Car debt happens..

Doesn’t’ have to really, but it does. We buy what we can monthly afford but not what we can actually afford generally. Buying a car or a house is generally more than what you have in your back pocket so I understand that debt to a point. But all of us out there in our gargantuan payment mobiles.. why, oh why do we do it?

Regardless debt and its meaning has been dancing a dance in my head as of late. My wife and I are oh so close to paying off our little Audi. The Explorer we paid cash for, the Courier, duh paid for. But debt in and of itself is so, so hard to take (probably why we only have a car and house payment).. Its literally like going up to the counter with a $4 product and when the cashier says, “that’ll be four bucks” you say “ How bout I give ya $6.50, is that ok?” Its nonsense.

My ramblings bring me to our next car purchase. Since we have a baby on the way we are planning a car purchase two years from now.. that will put the Audi close to my main car mile limit of 150k miles, meaning time again for another timing belt, tires, brakes etc.. So it will become the second car and we will replace it with a newer fresher used family hauler. Most likely, another A4 (Wife is an Audi girl, I want a Merc darn it!). But when it comes time for purchase we are going cold hard cash. Non of the me calling the bank and saying give me money and them saying, we love you. Nope we are cash only from now on. Which may mean we don’t’ get a new A4 but we can get a gently used A4 for the amount of cash we are projected to have saved up in one of the accounts by then.. and if it isn’t A4 amount of money, then its Mazda or Ford money.. we are basically getting what we can afford when the time comes. Odd concept I know.

You don’t’ have to sacrifice to have what you want. And honestly sacrificing a check for a car is better than the monthly sacrifice of hundreds of bucks for…. A car. I admire the people that have it all, but look as normal as the rest of us. Some of the wealthiest people I know drive regular ole cars to their 13000 sq ft homes. I am getting the picture, now that I am on the brink of full blown father hood, that it is actually about making sure my little daughter can go to the right schools, travel and live life comfortably and not wish she could go on a mission trip, a camp out, or to a certain school just because daddy had to have the newest, fastest prettiest car.. Good thing for her is I have had them, I have jumped out of planes and done it all in high gear.. Now its her turn to steal my heart.

Come soon little Anabella, daddy is waiting to spoil you.