New Car

6-5-21

We got a new car. The Ford just isn’t safe anymore. To get the CV boot and the struts repaired it would’ve been $1200. And then there’s still engine problems. It sputters sometimes and will randomly shut off. Amelia and I ran to target to grab something and it shut off on its own as we drove in and out. That was a sign to get a new car.

Then, on the way to the CarMax we found out the Mazda we were looking at got sold, so that helped us narrow our choices. Then, as we were waiting to see the status of a Jeep we wanted to test, we found out that got sold, too. So our choice was narrowed to the one we tested last night: a Honda CR-V.

I test drove it and the rest is history. It was a long evening. I expected that, but it was still a lot. Marie and I put our names down for the co-signers, but she didn’t have proof of residence, so we switched to just me. It worked out in the end. With the both of us our APR was going to be 17.20% and the monthly payments at like $350. With just me, however, the APR dropped to 9.95% and the monthly payments down to $286.

Too, there was some upholstery damage inside, and Marie brought it up, so they’re going to repair it for free. Altogether we got insurance, we got a car, and we got peace of mind.

I am not stressed by the purchase. Normally big money decisions get to me. However, it got to the point where I knew it had to be done and that finality helped contextualize such a large investment. Knowing my family is safe, knowing we have a vehicle that can get us places safely, and knowing we were as thorough and professional as possible is a huge weight off my shoulders.

Now we just gotta fuck in it and the car will symbolically be ours, too.

-E.B.