Do You Really Need a Hot Ride?

New job, better paycheck and a few extra bucks in your pocket. Perhaps now it is time to trade in that old piece of crap hand me down car from your old man?s junkyard collection, or is it? Let?s think about this for a moment. Aside from it being the joke of the office, does it run? Does it get you to point A to point B? Do you have someone to impress and if you do are they worth raiding your bank account?

Trade-In Value

You are not P. Diddy

If your car really is a junkyard refugee then trade in will be minimal. Don?t be fooled by these top dollar push, drag or pull deals. They may give you top dollar on your trade but they will bend you over and stick it to you with interest or an inflated price on their vehicle. Remember, most cars depreciate around 30% as soon as you drive them off the lot.

What Do You Really Need?

You need transportation, bottom line. What exactly does that mean? Seriously, a bike is transportation, hell a little red wagon is transportation. Transportation in this capacity is what will get you where you are going. This goes back the point with the piece of death you are driving now. If it runs, keep it until it dies or there is a major expense like a transmission. Then you might be better off taking it home to the junkyard and starting anew. Major point here is to pay yourself a car payment per month until the reaper comes calling.

Flash or Practicality?

This is perhaps the hardest question to answer. Most people want the flash, the look at me factor, the ?I am the shit? announcement as you scurry down the street. Sure we all want to be cool, get laid and have a great time but a car really isn?t going to do much of that for you. Think of the cost of flash, gas, upkeep and insurance. If you can tone your testosterone down, reserving it for the gym or when you are hunting Betty?s, then give practicality a shot. You need a reliable ride. You can always fold in a splash of cool into a practical car.

Final Thoughts

Since this isn?t a lesson on financing a car and the pros and cons of lease versus purchase, etc. we will leave the final thoughts at this. Evaluate what it is you really need (be true to yourself), if it can wait then save and wait. If Carmageddon has arrived for your vehicle then be wise in your choices and press on.