Car Accident

KatieCutie05 · February 2016

i wonder if it would be worth taking my crashed car seat out of my car just to size test it in the cars im looking at. ds still fits in the infant seat and i cant lift him in and out of the carseat with one hand anyway so we havent replaced it yet. we will end up buying 2 new seats at the same time (insurance will reimburse for mine)

formerlyGDaisy09 · February 2016

KatieCutie05 said:

i wonder if it would be worth taking my crashed car seat out of my car just to size test it in the cars im looking at. ds still fits in the infant seat and i cant lift him in and out of the carseat with one hand anyway so we havent replaced it yet. we will end up buying 2 new seats at the same time (insurance will reimburse for mine)

ask your insurance company if they'll replace the carseats. One of my friends was in a fender bender and their insurance company replaced their carseat and base for them. Is he close to needing to move up in seat size? Babies R Us is also doing their gear trade event until the end of the month, they'll take your crashed seats/bases and dispose of them and give you a coupon to use towards new gear.

ETA: I should have read the end of your post that insurance is replacing them.

brij2006 · February 2016

KatieCutie05 said:

i wonder if it would be worth taking my crashed car seat out of my car just to size test it in the cars im looking at. ds still fits in the infant seat and i cant lift him in and out of the carseat with one hand anyway so we havent replaced it yet. we will end up buying 2 new seats at the same time (insurance will reimburse for mine)

It's easier (and cheaper) to buy a car seat to fit the car than a car to fit the car seat. So I wouldn't worry about it. You can always find a convertible seat that fits well. There's plenty to choose from.

brij2006 · February 2016

formerlyGDaisy09 said:

brij2006 said:

formerlyGDaisy09 said:

hoffse said:

formerlyGDaisy09 said:

for example in my Outback, our carseat (graco click connect 40) fits in the middle seat, therefore that should be the safest place in the vehicle to install it (the most protection from front/rear/side impact crashes). however there is no LATCH system on the middle seat, however it is still the safest place to install it. the carseat tech helped us get a good seatbelt install of the base in the center seat. we used the LATCH system on our other vehicle.

according to the carseat tech, it's a myth that the LATCH system is safer; it's just not as complicated as a seatbelt install, and might not need as much adjusting as you go. there are some vehicles that you can use the LATCH system on a middle seat install by using one of the latch hooks on each of the side seats, however according to her giant manual the Outback isn't one of them.

Yeah, I know at a certain point you have to do a seat belt install even with LATCH because of weight limits. Not going to lie though, I would prefer LATCH if that was an option because it's (usually) simpler and not as easy to screw up. I just sort of envision having to take the seat out and then re-installing it while stressed out and sleep deprived, at least when kids are really little. I would pay more to make that process as easy as possible so that I'm confident I'm doing it correctly. I would also pay more for a seat that is very easy to install for the same reason.

At the very least, a middle LATCH would be a factor that would weigh in favor of one car over another for me if I was deciding between two of them. That's just me, though, and it's a real concern for us because we're likely to need to move seats around a lot once we have kids. If we could install it and just leave it in place, then I wouldn't worry about it.

The CR-V actually has 5 anchors in the back, so you don't have to borrow from both sides to use the middle seat. It's a true middle seat LATCH system. It's great. I don't know why more car manufacturers don't do this. It probably costs Honda an extra $10 per vehicle to install the fifth anchor.

the belt path install actually wasn't complicated at all, once we got the certified carseat person to show us (it was easier than the LATCH install in the other car). once she showed us I feel confident I could duplicate it. That's also the bonus to the bases plus the carseat, I don't forsee us having to uninstall or reinstall the bases ever.

****STUCK AGAIN*****

Ditto. The infant seat with the base is a breeze. We actually returned our 2nd base because it was that easy to just switch it to the other car whenever we needed to.

