Right now I’m reeling from a phone call I just got from the auto shop that is made all the more painful because we are currently a one car family.
Last fall, the air conditioning in our car stopped working. It hasn’t been a big deal as we haven’t really needed it, but we are certainly going to need it this summer, especially with a newborn. So we finally got it into the shop and they just called with the estimate of $2100. Frankly, are car is not a spring chicken and it just doesn’t seem worth putting that much money into. At the same time it’s perfectly drivable and it seems a sin to write it off just because the air-conditioning doesn’t work. However, no air-conditioning in a car makes it completely undrivable in Texas for 6 months out of the year.
Plus we still have about one more year of payments left on this car. I looked up its trade-in value and due to its condition it isn’t quite worth what we owe on it. Frustrating.
My husband has a work vehicle that he can use during his off work hours. In an attempt to cut out monthly costs so we could pay off some debt and get into a house sooner, which we’ve done, we ditched our second car about a year ago. We dumped the newer car for many reasons, but mainly because we owed on this one for less time and we figured once we got this one paid off we would look into becoming a two-car household again, because as a second vehicle the Jeep would be great to have around for several more years. It seemed like a sensible sacrifice for a little more financial solvency. However, this puts a whole new spin on things.
Since we don’t have the cash on hand, we are going to have to do a loan. Whatever car we get will need to be dependable enough to be our sole car for a while, since we are attempting to get out of debt and we don’t really see are income improving over the next year or two.
Right now my husband and I are just sitting on this. However, we are going to have to make a decision soon. Sometimes being a grown up really sucks!
UPDATE: Okay, we made a decision already. Both of us were thinking that it was six to one, half a dozen to the other. However, the car is at the shop and a decision needed to be made. As much as it hurts to pay that much for a car repair we decided to go for it and we are just hoping that it doesn't need any more major repairs between now and next April. It's a chance that I hope ends up worth it in the long run.
About Me
- Lora
- While I'm loving life in the Austin area, I mainly grew up in the Hudson Valley of New York. I’m a 38 year old INFP married to a very handy INTJ. We have a three year old that keeps life interesting and full of meaning, a little girl in the womb and a 9 year old puppy. I tend to take a Zen approach to life and, at least mentally, I’m always going off on one tangent or another. This really is just a hodge-podge of whatever’s on my mind at the moment with little rhyme or reason.
7 comments:
Being grown up *does* suck...in some ways. I hope it all works out.
I hate being a grown up! I refuse to be one!
Sorry about the car frustrations.
Just remember you have a choice. turn the canoe around or go over the falls. Make sure you have no emotional attachment to the car, and keep track of expenses. I think you made the right choice, as this should be a one time thing.
Cars should last for a long time these days, so you've probably made the right decision. ACs are problematic, I think, and not neccesarily indicative of a general decline. But you just never know.
Oh, how frustrating. I do hope the repair works and that you don't have any further problems. Cars can be such a drain. Even with the very cheap labour we have in Cyprus, it seems terrible to have to keep paying out on fuel, tax, insurance, oil changes, tyre changes, etc etc. But they're so useful...
Something to consider for the future, Lora, should the situation arise again. In some circumstances it's cheaper to use cabs than have a second car. When you factor in the car payments, insurance and maintenance costs versus how often you really need to use the vehicle...
Car troubles are always the worst cause they happen when you are least prepared. But then again, who is always prepared for trouble? :)
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