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dailymail.com: https://www.dailymail.com/yourmoney/article-15833403/soaring-gas-prices-americans-hacks.html

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NY-LEG-S31-JACKSON
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GDELT news · original
Published
Saturday, May 23, 2026

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Soaring gas costs spark bizarre hacks from desperate Americans as man digs pink Barbie car out of trash to replace Mercedes convertible | Daily Mail Online Home US Showbiz TV Sports US Politics Royals News Crime Desk Lifestyle Money U.K. Buyline Games Latest Headlines Real Estate Cars Retirement My Profile Logout Login US Edition Privacy Policy Feedback Saturday, May 23rd 2026 1PM 54°F 4PM 54°F 5-Day Forecast Advertisement Soaring gas costs spark bizarre hacks from desperate Americans as man digs pink Barbie car out of trash to replace Mercedes convertible READ MORE: First jobs report since Iran war shocks Wall Street See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source By SADIE WHITELOCKS, US SENIOR REPORTER Updated: 15:25 EDT, 23 May 2026 e-mail 50 View comments --> -->
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Soaring gas costs spark bizarre hacks from desperate Americans as man digs pink Barbie car out of trash to replace Mercedes convertible | Daily Mail Online Home US Showbiz TV Sports US Politics Royals News Crime Desk Lifestyle Money U.K. Buyline Games Latest Headlines Real Estate Cars Retirement My Profile Logout Login US Edition Privacy Policy Feedback Saturday, May 23rd 2026 1PM 54°F 4PM 54°F 5-Day Forecast Advertisement Soaring gas costs spark bizarre hacks from desperate Americans as man digs pink Barbie car out of trash to replace Mercedes convertible READ MORE: First jobs report since Iran war shocks Wall Street See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source By SADIE WHITELOCKS, US SENIOR REPORTER Updated: 15:25 EDT, 23 May 2026 e-mail 50 View comments --> --> --> A Georgia handyman's answer to soaring gas prices is turning heads everywhere he goes - because it involves driving a child-sized Barbie camper. Mali Hightower, 30, says he built the bizarre homemade vehicle after getting fed up with paying nearly $90 to fill up his aging Mercedes-Benz convertible. So he pulled a discarded pink Power Wheels Barbie Dream Camper out of the trash, fitted it with a two-gallon engine from an old power washer, and turned it into a miniature gas-saving commuter car. 'One pull of the cord and I'm gone,' Hightower said as he described using the tiny vehicle for grocery runs around Ellenwood. The handyman even installed a roof rack for groceries - though driving the tiny pink camper reportedly requires him to squeeze in with his knees practically at his ears while wearing a dirt-bike helmet. 'That's too much,' Hightower said of the cost of fueling his 1996 Mercedes. 'I drive this when I can.' His unusual solution comes as millions of Americans dramatically rethink how they travel as gas prices surge following turmoil in global oil markets. According to AAA, the national average price for regular gasoline climbed to $4.52 per gallon by May 18, up sharply from around $3 before conflict involving Iran disrupted energy markets. Mali Hightower's answer to soaring gas prices is turning heads everywhere he goes - because it involves driving a child-sized Barbie camper powered by a lawnmower engine Your browser does not support iframes. An April survey by Ipsos for The Washington Post and ABC News found 44 percent of Americans had already cut back on driving because of fuel costs. Across the country, drivers are increasingly ditching road trips, avoiding freeway gas stations, taking public transport - and even turning summer camp into a fuel-saving strategy. At Camp Farley in Mashpee, executive director Renee Tocci said high gas prices inspired her to market overnight camp as a way for parents to avoid endless summer driving. 'Here's a budgeting tip no one talks about: Send your kids to overnight camp,' one of the camp's social media posts joked. Tocci said the idea came after spending nearly $40 more than usual filling up her Buick Enclave.
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