Now the convertible car seats are a whole different story. H makes fun of how safety oriented I am about the car seats, but DD will be rear facing for at least 2 years. That's where vehicles get tricky. I have a Ford Flex and H is 6'5". We have no issues with the big convertible seat behind him in my car. But my mom's Ford Explorer and MIL's Ford Edge, you have to move the front seat up in order to install it. My dad and H can't sit in that front seat because there isn't enough room. We tried out 6 different seats in my moms car before we found one that was easy for her to install properly and didn't take up a ton of space.
My car seat very rarely ever gets taken out. H's gets moved between his vehicle, the crappy SUV he drives when it's snowing (99 Ford Expedition with no latch), the toy car (97 Lincoln Mark VIII with no latch) and MIL's Ford Edge. So we bought one that is super easy to install with the seat belt because of it constantly being moved around and a mix of people are installing it.

However, if someone isn't planning to rear face their kids for an extended amount of time, then I wouldn't even worry about any of that when picking out a vehicle. It's such a short time period, that it isn't worth going into debt for or buying a vehicle that is out of the price range because of it.

they now recommend rear-facing as long as possible, at least until 2. Honestly I nearly had an anxiety attack when the safety tech said we couldn't do a middle seat LATCH install in my car, she talked me down and once she showed us the belt-path install I was fine. We paid more for our carseat because it's designed to go up to 40lbs to accommodate rearfacing in the infant seat longer (granted most babies outgrow carseats by height not weight). we'll likely drive both cars an hour and a half to BRU or buy buy baby when it comes time to buy a convertable seat so we can make sure we get a good rear install in both vehicles. both stores generally let you take the floor modles out to your car before you buy to make sure what you're getting will install well.

We did the same thing with her convertible car seat. Her infant seat went up to 30lbs/30 inches and she maxed out the height in that. So we have a convertible that goes to 40lbs (I think, or 45lbs) or when her head is 1" from the max height while rear facing. She's tall, so she will definitely max out the height before weight. But I'll be very happy if that gets me to 3 years old. My minimum is 2 years old, but I've already told H that we may go longer, especially when she learns how to climb in and out herself. That will make it so much easier.

MommyLiberty5013 · February 2016

I don't think another poster mentioned this, but due to the severity of your accident (that you rolled), I would also consider visiting a chiropractor.

As an 18-year-old I was in a bad accident. Then, in my late 20's DH and I were snow mobiling and he jumped a huge mound of snow and I felt a pop in my back when we landed. In 2014, a man ran a stop sign and T-boned me.

In 2015, I began having extreme sciatic nerve pain and troubles in my lumbar area - putting me in tears. I just began seeing a chiropractor that does the Gonstead Technique (you can research this technique - basically it's different because they do x-rays of your spine and other diagnostics before adjusting you) and sadly, I have extreme damage to my lower back and sacrum (bone at end of spine). She said the damage I have has been building for 15+ years. I'm 34.

I wish I had visited a chiropractor sooner after each one of these incidents. I also wish I had know how he spine affects the nerves coming out of it to all parts of the body and long term improper alignment compounds problems. So, perhaps it is something for you to consider to get your spine checked and aligned properly if it is messed up.

Again, I'm sorry this happened to you.

short+sassy · February 2016

MommyLiberty5013 said:

I don't think another poster mentioned this, but due to the severity of your accident (that you rolled), I would also consider visiting a chiropractor.
As an 18-year-old I was in a bad accident. Then, in my late 20's DH and I were snow mobiling and he jumped a huge mound of snow and I felt a pop in my back when we landed. In 2014, a man ran a stop sign and T-boned me.
In 2015, I began having extreme sciatic nerve pain and troubles in my lumbar area - putting me in tears. I just began seeing a chiropractor that does the Gonstead Technique (you can research this technique - basically it's different because they do x-rays of your spine and other diagnostics before adjusting you) and sadly, I have extreme damage to my lower back and sacrum (bone at end of spine). She said the damage I have has been building for 15+ years. I'm 34.
I wish I had visited a chiropractor sooner after each one of these incidents. I also wish I had know how he spine affects the nerves coming out of it to all parts of the body and long term improper alignment compounds problems. So, perhaps it is something for you to consider to get your spine checked and aligned properly if it is messed up.
Again, I'm sorry this happened to you.

