serve its GLBT employees. If you feel comfortable, you could even have a discussion about the CEI with your coworkers and boss.

One employee’s actions aren’t likely to change the policies of a multimillion dollar corporation, but every voice counts. Equality doesn’t just sprout up like a dandelion in a sunny field. You have to demand it, then you have to work for it.

Don’t give your money to losers

You can use information from the CEI to support GLBT-friendly companies with your hard-earned gay dollars. The nice folks at the HRC have assembled a handy buyer’s guide for GLBT equality based on corporate CEI scores. The guide is really easy to use. It’s broken down by different types of goods and services, and companies are color coded by their CEI score.

For instance, I just learned that Exxon Mobil earned an equality score of 0. Wow. Only two other companies out of more than 500 on the list scored 0. I’m definitely not filling up at Exxon Mobil stations any more.

From the Guppie Life

The HRC Corporate Equality Index: a Career Resource for Gay Professionals

I’m a fan of lifehacks, which are little-known tips and tricks that boost productivity by solving common problems.

One thing that has always bothered me is not being able to remember how much money is stored on gift cards after I’ve made a purchase. The store receipt usually lists the balance, but who can keep track of all those tiny pieces of paper?

For a while I tried attaching the receipts to the gift card with a paper clip, but it was an imperfect system. For one thing, I like to store my important receipts in a dedicated folder, but I like to keep my gift cards on my bureau so I’ll see them everyday and remember to actually use them.

After the paper clip experiment, I tried writing gift card balances on Post Its, which I then stuck to the front of the gift cards. While Post Its were an improvement over the paper clips, I found that sometimes the Post Its peeled off the gift cards, seemingly of their own accord.

But now I think I’ve finally found a solution:

I write the remaining balance on the front of the gift card with dry erase marker.

Admittedly, it’s not perfect– the dry erase can smudge or wipe off, but it becomes more resistant with age, and it won’t smear like Sharpie. Also, the marker won’t show up on dark plastic, but many gift cards have white on the back.

Overall it’s a pretty quick, clutter-free system.

Do you have any lifehacks to share?

From the Guppie Life

My Gift Card Balance Hack