New Car

My husband is a saver.  He likes to save money. He really, really likes to save money.  That is unfortunate because I am a spender.  I really, really like to spend money.  He claims that I bleed money.  We have been married for over twenty years and it has been an issue all of the years of our wedded bliss.  To be fair, he knew this going in.  I think he thought that I would become more like him over time.  Nope.  Shiny things call out to me.  The crinkle of shopping bags is my happy sound.  So, we have formed an unspoken, tense agreement.  He will have the final say on when we purchase “big ticket” items such as cars, new furniture, remodeling projects, etc. and I will shop and buy clothes, shoes, makeup, and other items that he finds both unnecessary and foolishly expensive.  Mind you, he still moans and makes pained expressions when I bring in my shopping bags and I constantly complain about needing new carpet and countertops.  But, I do abide by the unspoken rule.  While I may pout and complain, I am very aware that my shopping is what limits the budget for higher ticket items and I appreciate that my husband is keeping the finances in check.  But I will not say that out loud.

Much to my delight, the ten year mark has rolled around and I can now shop for a new car again!  The unspoken budget allows me to purchase a new car every ten years.  This is like a form of painful torture for me, but again, I do understand my role, so I attempt to keep the complaints at least civil and minimal in quantity.  I can actually GET the car in 4-5 months, but I was recently allowed to start going to car dealerships to start the decision-making process.  I cannot tell you how excited I was when he told me that we could start looking!  I really was giddy like a 3 year-old in a fairy princess dress.  I am not sure why.  We have been through this process twice before in our years of wedded bliss.  Both times were miserable disasters that left us both totally aggravated.  But apparently I am convinced this time will be different.

I have been given a price range this time.  This is a new tactic for the husband.  He has not tried this approach before.  Before we were looking for certain features.  Now I get to choose the car, but it has to cost a certain amount.  He even had some picked out for me to look at that I thought were good!  When this started out, I really was thinking this time was going to be totally different.  I could feel it in the air!  We were going to agree and I was going to get the car of my dreams and I would probably see a unicorn on the way home.

So we started out on our first Saturday of looking. I was practically dancing in my seat with excitement.  We pulled into the first lot and we parked next to the first SUV he wanted me to look at.  I LOVED it.  It was beautiful.  The salesperson came out and started showing us the features.

Salesperson: So, are you interested in the new Atlas?

Husband: We’re just looking.  We’re not buying anything until March.

Me:  I LOVE IT!  It’s beautiful!  Can I drive it????

Salesperson: Sure you can!  I’ll get the keys!  Can I have your name and phone number and email so that I can call you, text you, and email you everyday until you buy one of these cars?

Me: Sure!!  I LOVE this car!

Husband:  We are not buying anything today.  You know that, right?  We are just looking.

Me:  Yep.  Just looking. OOOOwww.  This one has a heated steering wheel.  I need that.

Salesperson: I’m going to let you drive this ultra pro turbo limited XLT max.  It has all the bells and whistles!

Husband: We just want a simple one.  She doesn’t need all this stuff.  Our kids are grown.  We are simplifying.  We’ll just order one with the bare necessities.  She needs seats, doors, and tires.  That’s all.

Me: I can just drive this one.  He already has the keys!

We got in and took a test drive.

Me: I LOVE this car.  Look!  I love everything about it!  It is wonderful.

Husband:  You can unlove it.  It costs $7000 more than we are spending.  You don’t need most of this stuff.  You don’t need all these buttons and gadgets.  More to break.  You just need to get from point A to point B.  This car even smells like money.

Back to the dealership we go.  I looked at several more cars that I also loved, loved, loved.  Husband disapproved of them all.  So I asked him to find a car on the lot that he thought would be appropriate.  He did.

Husband: This would be a good one for you.

Me: That is a death trap.  It is basically a soda can with wheels added.  If a semi hit me, I would spin around like a top and be squashed like a tiny bug.

Husband: You have to have quick reflexes, like a cat.

Me: Plus, it’s grossly ugly.  The seats are made out of the same cloth as paper towels. I bet it has an 8 track player.

Husband: I bet my dad still has some John Denver 8 tracks in his basement.

It has been a month and we are still looking.  I have found many cars that I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED.  I could have danced around them in a fairy princess dress.  We now have one in mind that we are coming closer to agreeing on.  We are down to which options I need and which ones I can live without.  Fairy princesses like ALL the options!!        -Shannon