Certified pre-owned

More and more manufacturers offer "certified pre-owned" programs. Cars sold as certified pre-owned (CPO) bridge the gap between new and used. They are subject to a rigorous inspection and repair process, and usually are covered by a warranty from the manufacturer. CPO cars will usually cost a bit more, but the added warranty and peace of mind makes them a good value.

More car for the same money

A nicely equipped new Toyota Corolla XRS will set you back around $18,000. But what if you want something bigger? For the same amount of money, you could buy a two-year-old Toyota Camry loaded to the gills or a three-year-old Avalon, Toyota's biggest sedan. Planning on growing your family? You'll find plenty of four-year-old Honda Odyssey minivans in the new Corolla's price range.

You can also move up in prestige. A new Toyota Camry XLE V6 with all the bells and whistles is a nice ride; at $30,000 it had better be. But for the same price (or even a couple grand less), you could be stylin' in a two-year-old Lexus ES330, Audi A6 or BMW 325i.

The same car for less money

When you buy used, you miss out on the heaviest depreciation hit. A new Honda Accord LX will set you back around $21,500. Buy a similarly-equipped two-year-old Accord with 24,000 miles and you'll pay about $4,000 less. (And that's for a car that holds its value well. A Mitsubishi Galant ES costs about the same new as an Accord; 2 years and 24,000 miles later it's $7,000 cheaper.)

Why buy used?

Used. Pre-owned. Previously enjoyed. Gone are the days of the shark-skin-suit-clad used car salesmen offering heaps that were owned by a little old lady who only drove it to church on Sundays. Today, late-model used cars are not only a safe buy, they make good financial sense.

Keep things organized

Use collapsible trunk storage bins to organize emergency kit items as well as sports equipment for your kids. They hold things in place and transport easily.

Invest in a backseat organizer designed with older kids in mind. They can hold everything from juice boxes and healthy snacks to CD players and small games.

Pre-pack a bag for each activity your child participates in regularly and have it in the vehicle.

Designate a few toys special "car toys" that stay in a small tote bag beneath your child's car seat.

Instead of carrying a big roll of paper towels in your vehicle, take advantage of products that absorb spills and removes stains, and clip to your dashboard or backseat pocket.

Stash menus from the top three area restaurants in the glove box for calling in orders on the go on those days when carpools or work leave you no time to cook.

Keep a small booklet in your glove box that can hold your owner's manual, registration and proof of insurance inside of it, as well as any emergency contact numbers you may need. Hide a small amount of cash in it as well to have on hand if needed.

Fast cleaning action

For some real speed cleaning, you will be happy to hear about a new lineup of car care items. Called Blink, these five cleaning wipe products claim to "help quickly eliminate clutter, litter, spills and fingerprints in minutes." Designed by Honeywell Consumer Group, the products were designed to "offer clean and quick results in five minutes or less."

Even better, perhaps, is these products come in innovative, car-friendly packaging, some of which is designed to clip onto your door pocket, seatback, center console, seat organizer or to be stored in the increasingly-small glove box. You can find Blink Spill Grabbers, Mess Lifters, Smudge Cleaners, Trash Tossers and Tidy Toes in retail, drug and grocery stores.

For some other good advice, Stacy DeBroff, author of "The Mom Book" and founder of Mom Central, Inc., provides these tips on how to make over today's home on wheels:

Protect your carpets, Emergency kits

Buy a cheap set of rubber mats to put on top of your carpet mats. You can even turn your carpet mats upside down if they have rubber bottoms.

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Keep an emergency cleaning kit in the trunk. Here are some items to keep on hand: small plastic grocery bags, large plastic trash bag, hand towels, paper towels, carpet cleaning solution, glass cleaning solution and a good general cleaning solution like Fanastik.

Parents know that one of the most indispensable items to keep on hand is baby wipes. Always stash a portable-sized container of wipes in your glove box for those frequent spit-ups and other messy situations.

Toothpaste to the rescue

Stains on your car's upholstery can add to the day's stress level. A white, non-gel toothpaste can be kept in the glove box for a quick response to stains like lipstick, ink and ketchup. Rub gently and then wipe with a clean, damp cloth.

