Something Old, Something New: A Tandem Post

While considering the question 'what is the best piece of financial advice someone has given you', I automatically started thinking about credit cards, bills, 401(k)'s, and interest rates. While I have heard tons of advice about the pros and cons of the above, the best piece of advice I had ever been given about finance was an unspoken rule in our house; don't buy something unless you really need it.

A prime example of this would be our family cars. Mom and Dad both had cars, but they always bought used (duh) and they drove them until they cost more to repair than they were worth. The local car dealership owner, Tom, once told my mom that he knows hes not going to make a lot of money off of my parents because they used the cars for all they could. Tom also had a bad habit of chain smoking in his small office. I also believe the office had wood paneling, because it was a dark, smelly place. Neither my sister or I liked to go car shopping.

Buying new furniture was also something that wasn't a necessity for our household. Our house was full of furniture bought or given to us by family members. It doesn't make much sense to spend a lot of money on furniture that you know will get stained from countless glasses of split tea and captain crunch falling through the cracks in the cushions. Now that my sister and I (okay, it was mostly me) are not living there anymore my parents are now enjoying the ownership of new furniture; and I've already spilled things on it (sorry mom).

I am so grateful for this unspoken family motto. I've saved a lot of money by adhering to it. In fact, our 'desk' that I am typing this on was from my Granny; it's actually a vanity! I love it! Our apartment is full of family members furniture, but for every dollar we didn't have to spend on a new desk, sofa, or car is another dollar going towards knocking out my college debt. There will be a time when we might have new and matching furniture and nice cars, but what we have now is more than enough. Plus, that is why the Lord invented slipcovers!

*This is a tandem post with Abbigail and Rose; check their blogs out too! Not only are they smart ladies... but hey have great blogging skillz*

"The White Car"

The Husband and I are selling my white ford contour. It has treated me (and my family)well over the years. It started out as my Mom's car, but eventually they gave it to me when Mom upgraded to a nicer (i.e. bigger and more powerful) car. I think I've had it for at least 4 years. In those four years it has made numerous trips to Lafayette, Indianapolis, Peoria, B-N, a few trips to Chicago, and even an impromptu trip to Omaha (Sorry I didn't listen to you Mom. It was brett's fault :). With all that being said, it's pretty much a piece of junk to drive now; however, it still runs.

Let's face the facts people. Some folks just need a car to get them from a to b. They don't care it has a crack in the windshield, that the car door interior makes a rattling noise constantly, and that the right rear tire is missing a hubcap (and it has been missing for well over 3 years). Well, they might care, but all The Husband said to the potential buyers was "cosmetic flaws" or something like that. Regardless, a car is a car to some folks.

I also must admit that I know NOTHING about cars. My Dad is not a car man; he is a sportsman. I can tell you how to skin a deer, why you dress them in the fields, how to take a fish off of your pole, etc... but I cannot tell you how a car runs or what the hell a piston does. Well, one lady who is interested in this car was kind of mocking me on the phone to the Husband! In the words of Cher (from Clueless): as if! i mean, come one lady, that is just rude! the least she could do is make fun of me to her friends, but to make fun of me to my husband? That's just plain dumb. This post may be a bit hypocritical, but I am what I am.

On a side note, The Husband and I are taking a mini-vacay Thursday -Sunday, so I likely won't be posting as I will not be at my super-busy job. :)