Sorry to hear that! Now you are freaking me out. About 8 weeks after my car accident (two years ago), I had sciatic pain for the first time. It wasn't super painful, but it was constant pain that didn't stop for 5 weeks. I haven't had an incident since then, but I remember the doctor telling me that...once it happens once...it is likely to happen again at some point in my life and can get more frequent with age.

formerlyGDaisy09 · February 2016

_SNIP_

they now recommend rear-facing as long as possible, at least until 2. Honestly I nearly had an anxiety attack when the safety tech said we couldn't do a middle seat LATCH install in my car, she talked me down and once she showed us the belt-path install I was fine. We paid more for our carseat because it's designed to go up to 40lbs to accommodate rearfacing in the infant seat longer (granted most babies outgrow carseats by height not weight). we'll likely drive both cars an hour and a half to BRU or buy buy baby when it comes time to buy a convertable seat so we can make sure we get a good rear install in both vehicles. both stores generally let you take the floor modles out to your car before you buy to make sure what you're getting will install well.

We did the same thing with her convertible car seat. Her infant seat went up to 30lbs/30 inches and she maxed out the height in that. So we have a convertible that goes to 40lbs (I think, or 45lbs) or when her head is 1" from the max height while rear facing. She's tall, so she will definitely max out the height before weight. But I'll be very happy if that gets me to 3 years old. My minimum is 2 years old, but I've already told H that we may go longer, especially when she learns how to climb in and out herself. That will make it so much easier.

we've lucked out in some ways and ended-up with a peanut...she's in the 3rd percentile for weight and 16th percentile for height...her doctor is all over us about feeding, weight checks, etc. but all her clothes will fit longer (she's 12 weeks and still wearing 0-3month clothes), and she won't grow out of gear as fast.

MommyLiberty5013 · February 2016

short+sassy said:

MommyLiberty5013 said:

I don't think another poster mentioned this, but due to the severity of your accident (that you rolled), I would also consider visiting a chiropractor.
As an 18-year-old I was in a bad accident. Then, in my late 20's DH and I were snow mobiling and he jumped a huge mound of snow and I felt a pop in my back when we landed. In 2014, a man ran a stop sign and T-boned me.
In 2015, I began having extreme sciatic nerve pain and troubles in my lumbar area - putting me in tears. I just began seeing a chiropractor that does the Gonstead Technique (you can research this technique - basically it's different because they do x-rays of your spine and other diagnostics before adjusting you) and sadly, I have extreme damage to my lower back and sacrum (bone at end of spine). She said the damage I have has been building for 15+ years. I'm 34.
I wish I had visited a chiropractor sooner after each one of these incidents. I also wish I had know how he spine affects the nerves coming out of it to all parts of the body and long term improper alignment compounds problems. So, perhaps it is something for you to consider to get your spine checked and aligned properly if it is messed up.
Again, I'm sorry this happened to you.

Sorry to hear that! Now you are freaking me out. About 8 weeks after my car accident (two years ago), I had sciatic pain for the first time. It wasn't super painful, but it was constant pain that didn't stop for 5 weeks. I haven't had an incident since then, but I remember the doctor telling me that...once it happens once...it is likely to happen again at some point in my life and can get more frequent with age.

Sorry, don't mean to freak out. I have also had 3 kids, which probably has compounded the issue. And, long hours of sitting at desks can compound it too, which I did a lot of in banking before being a SAHM.

