Hello, Goodbye
Well, we did it; we finally bought a car. Phew! That was a long time coming. I think we (my husband and I) have talked about getting a new car since we got married, and that was in 2014. But we did it - I did it! - and it was one of my goals for January! See how long it takes me to DECIDE to do something?! I bet you are dying to hear the story, so here it goes...
I previously owned at 2003 Pontiac Vibe, which had been in my family for 15 years. It had 160K miles on it, but needed $3K+ worth of work in order to get registered again. The paint was chipping, the bumper and fender were being held on by zip ties, and it was so hazardous to drive. It was time. Shawn and I decided in November that we would buy a car by the end of February, which was when the Vibe would be no longer drive-able.
We decided a while ago that the car we really wanted was a brand new Toyota Highlander. But after long discussions and budget crunching, we thought it best to hold off on that dream, which was disheartening at first. As much as we wanted a new car, it was too much car for us right now and it was, unfortunately, not in the budget.
As we kept discussing our current situation and what we actually needed (versus what we wanted), we came to the conclusion that we needed a newer car, used, with low miles, that was a smidge bigger than our Honda Accord, and got good gas mileage. The Honda would become our "run around town car," and our newer car would be for for road trips and would one day become the "run around town car," when we upgraded in 5 or so years.
Now, what to get? What fits the bigger than an Accord, smaller than a Highlander mold? What was our max cost? What would be the max mileage? Where do we start looking? And where do we buy from?
We decided on a small SUV or a wagon, that was no higher than $22K, and that had less than 40K miles. We started looking online at dealerships around the area, but were not impressed with any of the options; too much money and/or too many miles. We finally decided to make a visit to CarMax, as recommended by a friend. When we went, we knew that that was where we were going to get our car. It was not like a normal car dealership; we were not bombarded the second we walked on the lot, no one harassed us into a test drive or purchase, and we could peruse as we pleased to figure out what we wanted. And thankfully that helped us narrow it down: Nissan Rogue or Subaru Outback.
Option 1: White 2015 Subaru Outback with 39K miles.
Option 2: Red 2017 Nissan Rogue with 3K miles.
Believe it or not, we went back and forth on this decision for a little while. We had really come to love the Outback, and they have amazing reviews; we were simply worried about the high mileage. But we loved the Rogue; plus it was newer and had lower mileage. Ugh! What to do?!
We went back and forth. Sat in both cars. Weighed pros and cons. Measured trunk space. Test drove. Priced out. Reviewed. Talked, talked, and talked some more. But we had to make a choice; we had to act. Ultimately we decided on the Nissan Rogue. My anxiety was off the charts. Was this the right choice? What if we change our minds? Can we afford it? I have to say goodbye to my Vibe!!! Can you say panic attack??
Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately), CarMax has this really cool deal where if you are not happy with your purchase (or have buyers remorse), you can return or exchange your car purchase within 5 business days. This is a wonderful option - but NOT so wonderful an option for someone who has a hard time settling in on decisions... But, Shawn and I talked about it each night after work, reviewed all of our requirements, and made sure it fit in our budget. So we decided to keep it!
It was so hard to say goodbye to the Vibe, I sobbed when they drove it away; but at least we were able to use it as a trade in to help with the down payment. What a blessing that car was. Thank you to my Dad for buying it 15 years ago, and thank you to my brother and his wife for passing it down to me.
And look! I made a decision on something! And I am happy with my choice and so happy for the new memories we get to make! I was able to work through my questions and anxiety and make a decision that was best for me and my family. Thanks for your patience, Shawn! And thanks for helping make this decision.
So, long story short, you can do it! You can make a hard choice. Balance out the pros and cons. Figure out what works best for you in your situation now. I challenge you to make a hard choice; something you have been putting off for a while because you just are not sure. Making a good decision is empowering! If you can do that, you can do anything.
@ayristocat
#FieldsBeTrippin
#ayristocat
#ayristotle
We decided a while ago that the car we really wanted was a brand new Toyota Highlander. But after long discussions and budget crunching, we thought it best to hold off on that dream, which was disheartening at first. As much as we wanted a new car, it was too much car for us right now and it was, unfortunately, not in the budget.
As we kept discussing our current situation and what we actually needed (versus what we wanted), we came to the conclusion that we needed a newer car, used, with low miles, that was a smidge bigger than our Honda Accord, and got good gas mileage. The Honda would become our "run around town car," and our newer car would be for for road trips and would one day become the "run around town car," when we upgraded in 5 or so years.Now, what to get? What fits the bigger than an Accord, smaller than a Highlander mold? What was our max cost? What would be the max mileage? Where do we start looking? And where do we buy from?
Option 1: White 2015 Subaru Outback with 39K miles.
Option 2: Red 2017 Nissan Rogue with 3K miles.
Believe it or not, we went back and forth on this decision for a little while. We had really come to love the Outback, and they have amazing reviews; we were simply worried about the high mileage. But we loved the Rogue; plus it was newer and had lower mileage. Ugh! What to do?!
Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately), CarMax has this really cool deal where if you are not happy with your purchase (or have buyers remorse), you can return or exchange your car purchase within 5 business days. This is a wonderful option - but NOT so wonderful an option for someone who has a hard time settling in on decisions... But, Shawn and I talked about it each night after work, reviewed all of our requirements, and made sure it fit in our budget. So we decided to keep it!
It was so hard to say goodbye to the Vibe, I sobbed when they drove it away; but at least we were able to use it as a trade in to help with the down payment. What a blessing that car was. Thank you to my Dad for buying it 15 years ago, and thank you to my brother and his wife for passing it down to me.And look! I made a decision on something! And I am happy with my choice and so happy for the new memories we get to make! I was able to work through my questions and anxiety and make a decision that was best for me and my family. Thanks for your patience, Shawn! And thanks for helping make this decision.
So, long story short, you can do it! You can make a hard choice. Balance out the pros and cons. Figure out what works best for you in your situation now. I challenge you to make a hard choice; something you have been putting off for a while because you just are not sure. Making a good decision is empowering! If you can do that, you can do anything.
@ayristocat
#FieldsBeTrippin
#ayristocat
#ayristotle
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