Ladies and Gentleman....I bought my first car.
For those of you who already knew this fun fact, please relive this reality with me. I've still been in shock about the whole ordeal.
Is this real life? Was it all a dream? Pinch me to make sure.
My Mother told me it was my first big girl purchase. My Dad was thoroughly impressed with my negotiation skills. I honestly could not be happier with the whole thing. I truly feel like I've won. Give me a month though, my opinion might change once that first bill comes. (Just kidding)
As happy as I am now, I could not believe how stressed out the whole thing made me. I didn't actually think I'd be buying a car right now. Yes, I was in the market but I thought I had about 3-6 months till it'd actually happen. When my father called me on a Friday and started telling me he'd visited a dealership, I realized this would be happening sooner than I thought.
Just a small side note...this push from my father was not out of line. I trust my Dad 100% when it comes to cars. He worked for General Motors for 31.5 years, he knows his way around them. He's also probably the most financially responsible person I know. His opinion mattered the most to me in this whole process. I knew he wouldn't steer me in the wrong direction, not just because he's my Dad, but because he's knowledgeable about the whole thing. He knew I was ready to take this step.
I met him that Friday afternoon and we went to look at some Used vehicles. I liked what I saw but I wanted to see what my options were on the New side too. Saturday the whole family joined me and in all honesty, I just became more confused than ever.
There were so many options to choose from that I had no idea what to pick. Everyone was giving their opinion, so many numbers were thrown at me, and I'm pretty sure my eyes rolled to the back of my head because I couldn't process it all. I actually cried on the way home. I had no idea what I was supposed to do. It felt like a huge decision and the last thing I wanted was to make the wrong choice. It's a lot of money we're talking about spending here.
Luckily, Josh was able to calm me down. He explained that it wasn't a matter of making the wrong choice. I'd be happy with whatever I got. It was just a matter of do I end up with the top of the line or one with a little less bells and whistles. Either way, I'd be getting the car I really wanted. It also wasn't my job to sell the car. The dealer is supposed to work for me and give me what I want. If they don't, there's no deal and I move on to the next.
I had my eye on the first Used one I looked at. The number of miles on it were in a range that I was comfortable with, but the price was a little high. The only thing I wasn't a fan of was the color. Color can grow on you though and worse come to worse, you repaint it. I decided that on Monday, Dad and I would go and talk to the dealer and see what came of it.
Two hours later and I was walking out with the keys to my new car. Yes, it's used but it's in brand new condition and it's new to me. It's exciting and a big step in life! Sure, there's car payments and my insurance will likely go up but I've worked really hard to be able to get to this point. Deciding to get a new car wasn't something I decided overnight. I'd been thinking about this for a good 2 years, the time just wasn't right before. I wasn't making enough money to where I'd be comfortable with the payments. I'd likely still be able to make them, but it'd keep my bank account pretty tight. Now I can make them, on top of my other expenses, and still have enough to go into savings and have fun every now and then.
I've learned a lot out of this whole process. Firstly, don't freak out and become overwhelmed. It's not worth it. Game plans are great and it's good to do your research but don't beat a dead horse by continually going over it. Also, if you're going to spend the money, get something you really like and want. Obviously I didn't need all the bells and whistles I got with this car, but boy oh boy have I been enjoying them. Heated seats first thing in the morning, Pandora right on the screen, keyless entry, great gas mileage.
Can you tell it's awesome?
Anyone wanna go for a drive? :)