Stop to smell the roses

Instead of eating while driving, think about stopping to eat. We are all in a hurry, but it is safer and provides more quality family time when you park and then eat.

Kid-friendly products

For families with toddlers, think about buying spill-proof cups and snack holders. A busy mother invented these "anti-spill" cups and holders for finger foods such as Cheerios and Goldfish crackers. With the "Snack Trap," kids reach through soft plastic slits to grab a bite. Once the child removes his or her hand, the slits close so the snack stays contained if the cup is dropped or thrown. The company's "Sprout Spouts" are specialized lids that screw onto wide-mouth bottles of Juice, Gatorade and other drinks to avoid liquid spills. You can find these products at Babies-R-Us and Burlington Coat Factory or visit www.snacktrap.com.

Bring it in, Take it out, Bag it up

Some families have an "if you can carry it into the car, you can carry it out" policy when it comes to car rides. Make your kids responsible for their books, cups, backpacks, balls and papers. Also, keep clutter to a minimum by limiting them to one item per car ride or make them keep their junk in backpacks.

Always have a kitchen-sized trash bag on hand in the car. You can keep it in the trunk or in the pocket on the back of your seats. It is great for keeping fast-food bags, cups, trash, even occasional wet clothes or muddy shoes from doing harm. If you have older children, the child who is in charge of the house trash can also be in charge of the trash bag in the car.

Also, have small resealable sandwich bags on hand and within reach for pet treats or food, you never know when Sparky might get hungry.

Tips to keep car clean and tidy

Between kids, pets, friends, and little ol' you, the sanctity of your car's interior is always in peril. So, how do you keep it clean when you've got kids spitting up and spilling, pets drooling and tracking in dirt and people eating four-course meals in your car?

With a full-size family myself, I know how hard it is to keep everything clean without going crazy. Here are some tips to sustaining your sanity when it comes to keeping your car interior clean and organized.

Tips on Buying a Used Car

• Learn what rights you have when buying a used car. Contact your state or local consumer protection office.
• Find out in advance what paperwork you will need to register a vehicle. Contact your state's motor vehicle department.
• Check prices of similar models using the NADA Official Used Car Guide published by the National Automobile Dealer Association or the Kelley Blue Book. These guides are usually available at local libraries.
• Research the vehicle's history. Ask the seller for details concerning past owners, use, and maintenance. Next, find out whether the car has been damaged in a flood, involved in a crash, been labeled a lemon or had its odometer rolled back. The vehicle identification number (VIN) will help you do this.
• Your state motor vehicle department can research the car's title history. Inspect the title for "salvage," "rebuilt", or similar notations.
• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration lists VINs of its crash-test vehicles and will let you search an online database of manufacturer service bulletins.
• The Center for Auto Safety provides information on safety defects, recalls, and lemons, as well as service bulletins.
• Visit safetyforum.com for a free online search of its database of lemons registered by previous owners.
• Make sure any mileage disclosures match the odometer reading on the car.
• Check the warranty. If a manufacturer's warranty is still in effect, contact the manufacturer to make sure you can use the coverage.
• Ask about the dealer's return policy. Get it in writing and read it carefully.
• Have the car inspected by your mechanic. Talk to the seller and agree in advance that you'll pay for the examination if the car passes inspection, but the seller will pay if significant problems are discovered. A qualified mechanic should check the vehicle's frame, tires, air bags and undercarriage, as well as the engine.
• Examine dealer documents carefully. Make sure you are buying- not leasing- the vehicle. Leases use terms such as "balloon payment" and "base mileage" disclosures.

Beware: Curb Stoning & Title Washing

Curb stoning occurs when a dealer has an inferior or damaged car he can't sell on his lot. He gives the car to a salesperson to sell through the classifieds, as if it were a private party sale. A title history report will show that the title recently changed hands and could reveal that it is a lemon or an otherwise branded car. Be suspicious if the seller's name is different from the name on the title.

Title washing occurs when scam artists try to sell a salvage vehicle by concealing its history of damage from a buyer. Although a vehicle's title should show if it has been damaged or salvaged, some states do not document titles in the same way as other states. By moving a vehicle and its title through several different states, con artists try to "wash" out the title branding of salvage or damage. The best way to avoid this trick is to buy only from reputable dealers and/or to get a title guarantee in writing.