My misalignments have also been pulling at my ligaments holding my uterus and ovaries (pre pregnancy) and have caused me pelvic pain. I first thought that was a GYN problem and even had a colonoscopy to rule out a large intestine problem. Nope. Just my spine. Even before kids (might be TMI, but bear with me), I was having tiny issues with urine incontinence. Come to find out that's ALSO a problem caused by spinal misalignment (nerves coming out of the spine connect to the bladder).

There are something like 100 moving parts in the spine and it houses your spinal cord. But off the spinal cord are all the main nerves that control your bodily functions.

In January, we took a vacation to CA and at the San Diego zoo as my three kiddos and DH were walking and I was in pain, barely able to walk 1/2 of the way through the zoo, I'd say I hit "rock bottom." I'm going three times per week and I have already begun to see improvement in my stability, lessen pain and lessened urine issues. As I become more stable the chiropractor is going to give me exercises to do to further strengthen my back. I have a long road ahead of me and it won't be cheap, however, the alternative of being in pain and/or seeing a medical doctor and getting surgery or getting on meds isn't ideal to me.

No one's spine is perfectly aligned, but if you have jarring things happen to it like accidents, it can really mess with your movement, and even organ function and most of this is cumulative. Your body learns to compensate for a misalignment, so then not only is the injured area out of alignment, but then the opposite part it that is compensating gets messed with too.

I guess I am now a walking billboard for the Gonstead Technique, but I "get it" now and see truly how it's all interconnected.

KatieCutie05 · February 2016

Well I was found at fault. Apparently the guy had just pulled out but he was established in the lane and I looked down for a split second, i tried to swerve but was too late. Witness said my car hit the left side of his old truck and climbed up it and caused me to flip. He then lost control and hit another car in the line of traffic. When i found that out I cried to H that I'm a horrible mother and what if Austin was in the car. Now I'm wondering how the heck I can even put a price on the eyesight. It wouldnt have prevented it bUT i probably would have slowed down enought that i wouldnt hAve flipped. . I havent been in an accident in like 8 years and even then it was a light fender bender, I'm just plain not a reckless driver. I was going the speed limit, traffic was flowing in my lane fine. But his was stopped dead, I take that road everyday. Eyesight is definitely not something you rely on and electronics fail but it's there for that momentary lapse in judgement. If it prevents just one accident then it practically pays for itself.
I feel like I'm going to let my emotions decide and then kick myself for my 20k car payment in 6 months. But then what if I get in an accident with my baby in the car because i didnt get eyesight. I'll never forgive myself! Theres a reason ppl say to never make a major decision after a traumatic event. But I dont have a choice. I need to buy a car in a week. How the heck do I not let my emotions control me after this?!
And I asked H how he would feel if I'm driving around a brand new subaru and he is still driving his jetta trying to save for a cheap 16k truck. He said "I'm not getting a 16k truck, I'm getting a 35k truck and boat." Plus he is hoping that in 5 years when his car dies we will need another commuter car and want the 3rd row so I could get an explorer and he'd take the subaru. Oh i see, Then he'd have a subaru, a truck and a boat. Lol sneakyy
I mean if it's 1.5% interest then technically we could decide to pay off a student loan instead. Since the interest rate is so much higher. Debt is debt. We could do a 4 year loan then. That way in 4 years we still have less debt overall. Can you tell I'm trying to reason this?! This DR plan just takes forever and the reward is small bease its not lIke we can blow it all. . Our dream debt free budget is still tight. And H and I just plain don't agree on what we want. But I hate to look back in 3 years and still be in a shitty spot and think that we were supposed to be debt free right now.

formerlyGDaisy09 · February 2016

take a second and breath. I think 99% of the time insurance companies find fault with whoever it was whose vehicle was coming from behind, they have some silly blanket rules too, for example if your car was in reverse and you're in any kind of accident you're at fault; a friend of mine was sideswiped in a parking lot by someone driving way too fast, but because she was backing out of a parking space, it was her fault. accidents are just that, accidents. I rearended someone whose car stalled in the middle of traffic (remember those recalls on the faulty starter switches that would cause cars to stall; yup her car was moving and then suddenly wasn't, but because I was behind her it was my fault).

