I made a very exciting and scary purchase this past Saturday, as I referenced in my post earlier this week.
Exciting because I have had the same car for eight years.
Scary because I have been so blessed to never have had a car payment. In my whole life.
I got my car from my dad when I was 17 years old. It was four or five years old when I got it, but I thought I was the coolest kid in school.
My beloved Plymouth Neon has been through so much with me. Through the end of my high school years. Through my first (and only other) relationship. Driving hours upon hours as a part of a “business team.” Driving my first year to a school an hour away. Traveling to see Dave (the BF) when he was working out of town. I’ve had many an epiphany driving in the Neon!
I lovingly called the Neon “Frankencar” at the end of its life. Three years ago it had to have the engine and timing belt replaced. Then a year later during a terrible Nebraska winter, I was pulling out of a parking lot and couldn’t see past a 30 foot mound of snow and got into my first accident. Thankfully the bumper was the only thing that took a hit and Dave (the BF) and his dad were able to fix it with wire and duct tape.
Good ol’ Frankencar.
The air conditioning also broke a few years back. It would be $1500-2000 to fix it..more than I was willing to pay for such an old car. Then the amazing mechanics at my car shop figured out that we could actually just fill it up with freon a couple of times each summer and it would work! They did it without charging labor after the second year. 🙂
But this summer, the freon in the neon wasn’t working anymore. Let me tell you, in the 100+ degree heatwave, I was not a happy camper.
I am also going to be attending school (for Dietetics) in a university an hour away (or about 60 miles…Nebraskans talk in time rather than miles lol) from my home, 3 days a week. That’s a lot of driving for a 12 year old car with 160,000 miles on it!
It was time. Time to get a new car. *sigh*
Although it’s a great feeling to have a new and safe car (with A/C!!!), I keep getting anxious about the extra money I will be spending each month on a car payment AND insurance. Not to mention the fact that I hate the idea of going further into debt.
This thought process has then spiraled very negatively. It goes a little something like this….
—–I don’t want to live at home with my dad, but I have to now. I can’t afford to move out. I am 25 years old. I want to be independent. If I was married, I wouldn’t have to live at home. Why am I not married?? If I get married to Dave, we might have to move out of Nebraska. What about my schooling? How can I commit to anything here when I don’t know where I will be in a year or two? How the heck am I going to pay for a car when all I will have time for is school??——
I find that if this spiraling starts…it goes somewhere where it shouldn’t go.
Many of these thoughts are simply not useful. I am working on thinking about this time in my life in a more positive light. Like Peter Pan I will think happy thoughts.
If my thoughts aren’t constructive, they are destructive.
I am working on being happy when I walk into the garage and see my shiny new car (seriously what is wrong with me?). I am working on appreciating the freshness, the newness, the safeness. 
There’s also a cool dealio where I can hook up my ipod to listen to in my car! Perfect for the six hours a week I will be driving to and from school in the fall!
My dad has helped with loaning me money interest free for paying for some of the car. I am so blessed to have a financially stable father! He’s not rich by any means, but he is amazing with his money. He was also the one who went with me to find this lovely new car. I appreciate him so much!
Oh and having A/C!! Holy moly does that help out with everything! I was living my life according to what the weather was like and felt trapped in my house during the hot parts of the day. I didn’t even want to make the trek to the gym because I knew that my car would be baking in the sun and it would be super gross to get into after already being sweaty.
Yay for going back to the gym!!
Not only does the downward thought spiral affect my attitude on life, it is also blatantly disregarding the fact that God is in control. He’s got it. I don’t need to worry as much as I do.
Let’s have a little faith and think positive and constructive thoughts together friends!
Have a wonderful, worry-free night all! (or at least try!)
Is there something that you are worrying about? Is the worrying constructive or destructive?
P.S. The results of my Chobani Greek Yogurt giveaway are here! Congrats to Leslie for being lucky number 98! 🙂
