Hey kids,
Today’s tidbit is about making decisions. Specifically, it’s about what to consider when looking at a used vehicle purchase.
Your entire life is about making decisions.
There’ll be a few major ones, a handful of big ones, and then a boatload of small but meaningful ones.
The major ones should be pretty obvious: who to marry, whether or not to go to college, where to go to college, to get a job or start a business, etc.
The big ones can be obvious but sometimes not.
Trying a cigarette can seem small but could end up being rather major, depending on what you decide.
Doing drugs, as long as you’re smart and say no, is a BIG decision. If you say yes, I guess that would classify it as a MAJOR mistake.
But then there are allllllll the other decisions you need to make in your life, and the point I want to make today is, don’t drag your feet.
Prime example? Buying a used car.
I know people who will spend hours and hours and hours and hours and hours researching what used car to buy.
On a budget of $10-$15k, the only thing you need to decide is what kind of car you want.
Is it a truck? Is it a car? Is it an SUV?
This answer should come quickly.
Once you know, you should quickly narrow down to what year range you’ll be able to buy in given your budget.
Next, you’ll figure out the broad range of mileage you’ll have to buy within. Hopefully below 100,000.
Once you have this stuff nailed down, it shouldn’t take you more than a week or two to find and purchase a vehicle.
I know way too many people who fret and worry over whether what they’re looking at buying is the best decision.
They spend days, even weeks, MULLING over the decision.
Don’t ever let this be you.
It’s a USED CAR.
Obviously, use some discernment when looking at the thing. If it’s filled with trash and McDonald’s bags and hasn’t been vacuumed in a year, that’s probably a pass.
If it doesn’t start or it’s full of rust, it’s a no-go.
But, if the thing presents in person as it did in the pictures, take it for a test drive.
As long as it starts right up and drives, BUY THE DANG THING.
No sense in studying every spec, looking underneath it, under the hood, and getting a microscope out.
It’s a used car that is in your price range, that you obviously at least kind of like, and it’s in working condition.
Buy the thing and move on with your life.
Don’t lose out on a decent deal by haggling and trying to save $500 either. If you can’t resist, offer $500 below asking. Often times, they’ll bite and that’ll feel good, I guess.
But sometimes they won’t.
And then, you either just lost out on a car you wanted and spent time to go look at, OR you tuck your tail between your legs and end up telling them you’ll take it anyways.
Both of those options are kind of lousy, if you ask me.
Anyway, my point is, save your fretting and worries for decisions that actually deserve the attention.
Buying a used car is not one of them. Although you will know plenty of people that treat it otherwise. They’re losers. Don’t be one.
There, I just saved you hours and hours of your life compared to some folks whose parents taught them to be scared and afraid and ULTRA cautious whenever making such a purchase.
Worst case scenario (which is highly unlikely and not worth fretting about) is the engine fails on your way home and needs to be replaced. Crappy, yes. Still not even close to end of the world.