just the fact that you're so worried about another accident likely means you'll be a more attentive and cautious driver, also remember the eye-sight technology on cars is new, i would bet there are bugs to still work out; and I worry about people becoming dependent on that kind of technology, kind of like we're now so dependent on GPS technology; people have forgotten how to read maps and follow street signs.

personally I'd make a list of essential features (ability to center-install a carseat, crash test ratings, trunk size for baby gear, all-wheel drive...) and look at some certified pre-owned listings to see where that puts you price wise. if there's still room in your budget maybe think about seeing how much the eye-sight technology would cost, but I'm going to guess that for a larger vehicle like you're wanting that's going to be outside your budget. crash-test ratings and center-installing a carseat are going to go a lot further towards protecting your family than the eye-sight technology will.

hoffse · February 2016

From what you are describing, it doesn't sound like eye-sight would have slowed you down at all. If you guys were merging, it probably wouldn't have detected him. Eye-sight is for frontal/rear collisions at slow speeds. Like in stop and go traffic where you are checking your phone because it's boring, and then whoops - the car in front of you suddenly stops, and you have to slam on your brakes to avoid rear-ending them.

I agree 100% with @Gdaisy that you need to focus on crash test ratings (use the IIHS website) and the ability to install a car seat in the middle. That is what will save your life if you experience another crash like this. Secondary to that is the space to haul around gear and maybe AWD if you live in a part of the country where it's necessary to help with traction in the winter (I can't remember what state you live in).

I don't think that taking on a little debt for this is necessarily a bad thing, but there are many vehicles out there that would meet the above criteria that cost less than $20K. There are plenty of used options. I'm not a DR follower at all, but I do think that every family needs a financial plan of some sort. Your emotions are completely derailing the plan you guys have.

Also, right now is not the time to worry about how your H will feel if you are driving a newer vehicle than he is. I can't imagine why he would be bothered by his wife driving a "better" vehicle than him. You aren't getting a car because you just decided you felt like it. You need a vehicle because you were in a near-fatal accident, and you want something that will save your life and your son's life if this happens again. If you think he's going to be jealous of you for getting an adequate vehicle after this situation, then I have no words.

brij2006 · February 2016

Breathe hunny, just breathe. It will all be okay.

If you are already stating that you will regret the $20k car decision in 6 months, or you will look back 3 years from now and know if you hadn't made this decision you would be debt free, then don't do it. You know what it best for your financial situation, and that's why you're thinking this way. That's a good thing. You're smart about it, but know you need to settle the emotions a bit before making a decision.

Honestly, I would take $5,000, see what type of a vehicle you can purchase in that price range, and tell yourself that if in 6 months you're still feeling this way about the situation, then you can trade that $5k car in (or sell it outright) and purchase yourself a $20k car. But right now you're in too much of shock to be making any large purchases like this.

Also, the fact that your husband corrected you and said he will be buying a $35k truck plus a boat, tells me that this would be a very bad decision for your marriage and cause a lot of resentment. He still has a lot of learning to do and helping him stay humble and level headed about decisions, is going to be one of the many ways you guys win with money. But it's about not making rash decisions that will hurt your family financially, more than help.

formerlyGDaisy09 · February 2016

also agreed, if your H is going to be jealous of you driving a newer car there are bigger issues, he's a grown-up with a wife and child who need to be able to get from point-a to point-b in a safe way....his wants are childish and he needs to get over it. My poor hubby had to trade-in his sporty little mazda for a 2003 chrystler town and country this year, yes I recognize that it stinks, and he did complain for a little while, and he steals my subaru when he gets the chance, but there are way more important things than driving your dream car.

edit for words.

brij2006 · February 2016

formerlyGDaisy09 said:

also agreed, if your H is going to be jealous of you driving a newer car there are bigger issues, he's a grown-up with a wife and child who need to be able to get from point-a to point-b in a safe way....his wants are childish and he needs to get over it. My poor hubby had to trade-in his sporty little mazda for a 2003 chrystler town and country this year, yes I recognize that it stinks, and he did complain for a little while, and he steals my subaru when he gets the chance, but there are way more important things than driving your dream car.

edit for words.

