When to Buy a New Car
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Everyone has that one story- that one horror story of the time when they went through whatever awful experience that they did when it was time to buy a car. In many cases, the first car that you purchase can make or break you in terms of overall cost and the effect that it has on your life. For instance, my brother’s girlfriend lived in Manhattan for a while where it was almost impractical for her to own a car. Not only was everything that she needed pretty much within walking distance, but having a car would have been a hassle because she would have had to pay a lot of money in order to park it in one of the paid parking garages, and then when she wanted to drive it around Manhattan, she would have had to battle the horrendous traffic.
On the other hand, for most other people, having a car is almost a necessity. With the average person working at least twenty miles away from their home, having a car makes sense. Additionally, while there are many out there who are willing to hoof it to work or ride a bike to work, owning a car still makes sense because of the convenience and privacy it affords- not to mention the fact that if the weather is bad outside, you can take comfort in knowing that you have a shelter over your head as you are driving to work. Think about how awful it would be to have to ride a bike to work when it is freezing outside or if it is pouring OR if it is thundering and lightning outside!
Sure, there are those who claim that they can take mass transportation no matter where they live in the United States, but would it really make sense to take mass transportation in a rurally town where there are no traffic lights and your nearest neighbor is miles away? The clue that it is time to buy a new car is different for different people. For some, they get bored with their current vehicle- it’s akin to buying a new outfit or keeping up with what is in season. Meanwhile, for others, it is far more practical. Perhaps they have had so many mechanical issues with their current vehicle that the cost to keep it now outweighs what they would pay to own another vehicle.
Whatever the case may be, you need to decide for yourself when the time is right to purchase a new car. For me, the time is rapidly approaching to purchase a new car as my current car has been giving me problems from the day that I purchased it brand new a couple of years ago. Additionally, because I travel a lot to visit family and also because of the fact that the area I live in requires quite a bit of driving to do shopping/entertainment, etc. I have found that I am still spending somewhere around $400 a month on gasoline! Therefore, when you buy a new car, make sure that you are looking for something that will fit into your lifestyle seamlessly.