And Then There Was $3700+ in Car Repairs | I've Paid For This Twice Already... http://www.paidtwice.com/2008/01/04/and-then-there-was-3700-in-car-repairs/#comment-10006 Amanda Mon, 07 Jan 2008 03:22:52 +0000 http://www.paidtwice.com/2008/01/04/and-then-there-was-3700-in-car-repairs/#comment-10006 I feel the pain :( My husband's car died right after we spent our entire emergency fund fixing it. After the screaming, crying, ranting, and raving, we sat down and thought about it. We'd had 4 used cars die (and by die I mean, stopped running and would require more than $2K in repairs) in under 3 years. The problem is that, around here, used car dealers only take cash/checks. NO financing, no credit cards. That's why we were always getting beaters in the first place -- it was all we could afford! And, technically, we had borrowed the $$ to fix it from my in-laws -- couldn't borrow any more from them, and my parents were in straits of their own, so even if I could bend my neck enough to accept more money, there WAS no more money.We had literally no money saved after fixing it the last time. So we got a new car. New-new, and we sucked it up and added to our debt because of it. I got the cheapest car with the best mpg possible and I'll be paying it off for 4 years (min) or 6 years (max). And I LOVE it. The car is beyond reliable, and the deals that come with new cars involve the dealership fixing any problems for the entire 6 years of the loan. I used to worry getting into my used cars. I've had cars die on the parkway and literally get me stuck in a middle lane with cars swerving around me doing 70. I had smoke POUR out of my engine suddenly in the middle of a parkway. Now.... I don't worry anymore. And the emotional freedom is worth the debt to me :) I feel the pain :( My husband’s car died right after we spent our entire emergency fund fixing it. After the screaming, crying, ranting, and raving, we sat down and thought about it. We’d had 4 used cars die (and by die I mean, stopped running and would require more than $2K in repairs) in under 3 years. The problem is that, around here, used car dealers only take cash/checks. NO financing, no credit cards. That’s why we were always getting beaters in the first place — it was all we could afford! And, technically, we had borrowed the $$ to fix it from my in-laws — couldn’t borrow any more from them, and my parents were in straits of their own, so even if I could bend my neck enough to accept more money, there WAS no more money.We had literally no money saved after fixing it the last time.

So we got a new car. New-new, and we sucked it up and added to our debt because of it. I got the cheapest car with the best mpg possible and I’ll be paying it off for 4 years (min) or 6 years (max).

And I LOVE it. The car is beyond reliable, and the deals that come with new cars involve the dealership fixing any problems for the entire 6 years of the loan. I used to worry getting into my used cars. I’ve had cars die on the parkway and literally get me stuck in a middle lane with cars swerving around me doing 70. I had smoke POUR out of my engine suddenly in the middle of a parkway. Now…. I don’t worry anymore. And the emotional freedom is worth the debt to me :)

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