This. I can't even express how much learning he has to make in this. Please sign up for Financial Peace University and you both attend and go through it together. It will get things in the back of his mind and help him change his thinking a bit. It may take a while for it to really "click," but there's more to this plan than him getting what he wants someday.

I will add that we are on BS7 and our budget is tight. The mention of a $35k pickup has been there. My H is a gearhead and takes pride in his vehicles and toys. However, he is now realizing that we can't make our other financial goals if we're focused on saving up that much money for a vehicle that will drop in value. It has taken him a lot of learning (and me telling him no), to realize that this just won't ever be feasible for our family without sacrificing DD's college fund, our retirement, or needs for the house (like a new roof). 1 of you needs to be the humble one to keep the other one in line, and honestly, promising him a $35k truck and a boat after getting out of debt, is just setting him up for disappointment and you up for resentment. This needs to be revisited, discussed, and resolved.

*Tough love time* He is a husband, not a pet. He doesn't get a treat for being a good boy. He gets to help be a provider for the family and put his family's needs above his own wants. It may be time to sign up for FPU and tell him he has no choice but to go, and sign up for therapy to have a neutral person involved in these discussions.

short+sassy · February 2016

I know I'm being judgy (not to anyone on this board), but I can't help it. The $35K for a truck/boat reminded me of a former coworker. Her and her H used their Home Equity Line of Credit to buy her a $40K sports car cash and for a down payment on his $50K boat.

Then when they sold their house two years later, she was complaining to me about how they were hardly walking away with any profit because of their HELOC balance. Ummm...yeah...that's what happens when you've already spent most of your equity on fancy toys. I nicely pointed that out and, although she understood what I was saying logically, it was like she still had an emotional attitude of "geez, we just can't get ahead".

jtmh2012 · February 2016

Maybe I'm the oddball here, but I don't see a problem with the truck and the boat so long as you've paid off your debt and you can meet your other financial goals with the payments that would be involved. That said, I have no interest in a boat. Mine lie with cars.....;)

I'm also not against debt leveraging. If I'm earning 8%+ in the market, why do I want to pull that out to avoid a 1.5% car loan?

KatieCutie05 · February 2016

No he meant a combined cost of 35k. Not a 35k truck. We were planning on 16k and 19k for a grand total of 35. That was a our debts paid off now we can buy back the truck you sold and a "I've been waiting 10 years for a boat and now that we r debt free we can finally afford it". I was happy to hear that it's a combined thing to him. He is definitely looking at this purchase as ours and he has been the one keeping me on the plan until now. He was saying that he won't be jealous because hes getting both. A truck and a boat for the same price I'm getting just a car for. Safety is his number one priority. When I came up to him crying he just gave me a hug, reminded me I'm relatively unharmed and said we will get through it. And those two were always going to be bought with cash after the student loans are gone and we have a FFEF, we were planning on my car dying after that and at that point we would replace it with a 25k suv so he's saying let's just push that up and do it now instead.

formerlyGDaisy09 · February 2016

wait, you're planning to spend $35K on a car?!

You can get a perfectly safe, nice car for well under that!! you can probably get a 2013/2014 Outback with pretty low mileage with nearly all the bells and whistles for closer to 20K

als1982 · February 2016

I'd urge you to keep plugging away at your debt and avoid going deeper into it. I've seen you post that you'd rather be home with your baby than working. I get that your H wants a car and a boat, but I can foresee resentment and regret down the road if you're unable to at SAH because of your family's spending habits.

