If it’s broke, don’t fix it

My car mechanic had “the conversation” with me a couple of days ago.  It goes something like this: Your 16 year old car needs lots of expensive work done.  And given its age, you can expect even more will need to be done.  Get rid of it and buy another vehicle.”

He’s right, but the news sucks.  The immediate repair bill alone would cost more than the value of my car.  And cars of this vintage, no matter how well built, don’t continue to run well without considerable more attention, which means dollars.

So, I’m faced with the question of what to do.  I need a car to meet my work duties, and then there are the soccer fields and hockey rinks not situated on a major bus route.  Before I bought this car, I lived for four years without one.  I only got back into the automotive world due to need.

So, my easily accessible life savings amounts to about two months salary.  That will go into the vehicle.  I’m hoping it’s enough to buy me a decent used car that will serve me well for at least seven years.

In my life, cash flow is king as some months I can live close to the edge.  Therefore, I’m hoping to avoid debt.  It has been pointed out that I could lease a vehicle, but I prefer to purchase as I don’t have the ability to write the lease payments off.

So, this weekend, I’ll be looking at cash on hand, what I’m spending to live life and what I can cut to squeeze debt into the mix, should it come to that.

Sigh!