This morning, once again, I admired the shiny line of mini-vans snaking their way up to the front of my daughter's elementary school as I was dropping her off for kindergarten. And, once again, I crouched a little lower in my seat so as not to be seen by other hurried parents in my old, dilapidated vehicle. Fondly coined the junkmobile by my husband and I (and the neighbors as well, I'm sure), our worn Oldsmobile has gotten us around very well for the past few years. Besides the fact that it has run for 180,000 miles, and it's hard to distinguish if the trunk is made of rust or some kind of metal, it runs as good as new.

But this recurring scenario has me thinking. Why am I so embarrassed by what I can afford to drive? My car is paid off, and I have the title in my closet. I haven't paid interest expenses for monthly payments, in fact, my husband and I have saved more money this year than we have for a long time. Although we could probably afford a different vehicle, we will probably continue to drive this one until it officially goes to junkmobile heaven.

We all know that one of the best ways of saving money is to fix-up, clean, or improve what we already have instead of buying something else. But why do we have such a hard time being happy with what we have?

The next time I feel I need to make a new purchase, I am going to ask myself these three questions:

1. Is this a need or a want? There's a big difference. We may need a new couch. But, do we need the top-of-the-line, don't-sit-on-me, $2500 variety when we have two small children in our house? Probably not. Do we need a fourth t.v.? No. Do we need a second vehicle? It depends.

2. How long is this item going to last and what is it going to be used for? It may make sense to spend more for a higher-quality item that is going to be used frequently and for a long period of time. Money spent on antique bedroom furniture you plan to use for 20 years is better than money spent on a large vacation.

3. Is there any way I can spend less to fill the need I do have? Several months ago, we desperately needed a new couch. Our other one literally sagged to the floor in the middle (not to mention my toddler had cut a large hole in the cushion). The first place I looked for a couch was the consignment store in our small town. They'd had some beautiful furniture in the past, but after checking almost daily for several weeks, I was disappointed to learn the only thing available was one couch in a beautiful bright orange and gold velour fabric. After no better luck with the newspaper classifieds, we did finally visit new furniture stores. In the end, we bought the very bottom-of-the-line couch on display that my husband and I could comfortably agree on. Was it the highest-quality couch in the store? No. Was it the most attractive? No. But it fit our budget, we were able to pay for it with cash, and it made sense for the two small children who will be using it daily. When my children are grown, I'm sure I will consider higher-quality furniture because I know it will be well taken care of and will last longer (as long as the GRANDchildren don't take a pair of scissors to it).

So while I ponder these questions in regards to my worn Oldsmobile, I think I will run to the store to buy one of those bumper stickers that reads "Don't laugh. It's paid for." Maybe that will make me feel a little better.

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Starla is the founder of TightwadMoms.com, a site focused on helping mothers learn more about saving, budgeting, reducing debt, and earning from home. You can sign up for the bi-monthly newsletter by sending a blank email to tightwadmoms-subscribe@yahoogroups.com"