KatieCutie05 · February 2016

And we just found out we are getting 13k for my car! so after taxes and fees and that 13k down we could do the new subaru for 16k, the 2014 for 11k, or the edge for 6k.

cbee817 · February 2016

formerlyGDaisy09 said:

wait, you're planning to spend $35K on a car?!

You can get a perfectly safe, nice car for well under that!! you can probably get a 2013/2014 Outback with pretty low mileage with nearly all the bells and whistles for closer to 20K

DH bought a brand new 2015 subaru forester with the all weather package for $22K with 0.9% financing for 48 months.. it is super nice and safe for our girls. Prior to that he had a 2006 subaru outback that we liked, but found it hard to get the girls in and out of the car. FWIW, I drive a 2003 honda civic.. no issues with it, but DH is the one that does most drop offs and pick ups of the girls so we wanted to make sure he had the better, safer, and more reliable vehicle.

vlagrl29 · February 2016

KatieCutie05 said:

And we just found out we are getting 13k for my car! so after taxes and fees and that 13k down we could do the new subaru for 16k, the 2014 for 11k, or the edge for 6k.

That's Great! You must have had a newer car to get that much value out of it. If I totaled my car I would be lucky to get 3k from it.

KatieCutie05 · February 2016

cbee817 said:

formerlyGDaisy09 said:

wait, you're planning to spend $35K on a car?!

You can get a perfectly safe, nice car for well under that!! you can probably get a 2013/2014 Outback with pretty low mileage with nearly all the bells and whistles for closer to 20K

DH bought a brand new 2015 subaru forester with the all weather package for $22K with 0.9% financing for 48 months.. it is super nice and safe for our girls.

How do you guys like it? I havent seen a 2015 for less then 25k and there's not many. At that price it makes more sense to spend the 26,900 on the brand new one.

julieanne912 · February 2016

Just a note about the Foresters, my mom has a 2003 Forester with almost 200k miles on it, and it's still going strong. She had a panic moment when she thought the transmission was going out because she loves her car that much. Turned out to be just a $150 part though. My brother also has a 2009 Forester that he bought lightly used, and he really likes it too. My mom will probably actually buy his from him when hers does die for real.

brij2006 · February 2016

KatieCutie05 said:

And we just found out we are getting 13k for my car! so after taxes and fees and that 13k down we could do the new subaru for 16k, the 2014 for 11k, or the edge for 6k.

That's a great amount. But you know me as a fellow DR follower, I'm going to tell you to take that money and buy yourself a used vehicle in cash. Heck, my SUV is worth 13k. It's a 2011 Ford Flex with 71k miles on it. Gets 20-25mpg, AWD, fits 7 passengers, has impeccable safety ratings, and fits a ton of crap.

You can find the type of vehicle you're wanting, for $13k.

But also, look at how much of a difference this may make in your debt payoff timeline if you were to take $5k of it, buy something reasonable, and put the remaining $8k toward debt. You're already getting discouraged because this is taking a while. Throw that into your calculator and see how much time it will shave off your debt payoff.

formerlyGDaisy09 · February 2016

KatieCutie05 said:

cbee817 said:

formerlyGDaisy09 said:

wait, you're planning to spend $35K on a car?!

You can get a perfectly safe, nice car for well under that!! you can probably get a 2013/2014 Outback with pretty low mileage with nearly all the bells and whistles for closer to 20K

DH bought a brand new 2015 subaru forester with the all weather package for $22K with 0.9% financing for 48 months.. it is super nice and safe for our girls.

How do you guys like it? I havent seen a 2015 for less then 25k and there's not many. At that price it makes more sense to spend the 26,900 on the brand new one.

we purchased our 2011 Outback for about $23K in 2013, it had 18,000 miles on it but we were able to get the limited edition for the price of a brand-new standard modle so we got the front heated/power seats, moon roof, backup cam (not standard at the time), puddle lights, power miror, leather interior (amazing for our short haired dogs, their fur gets absolutely everywhere, but I can wipe it off my carseats with a wet towel, I've never been able to get it all out of any other upholstery). Those extra nice features were exactly why we sought out a car that was 3-4 model years old (we were looking specifically at 2010 and 2011 cars). I don't think I'll ever be able to bring myself to buy a brand new car, I like to have the extra features on my cars, but I can't bring myself to swallow the sticker price on new cars with all the upgrades.

