I Don't Want Anymore Dang Debt!

**many houseapes** · 08-12-2011, 03:57 PM

Our beast that we drive (12passenger van) is the only vehicle that we own and its paid for. Anyway...the a/c has crapped out, its leaking steering wheel fluid (not too bad), the gas gauge is a little off, sometimes the "service engine soon" light will appear (computer glitch) and the paint has started to peel above the windshield & starting to get a little rust. Although dh tries to keep up w/the repairs himself, it seems like its one thing after another. Dh says that we need to get a newer beast. WHAT??!! The beast we have still gets us where we need to go & as long as we can keep it going, I'm okay w/keeping it. If we were to buy a newer vehicle, we would find ourselves in debt again (repairs are much cheaper)....something that we just can't deal with right now. GGrr.

**brenda67** · 08-12-2011, 04:17 PM

Originally Posted by many houseapes

Our beast that we drive (12passenger van) is the only vehicle that we own and its paid for. Anyway...the a/c has crapped out, its leaking steering wheel fluid (not too bad), the gas gauge is a little off, sometimes the "service engine soon" light will appear (computer glitch) and the paint has started to peel above the windshield & starting to get a little rust. Although dh tries to keep up w/the repairs himself, it seems like its one thing after another. Dh says that we need to get a newer beast. WHAT??!! The beast we have still gets us where we need to go & as long as we can keep it going, I'm okay w/keeping it. If we were to buy a newer vehicle, we would find ourselves in debt again (repairs are much cheaper)....something that we just can't deal with right now. GGrr.

HUGS..maybe that $7500 will be better off as a down payment for a newer vehicle rather than paying down your mortgage?

**craftypam** · 08-12-2011, 04:48 PM

I was in your position 2 years ago. Too many things were going wrong with my car; so we did go and buy a newer one and I do have new debt. IMHO at some point you have to weigh weather it is worth it to keep putting money into the older vehicle because just like you said its one thing after another. In our case one of the things wrong was the back windows would not stay up and I was reading online that people were fixing it at $300 a window and it was repeatedly happening.

**Telephus44** · 08-12-2011, 04:53 PM

While repairs may be a good idea now, the van still won't last forever. Now would be a good time to at least come up with a strategy for getting another vehicle, and start looking around at prices and stuff.

**Momto5RN** · 08-12-2011, 09:09 PM

are any of your older kids driving do they have their own vehicle ? do you need such a vehicle if they are ?

once i had 2 driving and i knew i needed something better gas wise and snow wise i got rid of my 7 passenger van

yes if we all are going to PA to see my mom or grandmom we now need 2 cars we take 2 cars to family parties but usually someone has to work or will want to leave early for some reason anyway

i figure in the long run its easier to take 2 cars than to pay the gas all the time on one large vehicle

and TBH the other benefit it came with was no longer being taken advantage of carpooling wise to kids stuff - teens to mall etc because i had a 7 seater so it was thought i was born to carpool

**Momto5RN** · 08-12-2011, 09:29 PM

when it comes to the point you are paying close to a car payment a month on something that isnt going to be around much longer sooner or later you really are not investing that money in a good way .
we did that in the end we would have been 6 months closer to paying the new one off .

I am neurotic with the cars my dh cant work with out his i cant work without mine and for safety reasons ( ex trauma nurse ) i will take on debt when i feel its a safety issue.

a 17 yo girl in our town about 10++ years ago needed her car worked on being 17 decided to drive on a highway to go to mall even though was told to stay on side roads u
ntil fixed just in case and the car malfunctioned she was killed in a horrible car accident - was hit - car was tossed around they ended up head on into oncoming traffic were ejected ( even with seatbelts ) and she died a horrible death no mother should even have to imagine. - girl with her was very bad off but survived

nice kid -wonderful family - one bad choice - broke the towns heart - it was horrible -

i say if the dh/ mechanic says its time - its time - - debt is better than death . can pay off debt -

sometimes i feel like people feel like they failed frugality if they take on a new debt - but sometimes things dont go as planned - its not being spendthrift to keep your family safe . keeping them save in a mercedes - well yeah thats spendthrift lol

**many houseapes** · 08-13-2011, 12:53 AM

Originally Posted by brenda67

HUGS..maybe that $7500 will be better off as a down payment for a newer vehicle rather than paying down your mortgage?

thought about that too....but what if dh loses his job in this economy? I wouldn't put my faith in unemployment checks.lol.

**many houseapes** · 08-13-2011, 01:08 AM

Originally Posted by Telephus44

While repairs may be a good idea now, the van still won't last forever. Now would be a good time to at least come up with a strategy for getting another vehicle, and start looking around at prices and stuff.

OMGosh...some of the prices we have seen have been the price of a small house(even used).ACK!.....dh & I were discussing this & we were thinking of downgrading to a 9 passenger "something" in a year or two....when a few more Houseapes have the funds for their own vehicles (right now its difficult for them too).....we live in "Hurricane Alley" & we have to consider the size of our vehicle when it comes to evacuating everyone ( + 2 huskies) if we need to outrun a storm. We have 1 HA so far that has her own car (& dh has a vehicle supplied by his work)....which will help in such a case right now. I know that the beast won't live forever...but right now, I think, she'll have to do with how she is.....maybe when it gets too much that we just can't stand her anymore....

**frugalwarrior2** · 08-13-2011, 10:59 PM

Thougths
air conditioning=falls here for the most part. Open the windows until snow

Fluid=THOUGHT I saw it at the $$ store. Watch levels carefully

Paint=oh well My paints flaking at this age too and I am not talking vehicles
My AWD light is on because the sensor is crapped

I do think a fund better be established for a new (to U) vehicle. Maybe you can replace it w/ a smaller bug out vehicle if you can string the 12 seater along KWIM?. How many driving age,moving out.going off to college?? And yes we have big dogs too so its a serious concern.

**many houseapes** · 08-13-2011, 11:38 PM

Originally Posted by frugalwarrior2

Thougths
air conditioning=falls here for the most part. Open the windows until snow

Fluid=THOUGHT I saw it at the $$ store. Watch levels carefully

Paint=oh well My paints flaking at this age too and I am not talking vehicles
My AWD light is on because the sensor is crapped

I do think a fund better be established for a new (to U) vehicle. Maybe you can replace it w/ a smaller bug out vehicle if you can string the 12 seater along KWIM?. How many driving age,moving out.going off to college?? And yes we have big dogs too so its a serious concern.

Exactly......
Deal w/ the a/c problem until tax refund in the spring...even though we live in s.texas...learning to acclemate isn't such a bad thing & can be done

Steering wheel fluid....been getting a good price at Walfart & its not leaking that bad.
Paint flaking/rust....really doesn't bother me what the beast looks like...she gets us where we need to go - she had a new motor a few years back that's warranteed for life.
"service engine soon" light....Computers are always flaking out.

we'll be putting some funds aside for another vehicle...but I'm sure the beast will hold up for a few more years despite her flaws....my uncle just informed us that he's friends w/ a car dealer in another state & could probably get us a good deal on another used van when we're ready. We've had the beast since 2003 (she was 4 yrs old when we got her), so I think she's held up pretty well for as long as we've had her