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Car situation
Topic Started: April 25 2009, 11:29 AM (75 Views)
rach679

We've been with one car since febuary 2008 - for almost a year and half. We've done really well, saved a ton of money to put towards our credit cards. We've got about 3k on one and 6k on another, and our Honda has about 8k left. We'll have the 3k done by December, and the other card and car by June 2010. Even so, we have extra money left at the end of the month. We're debating between getting a second car or paying of the debt sooner.

Here's the catch with school though. Fall 2009 will be my last semester. I can not, no way no how, leave work before 6pm. I have classes 3 nights a week at 6:30. It takes me a half an hour to get to school and get a parking spot from our house. I work 10 minutes from our house. So its a good 40 minutes of driving and DH *NEVER* gets to my work before 6pm. Even so, it takes me at least 10 minutes to close down my classroom after all the kids leave. So I'm there until about 6:10-6:15pm. Which would give me 15 minutes to get Hailey and DH home, and me to school. Which just doesn't happen. No way, no how. Plus, DH is having more meetings at another building that is about 30 minutes from his job. So needless to say, having one car is slowly becoming a PITB, and logically speaking we can't freeze time - I can't be late to class - DH has to attend meetings, etc.
We're going to have extra money in July to use for a down payment, and in 2010 we already added a second car payment of $250, plus $30 extra in gas per week. We can make it work from July having the extra expenses as well. I was talking to my dad the other day, and he asked how we were doing with one car. He said he wants to give a down payment for a car (without mentioning my school schedule, etc. Dad said, "I haven't given you guys any money in awhile, so I want to do something for you."). We certainly don't plan to go all out and get something "over the top" as far as cars, but I don't think DH will go for a used car (Even though that would be our best bet for a low payment, and low loan amount).

I'm really conflicted because the money is "there." We really will struggle next semester with transportation. We are struggling already with transportation, and its only going to get worse. I feel like we've done a great job buckling down and getting our budget straight. We still have some issues, and we really need to sit down sometime and tweek and get back into the communication aspect of budgeting. I know having a second car would be a total convince, but also a sanity saver. We're on the fence, completely. So any thoughts considerations, etc are appreciated. WE've looked into public transportation for DH, but he wont do it. Mainly b/c of his meeting schedules at the other building.
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MissAngi
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I say buy a used car with a very small payment. If DH wont drive it then you drive it. Dont get sucked into a "new car" payment! not until your debt is paid off. You have ALOT of debt for where you are in life. That should be your priority. Nice new cars will come later once you pay off the debt! Consequence for the spending on the cards. Yaknow? Think of all the interest and everything on those cards. If you wait longer to pay them off you'll be losing money by the bucket fulls. if DH fusses tell him to be a man not a boy! :lol: :lol:
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Mommy2Brendan

i totally agree take care of the debits first and if you have cabbie thing they work well depending on where you live .

I don't drive and I use the cab wit me & brendan all the time.

But for now when brendan gets to be 6 yr old if we want to head to town together which would be only a 'saturday' choice unless they get the more busses/drivers to ride up in the heights to pick up from lake elmo around the same time they do on weekends.

Otherwise we may have to just decide to 'walk from main street to our area back home or from the behind wendy's lot .

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MissAngi
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I think its awesome you can take a cab everywhere!! I bet it saves you a lot of money not having a carpayment. I give people who can survive without the things most people feel they "need" a lot of credit!! You really are inspirational to other single mommas!! *hugs*
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rach679

I really just want to get a used car. I think we'll have to find a mechanic friend to tag along though. I think that is what scares DH about buying a used car. He automatically sees recent year models (2005 to now) with 80k+ miles and thinks "oh there has got to be something wrong with it." Well hello, thats why you get a warranty and check it out first by a 3rd party mechanic. Ok rant over. I have no issues driving a used car, DH has an issue with Hailey in a used car because you know Hailey will just get hurt in a used car (laugh here).

I talked more to DH about what he wants to buy and nothing is under 12k, but you can go to carmax and get something around 10k that would get around from point A to point B. Which is all we need right now.
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MissAngi
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You need to just shop around. not all used cars are bad. Just like not all NEW cars are good!!! You can buy a new car fresh off the lot and it could have more problems than you can imagine! it happens.

