Ain't No Brag...

2009 Nissan Quest

Mama's got a brand new van! (Duh na na na na, duh na na na na, HEY!)

We have truly succumb to the parenting lifestyle. And honestly, we really like it. When you are using seemingly contradictory phrases like "sweet ride" and "so much space" to describe your vehicle, you probably have two or more young children.

It's hard to believe that we 1) bought a new car and 2) it was a surprise to me. We've had our 2004 Highlander for a year, and it's been great. Sporty and dependable and a huge step up in reliability. But I was kicking myself for not looking at any used vans, especially now that we have another baby coming. I wasn't ready to accept being a mini-van driver.

What a difference a pregnancy makes. You go all crazy. Five years ago, we started out with two twin mattresses on the floor, and paid off $24, 000 dollars in debt in a year and half. We bought a $1500 Geo Metro (in a purple-ish tint) for Alex with cash at auction. No credit cards, nothing.

So, when Alex pulls up to pick me up from tutoring in a NEW mini-van, I was shocked. He had casually mentioned the good deals he was watching. We took in the Highlander for servicing earlier that morning. It never broke down on us, but we had taken it in a few times for various issues. A part that Alex had recently replaced had gone bad, and he mentioned leveraging his interest in a competitor's vehicle with Toyota. But I really didn't expect to be driving home in a different car.

Now, I guess I could have been mad for not being there and choosing the color and making a reasoned decision, but if my "baby daddy" wants to buy us a van, well, I'm okay with that.

So, I guess we have "suspended" our new-cars-are-the-devil's-handmaiden philosophy for the next 6 years.

I agree: Debt is still dumb, cash is still king; sorry Dave, but mama's gotta ride!