I am 29 and half years old, and what I know to be true above all else is that life is unpredictable. 2019 was certainly a year of unpredictability for me. I began 2019 living and working in rural New York as a Program Manager for an outdoor education program. In February, I made the plunge and financed my first car. I had done research, looked for the best deals in my area, and finally decided on a 2016 Nissan Rogue.
Now here is where I got impatient. Instead of budgeting better and trying to save a couple thousands dollars for a down payment,
I ran in there with about $950 and walked out with a $10,000 car loan at the highest interest rate. #rookie
But I drove off the lot feeling like a big shot. I had a beautiful, practically brand new, midsize SUV whom I would later affectionately name "Jef" (because the license plate I got began with J-E-F).
I will be honest, from that moment forward, Jef always felt too good to be true. I had never driven a vehicle in such pristine condition. Leather seats, back up camera, even fancy blue interior lighting instead of the standard bulbs. I left the dealership feeling a bit smug but also trepidatious. Had I really just drained my checking account AND shackled myself to a $10,000+ car loan?!
To make a sad story short, of the 8 months or so that I had Jef, I only really got to drive him for about 3.5 of those months. I dodged a deer but still managed to do $3,000 worth of damage in March, then Jeff stayed with friends in Virginia while I went to Arizona from April-July. When we were finally reunited in mid July, Jef and I had a lovely few months together. Enjoying the winding rural roads of midstate NY, watching the trees change from summer green to the limitless hues of northeastern falls when...BAAAAAMMMM!
Another driver crossed the double lines on a curve and plowed right into me. We were both going about 55mph and I had just enough time before she hit me to brace myself. Thankfully we were both wearing seatbelts and neither of us walked away with serious injuries. But then a battle between insurance companies and worker's compensation ensued and by the end of it all, I was left with no car, $1,500 owed on my loan, and 5 weeks of physical therapy/chiropractic adjustments for a no fault accident.
Fast forward to May 2020. I'm living in Stillwater Oklahoma for the first time since high school. I made it through the winter by the good graces of a dear friend who opened her home and car doors to me. But the time was overdue for me to have my own wheels.
I didn't want to make a similar mistake of shackling myself to a loan. Specifically during a time of such financial uncertainty. So I started saving and with the help of some delayed unemployment money, I was finally able to walk into dealership and walk out with a fully paid off 2012 Chevy Cruze.
He/she/they have yet to be named, and although not my ideal vehicle (I'm an SUV girl at heart), this cute little Cruze is all mine and is the first vehicle I've ever paid for completely out of my own pocket. It gets outstanding gas mileage, the blue really brings out my eyes, and I've never squeezed into small parking spots with such ease!
Although not my forever car, (what car ever is???) this one will do fine for now. As with all my previous vehicles: the Taurvette, Sunshine, Bessie, Sandy, and Jef...This one will be named when the mood strikes and the fit feels right. All I know is that after many months of not having the freedom of my own transportation, I still feel a bit giddy when I open my driver's side door.
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