I'd be looking at 2013 and 2014s right now. the dealers are going to have a supply of those from people who leased them for 2-3 years and turned in their leases. most the 2015s sitting on the lot are still new inventory and they aren't going to be able to knock the price down much.

dragonstarjk · February 2016

I'd take the $13K and buy a really nice, safe, but used vehicle for that price, and enjoy not taking on additional debt during a time when you have put a LOT of work into getting out of debt. That would not change your debt payoff plans at all, and you would still be able to have your celebratory truck/boat when you reach your goal.

I feel like your emotions are pushing you towards wanting to buy the more expensive car, but you are going to end up getting into debt and regretting it when you see how much it set you back on your progress. I'm not even close to a DR follower. I'm a big fan of leveraging debt to your advantage. But if I had put all the work and sacrifice into getting to this point and I was in your shoes, I just wouldn't want to throw all of that away.

I think you probably know in your heart of hearts that you can find a perfectly safe used vehicle at this price, and you're using the emotion of the incident to sway you, because it's an easy excuse to stray from the plan. Please don't take that the wrong way; I just think you might need to really step back for a moment and figure out what your motives are before you decide to make the purchase.

AprilZ81 · February 2016

You do realize that even once you are out of debt you may not be able to afford the $35k for a fancy truck and boat, right?

Just because your student loans/credit cards/car payments are done you will need to save for retirement, pay your mortgage, save for a new roof, a new car, possibly college tuition for your kid(s). You will still have a lot of expenses and the cost of a new truck and boat may not fit into the equation when you start adding back in budget items that were cut way down (entertainment, clothes) while you were in debt payoff mode.

And a little more tough love. Your husband needs to grow up. He is part of a team (spouses) and a family (with the baby). He can't unilaterally decide that he deserves an expensive toy because he's wanted it for a long time. You BOTH have to make financial decision for the betterment of the entire family, not his ego.

PurpleBookmark · February 2016

First, I am so sorry about your accident, how scary!

I don't know a lot about Dave Ramsey but I can chime in on the car. After spending our late teens and early twenties with junker cars (2k-3k tops) we had terrible luck with them and swore to stick with new cars. Then this year we needed a bigger car and could not afford anything new. We had a great experience buying a really nice 2011 Chevy Impala for $8k. I now am totally pro used cars. You could take your money or even a portion of it and get something safe and reliable. As PPs have stated I don't think the eyesight technology would have helped in this case. I think you'll regret further debt.

I totally feel for you though, it's hard to make a decision like this after such a traumatic event.

kmurphy2131 · February 2016

PurpleBookmark said:

First, I am so sorry about your accident, how scary!

I don't know a lot about Dave Ramsey but I can chime in on the car. After spending our late teens and early twenties with junker cars (2k-3k tops) we had terrible luck with them and swore to stick with new cars. Then this year we needed a bigger car and could not afford anything new. We had a great experience buying a really nice 2011 Chevy Impala for $8k. I now am totally pro used cars. You could take your money or even a portion of it and get something safe and reliable. As PPs have stated I don't think the eyesight technology would have helped in this case. I think you'll regret further debt.

I totally feel for you though, it's hard to make a decision like this after such a traumatic event.

I agree with the bolded. If you have to take on a little debt, it is an emergency purchase, but I wouldn't take on thousands upon thousands of dollars.

Also, I think that people tend to either think "brand new" or "junker". There is something in between, as @purplebookmark mentioned. I would recommend a new to you car, that is new enough to last but not completely run down.

Car Accident

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