You'll be glad to hear that I think I've said everything I have to say about the ordeal of buying my new car. In recent years, this blog has become my therapist as much as anything else. It's cathartic to write this stuff down, even if it's not very interesting to read.
One final observation about buying a car though... something that always astounds me when I come to do it... is just how much of an investment it is, and how much more other people pay. I shelled out about 8K for this particular five year old vehicle, and for that I'll be paying the bank back for the next five years. And yet, all around me on the motorway, every day, I see thousands of people driving much bigger, much newer, much more expensive vehicles. It's not that I envy them. I'm happy with what I've got (and I'd have been happier still to keep the old one without any further expense), and I realise some people prioritise flash and luxury and speed and gadgets far more than I do. But how do they all afford it?
I receive a relatively decent wage as a teacher. I'm aware there are people out there who earn a damned sight more than I do... but there's also a lot who get paid far less. And yet, so many of them are off buying new cars, or huge 4x4s or, or evil, evil Audis... even Porsches, which used to be the extreme example of a prestige badge, now seem to be everywhere. I just don't get where the money comes from.
Then again, most of them probably aren't buying CDs any more. Maybe that's it.
That's Pete Seeger at the top of the page. Here's a song of his about old cars... in simpler times.
Lease cars, company cars, cars on the never never...
ReplyDeleteSpeaking as someone whose car is 11yrs old and has 160,000 on the clock, I've often thought the same - how do they do it?
Love that pic of Pete Seeger, looks like one of my old art tutors.
ReplyDeleteI'm another one who reels at the price - and size - of so many vehicles now. No idea how (or why) anyone buys them. I'd have my classic 1969 Triumph Herald back in a heartbeat if I could, but I'd be scared to take her out amid the road bullies in their new 4x4s.
Glad you got yours sorted, and with a CD player too.
As you might have guessed I have a spreadsheet! The lifestyle we have chosen doesn't involve fancy cars so over the years I've tried to perfect the most cost effective way of replacing them. In our 30 years together we've only had six cars and just once had to have a second tiny car when we both worked out of the house. Our best buy was a 4 year old Honda Civic that had really low mileage - We kept it for 10 years.
ReplyDeleteAs for the flashy cars on the road, our mums and dads were of the generation who thought someone must be 'doing really well' if they had a brand new high end model. They admired us for our choices but by the same token, the family member with the flashy car was always looked up to more, although we knew it was, as Martin said, bought on the Never Never,
Lovely song from Bob.
That would be Pete - dog
DeleteThat would be Pete - doh. Argh…
DeleteBlogger has changed how we leave comments and I’m finding it very tricky. I seem to now be anonymous too. Alyson
ReplyDelete