Sunday, October 5, 2014

Out of Order

I have a plan in my head.  Pay off the mortgage, fix up my property so I can live out there, sell my house, quit my job and find something part time.  The smaller details are movable, as needed or wanted.  One of those details was buying a replacement for my truck.  It is getting older, has 206,000 miles, and has acquired a few quirks like the door locks not working at random times.  I have been trying to figure out what my next car will be and how much it will cost.  Since I was going to wait until my truck died, buying the next car would be an emergency and I would most likely go to the used car dealer, Clyde Wanslee "Ugly But Honest", where my mother bought her car.  After looking at their inventory, I assumed I would have to pay $8K-$12K.  That would either drain my savings or put my mortgage plan on hold for a while.

Last week, a coworker brought his wife's car to work to meet a prospective buyer.  I didn't take much notice since I didn't even know what he was doing until after lunch.  The buyer didn't show up and I heard him complaining about people on craigslist so I asked about the car and what he was asking for it.  He said it was a PT Cruiser, 2002 with 92,000 miles and he was asking $3,000.  My ears perked up.  We went outside to look at it and I drove it around the block.  It didn't have everything that I was looking for in my next vehicle but 92K miles for $3,000 sounded too good to pass up, plus, I know he takes very good car of his cars (unlike me).  I told him I would let him know by the end of the day.  After researching the car and the blue book value, I decided to go for it.


The PT Cruiser's biggest flaws seem to be gas mileage, only 20 mpg, and lack of power.  My truck only got 17 mpg so I moved up a little.  They also depreciate like crazy but that is a plus for me at this point.  It seats 5 and has lot of cargo space with removable seats in the back which was at the top of my want list.

Comfortably fits 3 dogs.
Of course, I had to make sure my dogs fit.  I don't know if I can drive it to my property yet.  It rides really low to the ground so I will have to take the alternate way and I probably shouldn't try driving up my rocky driveway.  If I can get to the beginning of my driveway, that will suffice for now.  I plan to fix my driveway eventually but that can wait.  

I'm happy with my purchase even though replacing my truck wasn't urgent yet.  Hopefully, this car will last me a long time or at least until I find another deal that gets better gas mileage and is higher off the ground.  The final price I paid was $2,800.  I hate negotiating but I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask and he said yes.  My truck should sell for at least $1500.  If I use the $500 that I had left from September's mortgage money, that means I just need to find $800 from somewhere, either savings, mortgage money, or I need to sell more stuff.  I'll be getting the title and registration this week, maybe Wednesday.  Our new CEO is visiting Monday and Tuesday and I don't want to disappear to the motor vehicle department for who knows how long when he is here.  So much to do!  I don't want to have 2 auto's for very long.  Not only are they costing my money but they are cluttering up my driveway.  I need to simplify asap.    

   

6 comments:

thequiltingdoberman said...

I love the dog test! So cute. :)

Anonymous said...

Congrats on your new wheels! Have you considered keeping your truck? You have a lot of truck-worthy projects, and all that work on your property -- it'd be a shame to tear up your new-to-you car with all that rough stuff.

-Lee

Daizy said...

quiltingdoberman, I must admit, dog-space was my first thought and space for a crate since I don't want foster dogs wandering around the car especially before getting a bath. Some people need space for sports equipment, but I need dog-space!

Daizy said...

Well, Lee, I'm still considering it but I think I shouldn't keep it because I can rent a truck for cheaper than insurance + maintenance. I do want to clean up the property and haul the trash away before I sell it. Also, I've decided not to haul rock or dirt in it anymore because it does terrible things to the shocks. Next time I will get dirt delivered and save myself the trouble of unloading and clean up. I'm still trying to think of scenarios where I would need the truck such as bringing large items to my mother's house or going to the dump but I don't do that often.

Anonymous said...

Love the doggie test too. But if all three were the size of the big guy that might get tight in the back there.

So when you say you are thinking of selling your house do you mean your primary, your rental or both? Would that be enough to sustain you into early partial retirement / part time work?

-Tony

Daizy said...

Tony, the big one squeezed between the front seats and wanted a ride. I don't think the passenger seat is big enough.

I would like to sell my primary home and my rental but it depends on home prices. Either way, if I sell or I rent them both, I can support myself on my property with a part time job IF I choose a small alternative home like a shed-house.