Your Honda is now technically a used car. Ask him if he'd buy that car if it was sitting in a dealers lot. If he says no then ask him if he feels Haileys life is in danger driving around in the car. Obviously he doesnt think that or you wouldnt be driving her around.

if you ask me, Jeremiah is a big a$$ baby!!!!

Do you research. Find cars that have a good track record. Toyotas for instance are GREAT used cars because they dont break down over time like other cars. And they consistently run at much higher mileage! They cost more used too and are harder to find just because of this reason! That alone says alot! I'm pretty sure Honda has a good track record too. Maybe you can try to find what you have now, just used. You like your car, its been good to you. Find a car with only one previous owner. Check the CarFax report for anything major. Most dealerships will give you a carfax for free. If they dont demand it! If they still dont tell them you are going to a different dealer because they are being sneaky! ;-)
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Mommy2Brendan

Thanks Angi! I even lug are car seat around which is now a booster seat and he's still in the harness until he gets above the slots . It may seem to be nuts but I really prefer the cab compared to busses .

A few ask why do you want to spend 40 bucks on a cab round trip carrying a big car seat when you can pay less than 2 dollars to get you and your boy to a mall if you rode a bus plus you have nothing to carry.

I tell them 1. Shorter time amounts to get there which would you chose sitting on a nice soft cushion seat for 15-30 minutes or a hard bench type bus for a whole hour one way.

2. Your not worried about being in a rush to get back home when you use a cab - which runs 24 hrs a day . You can see a movie matinee weekdays/weekends which if you rode a bus you would have to wait until saturday to see a matinee then 'run up there to catch the very last bus that would take you home .

3. You are more likely only surrounded by the cabbie driver very rarely extra passengers which would only be 2 extra people.

4. Also, there is a Sex Offender who rides around the bus all the time so I will proably be ending up doing double payment on Weekends for my boy & me outings when he gets 6 yrs old .

5. The taxi ppl are much more politer if you get the good ones they will recommend good ones and say to stay away from these etc



I totally agree "new cars' are not always the safe option even sometimes some car salesman which I have seen News Report that was just recently here about 8 wks ago are liars and thieves. These people were selling stolen cars it was on our newstation should find that full link but after 4 wks .


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rach679

Thats a good point - about our car now is well "used." We are certainly thinking Honda or Toyota. My grandma has about 200k miles on her Honda Civic (she's had it since I was very very little - she's had the car as long as I can remember). I'm certainly not brand loyal, but prefer those names over Kia or something. Kia's are all over CarMax etc, and the ratings are not that great. We will see what happens with this. We're playing by ear. They are having some staff changes at DH's work - so if he gets a promotion we should be able to do a second car no problems.
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MissAngi
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OLD kias arent that great. But new kias are pretty good. They have improved dramatically over the past 10 years! When Kia first hit the market they were very poor quality and did not run well for more than a couple years. That is not the case anymore. I actually strongly considered Kia a couple years ago when car shopping. Even test drove some. So you will see a TON of older kias on carfinder and such... but not as many newer ones. Although they still dont even compare to Toyota! Even though they try to compare themselves, different leagues!

Now if this is going to be DH's car... what about looking into one of those ultra compact smart cars? The little tiny ones that go like 60 miles per gallon. They only seat a couple comfortably, but they kick butt on gas milage! And they only cost a few thousand dollars!!! If its just DH's work to and from vehicle... that might be an option! They do make 4 seat cars too, but they cost a little bit more.
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rach679

Ok - details. What is a smart car? You say small - how small? DH is tall, and has a hard time in our Honda as far as leg room. But if its only a few thousand then ya know.
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MissAngi
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Toyota has one, but its not as small and as cheap. http://www.toyota.com/yaris/


This is what I was really talking about though: http://solveclimate.com/blog/20090325/60-mpg-nano-worlds-cheapest-car-arrives-india
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rach679

We'll have to look into that. The price is in the range we want (12k or less, to get a projected $250 monthly payment or less)
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