I just wrote the check to pay off my car

[skygazer]

:bounce: :party: :bounce:

I am 47 years old and this was the first new car I've ever had.

I bought it after spending over ten years repairing the credit my ex-husband destroyed.

I bought it myself after years of being dependant on said ex.

I bought it after years of living poor and driving wrecks, having no insurance and half the time no registration.

Every month when I wrote the check for the payment, it felt good.

And writing this last one feels SOOOOOOOOOOO good.


YIPPEE!!!!!!!!! :bounce:

[DarkTirade]

1. It's probably cheaper to pay the extra money for a decent car

than it is to pay the extra insurance and repairs over the time spent owning an older car.

[skygazer]

2. Sure, if you can get financed

That's the trap poor people get stuck in. They can't get financed for a new car so they have to buy a wreck for a couple of hundred dollars. They can scrape up the fifty bucks here and the hundred bucks there to keep it duct taped together but its not dependable and breaks down, leaving them unable to get to work which affects their credit and makes it that much harder to get financed.

I've ridden that roller coaster - it's very difficult to get off.

[DarkTirade]

3. Ay, there's the rub.

[LeftyMom]

7. Depends on the car.

I spent $2400 on my car when it was five years old. It's ten now, and in that time I've put 60,000 miles on it and spent maybe $1500 on repairs and upkeep for stuff like tires, etc. Insurance runs me a whopping $400/yr, which is crazy cheap for this part of California.

Driving a comparable new car off the lot would have cost $20,000 or more, and a new car would cost loads more for insurance because I'd need comprehensive, plus extra to pay the car off if it's totaled while I'm still making payments. And by the time I got it paid off I'd have a five year old car worth not much more than my ten year old one.

Used is way cheaper as long as you're picky about what you buy, do your research before you start looking, only look at cars you can afford and get a really good mechanic to inspect the car before you get attached to it or commit to buy.

[DarkTirade]

14. Oh, I'm not saying you have to buy new

your best bet is to find a recent but used car, IMO.

Even better if it's still under warrantee when you get it. :)

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. Sweet

[SallyMander]

5. Congrats!

What kind of car is it?

:toast:

[skygazer]

10. It's a silly-looking little thing

A Chevy Aveo. I paid all of $9995 for it, bought it in Vermont when I went back for a visit and drove it home to California. I drove 8000 miles across the country and back in it summer before last, it's comfortable, has a lot more room than it looks (6' husband and lots of stuff fit easily) gets close to 35 mpg highway and about 28 city.

Haven't had a single, solitary problem with it.

[Catshrink]

11. Cute!

They are nice little cars.

[SallyMander]

13. I think they're adorable

And good gas mileage!

My fiance was looking up the storage room in those recently, because we have an acquaintance who bought an SUV for NO reason... anyway, the Aveos are way bigger than they seem!

:hi:

[Catshrink]

6. Congratuations!

Enjoy your ride!

:bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast:

[hippywife]

8. Many congrats!

It does feel good doesn't it? So glad you were able to get your life back on track! :hug:

[leftofthedial]

9. Congratulations!

Now you can start writing checks to pay for fixing your old car.

[KG]

12. it's a good feeling. i just paid off my truck. and for the first time in 20 years i dont have

a car payment! :hi: