Same eyes - different view

I realized today that I really do look at things differently than I used to. Here's how I know.

Exhibit A:
Chevrolet Silverado

Those who know me well know that more than any other car, I have wanted my own Chevrolet Silverado. I have always loved them, always will. So following golf class today, I allowed myself a bit of fun and pulled in to the Chevy dealership next door - to look at the new Camaro. After taking in the eye candy, I wandered over to the used lot to look at the trucks to see what prices the dealerships were looking for on used trucks. Of course I was approached by a salesman and I quickly let him know that I wasn't looking to buy and that I didn't want to take his time if there were other people there to work on. Being a rainy morning though, I was the only one. So as we were talking, he pointed out this beauty. It's a 2009 model, 5.3 liter V8 engine (highest level engine without getting the SuperSport edition). Plenty of bells and whistles including remote start, MP3 adapter, on-board vehicle computer, and the best part - only 9,000 miles. All this for $17,900. Knowing I wasn't looking to buy, he asked if I would want to take it for a spin, so I did. And I loved every second of it. When we got back to the dealership, I thanked him for his time, and of course he asked if I wanted to talk some numbers, but I refused, thanked him again, got in my car and left.

And that is when the wheels in my head began to turn...but not the way they used to. In the past, I would allow myself to go home and spend hours trying to come up with a way to make it happen, to find any way possible - any justification that I could come up with to buy that truck.

But before I had reached even 1 mile after leaving the dealership, I knew that while I would love owning and driving that beautiful red truck, I was happier and would continue to be happier in my simple '03 Ford Taurus.


Don't get me wrong, driving my Taurus is nowhere near exciting, especially compared to what's under the hood of that truck. But from the day I bought the Taurus, there has been a pain of guilt that has accompanied that car because I am not only making payments on it, but also my previous car.

See I was already upside down on my previous car when it died and I traded in for the Taurus. So if I were to go back to that dealership today and trade in for that truck, I would then be paying for THREE CARS which would be one of the worst financial decisions I could ever make.

So again, I would soooooooo love to own that truck and get to drive it every day. But I would love to pay off my current car(s) even more. I wouldn't have said that 5 years ago.