Y5 D63

Total just realized I forgot to do an entry this morning. I have been up for about two hours and have been doing so many things already that it slipped my mind. Sorry to those of you my adoring audience of like four...

So...

I bought a new car yesterday.

Mazda 6. 2014 with 20 miles on it. Liquid Silver. Every option known to man - heated seats, memory power seats, passenger power seats, blind spot detection, sun roof, fucking pandora interface on the radio. Why? Because I have been thinking about how much I was going to have to pay into my car over the remaining payments. I had 26 payments left. Roughly $13,000. Add to that repair work. What I didn't let on to anyone last week was how fucking scared I was all week driving to the client. The front tires were shot on that thing. I mean SHOT. Like I could see metal on the edges all the way around. It was at the point where I was putting air in the tires 3 times a week because they were going flat. Every bump I hit worried me I was about to have a blow out. Had I NOT done a deal yesterday, I would be at the tire store right now replacing both front tires. The rears were also cracked and ready to go, but I could have gone another two-three months. Note I said, months, not years. They were ready to explode as well. It was a matter of time. When I added $500-$600 to the fact that I also needed:

- Tune up ($350)
- Radiator flush ($200)
- Brakes ($500-$750)
- Air filter ($40)
- Interior repair (??)
- Exterior repair (??)

It started frustrating me. I was going to be spending upwards of $2000 - $3000 over the next year or two. Because of all this, I knew if I wanted a car, I had to make sure it financially made sense based on all of the above. I had to balance out the out of pocket for however much longer the lease or purchase would be against the 26 remaining payments plus wear and tear, insurance, and gas. I couldn't buy something I would hate, something dumb, or something over-priced. Long list of things which is why this wasn't an impulse decision.

About two weeks ago, B and I were out for a walk and we came across a car that I surprisingly liked. The new Mazda 6. As she put it - it looks like a car for a guy who has his shit together without looking like an old man car or a douchebag BMW/Mercedes kind of car. Score. I agreed with her 100%. I went back a few days later and test drove it. I liked it. It has everything I want in a car without being overpriced. Sticker? $30,000. I started running numbers against a lease and realized that even if I had to roll in money, I would be FINALLY right side up in 3 years.

I sent the sales guy a text giving him ALL the information I could about my current car, my finances, my credit, etc. I prepped him in advance that I wasn't sure we could do a deal. I also told him I was upside down. Full fucking disclosure. He didn't respond for a while after we went back and forth on a few questions. I was teaching all day again yesterday and I was exhausted as it was, but at about 2 he texted me back saying - "okay, here's what I can do. I need to appraise your car, but I think I can do a lease with payments in this range, etc. Do you want it?" Yes. Yes I do. We went down there about 3 and by 6 I was driving home in a new car. Best part? I got the full service plan on it. For the next 39 months I have to do nothing but put in gas. NOTHING OUT OF POCKET. I have never had that. I am actually excited about that part. I know it's dumb, but it excites me. For the next 3 years I make payments and that is it. The addition of 13 payments to what I was already paying, is about $2000 more than the cost of keeping my old car based on expected costs, but that's $2000 for an ADDITIONAL YEAR of ownership. And at the end? I will FINALLY be clean and clear.

On a more emotional side? That was like the last vestige of my 'life down there'. This is now mine and B's car. This is the car we will make memories in for the next three years. Disney trips. Trips to the store. Whatever. This is our car. She doesn't like me saying that because she isn't contributing to it, but it is.

Next on the list? Dealing with the kid and her car situation. I think I have a solution on that too. More to come there.

So what else? After the car we all went to a friend's birthday party. A tiki kiki - which was fun. I was seriously dead on my feet from training and from dealing with the car so we stayed until about 10:30 and then headed home. Crashed out before midnight.

Add one more day to the list. I also think I did the right thing in the long run with the car. It's nice to make good decisions for once.