Monday, December 27, 2010

Merry Christmas To Me!

After years of dreaming, months of debating, and weeks of researching, I finally did it.  I bought the car of my dreams!



Now, I must admit, my "dream" was quite practical and reasonable.  No luxury sports car for me.  I had always wanted a Honda CR-V.  I'd been talked out of it twice when car shopping in the past.  This time though, I was determined to get a car that I wanted, not just one that I rushed into out of necessity or settled for to avoid conflict or additional effort.  No more!

Much went into the final decision:

Pros:
  1. This was the car I wanted. 
  2. I hated the car I was in.  It made an awful squealing sound that no mechanic seemed to be able to fix.  Oh, and #2 below...
  3. Honda will last forever and retain value throughout its life
  4. It fits my current needs and will also adapt to future needs (kids, namely)
  5. I can afford the payments and have fewer financial obligations at this time, which means I will be able to pay it off prior to those future responsibilities (kids, again!)
Cons:
  1. I had not built up much equity in my last vehicle, mostly due to short term of ownership
  2. The car had lost much of its value due to recall (Toyota...one week after purchase!  Argggh...)
  3. Though I could afford the new payment, it would still be a 30% increase from my current bill.
Thankfully, my husband supported me in my decision and we worked together to look at it from every angle.  We were confident and knowledgeable walking in, which led to happy new car owners walking out!

Even Ziggy is happy with the roomier ride and we've bought him a soft seat to protect our interior make him even more comfortable!
(Note:  This is not Ziggy, just the dog pictured on Amazon)


I love experiencing the realization of a dream and I look forward to the many years we'll enjoy with our Honda!