STUPID car rant!

**firefly615** · 01-23-2010, 12:17 PM

Please bear with me, I need a bit of a rant. I just spent another $450 to fix my STUPID car!!!

It seems like every month I am having to put our $300 or more to fix something on this car. I have a 2000 Volvo wagon so it should be a reliable car. But now that it's 10 years old something is always going wrong. I had $500 saved toward a family vacation this year and I had to take it all out to pay for the STUPID car!!

I hate to commit myself to a monthly car payment (I haven't had one in 25 years). My job is not secure so while I may be able to afford it today, it might push me over the edge tomorrow. I have to start saving for another car, but that's hard to do when I have to keep fixing this STUPID car!!

Can you tell how I really feel :-)

**dcompton** · 01-23-2010, 01:42 PM

That's a hard spot. I find it hard to know when I should give up on a car and just get another. It would be doubly hard in an uncertain job situation.

Your vent is fully justified. I hate messing with cars.

**Lady_V** · 01-23-2010, 01:51 PM

Hang in there!

We have a 1991 Volvo and last summer it spent more time in a garage than out... new this, new that... 500 here, 600 there

We thought about just ditching the car and looking for another used one, but it would just be trading one set of problems for another and at least we know what was wrong with this one.

We decided to fix the Volvo, and then we had it checked over by not one, not two but THREE mechanics and all three said the same thing.

Yes, we had to put some work in to the car, but it's 18 years old and it's sturdy as heck... even with the few things that needed to be replaced and asked if they would sell it if it was theirs, they said no because now that those things are fixed it's practically a new car under the hood.

**Ocean_Beach_Dweller** · 01-23-2010, 08:26 PM

I'm convinced cars are just huge money vacuums! It makes me sad when I think of all the money i've spent on cars, repairs, insurance etc. I guess it's a necessary evil though. Sounds like theres nothing left to break on it though so maybe you'll be good to go for many more years after this!

**Greebo** · 01-24-2010, 02:50 AM

You say it "seems" like every month you're pulling out $300 to fix something on the car.

I have a challenge for you - sit down and figure out exactly what you have spent on repairs and maintenance in 2009 on the car for real. Divide that by 12.

Now this year - set that much plus 10% aside EVERY MONTH for car repairs and maintenance. Don't touch the money except for car repairs.

Far, far too many people fall into the trap of having a car payment so they can have a "reliable" car - as if paying money on a car makes it reliable or safe - when the reality is if they set aside HALF the money that they'd pay on a car payment (national average is $400/month) or maintenance, they'd never be in a bind when repairs came up.