6.19.2008

I need your advice!

Warning: The following post is just dribble about my boring unacomplished life.

It is dead! My beloved car is dead. I was the proud owner of a 2003 Toyota Matrix and now I am just a bitter owner of a 5 yr old piece of junk and I find myself needing to resist my urge to call Toyota customer service and tell them what they can do with my car and where they can shove it and how (with a slight twist to the left, thank you).

Because I don't know all the technical babble about car parts it will be sufficent to say that the engine is beyond broken and I need a new one. A fresh brand new engine with Labor is a pretty penny to the tune of$6,700. Thankfully, very thankfully my dirty construction worker of a husband's cousin convinced his dad (did you get all that?), who is a mechanic to take my car on as a side project and do it for a wonderful price. Which is pretty awesome considering the amount of money we will be saving. We owe them.

So, here is the delimma. I own my car free and clear, nothing is under warranty anymore and right now is the right time to sell the car if we are going to do it and buy another car. We are not kidding ourselves and thinking that it is financially the best option. But before our lives get tied up with a mortage, a sweet little baby and everything that comes with the two is now the time to get ourselves into a new car and exercise the impulsiveness that is characteric of our age? Our rational brains and our 23 year old brains are having a hard time hashing out this decision. So, what would you do? Would you sell your old car, put a decent deposit down and suck it up with car payments for the next three years or would you keep the old car, save like a mad couple and get going on your dreams of owning a cute warm home and having that child? How do you integrate the young and implusive with the reason and rationality of being an adult?

More importantly, how do you resist the urge to zip around in one of these? Hey, it gets good gas mileage......


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Ella,

Ah the mini cooper so cute and I'd love to own on too! But if your going to get a new car just remember its a car your going to have for a long time through the baby and house buying, so make sure you get something that is cut but will also be practical in a few years when you do have a baby.

I still say be like me and get a sports corolla, good gas mileage, nice curves, and backseats for a baby!

Beth said...

Ella,
You just crack me up! I'm sorry your car died. I remember when you got that car. Wow that was five years ago? Time just goes so fast. Well I have an 03 Jetta and besides having to put brakes on it just last week it's been a great car. Soon I think I may up grade to the new 1 series BMW. Just saving my pennies for it! If I were you I'd get the car fixed and trade her in. Good luck. Beth

Anonymous said...

Ella,

Whatever you do, expect the unexpected and plan for car seats. I bought a Mazda two years ago and LOVED that car. We used it as our commuting car because it got great mileage. Then I got knocked up with twins and the carseats wouldn't fit. We had to trade it in last week on a lame family-friendly car. That hurt my soul in a big way-- it was like taking my dog to the humane society. And now I'm slightly resentful of the new car.

Best of luck!
-Bec (lorax)