Financial freedom - I could taste it... One more car payment and we owe no one save for our mortgage, and that debt will be paid very soon. I almost paid it off last year but wanted to relish this moment knowing each month I could, but chose not to. We always paid cash for cars until we had kids then leased or whatever. I could not stand paying all that money just to have it depreciate so quickly. Leasing seemed like renting and psychologically eased my anguish.
We usually buy two cars at the same time and when we bought the Jeep for Wayne (his bull) and my Grand Prix GTP in 2004, we knew they were winners and wanted to go the distance with them. This will be the first time in 20 years that we have no payment due and do not trade them in. Satisfaction. This car is absolutely perfect for me. It has excellent torque and I can merge onto expressways with ease . The sound system is remarkable, everything is in working order and I have received many compliments on the originality of the color. My license is RELAX XO so people would think twice about road rage. I must give credit to my son Mikey and his buddy Billy for maintaining and repairing my car when necessary. Nothing like a great mechanic. Oil changes are imperative.
My car is symbolic for financial freedom for at the time we needed new cars, we were strapped for cash having just purchased a second property and started my business within months of each other. Having extended ourselves so thinly we did not think we would qualify for another loan, but once we were approved, we knew this was the beginning of the end of our financial issues and began our quest for freedom. We are now totally debt free, with exception of the mortgage. When this is paid we will have gone full circle. It was a very steep journey up that mountain of debt. We climbed, we conquered. The good lesson learned was my sons no longer felt entitled to all life's material pleasures (no, you do not get a brand new car just because you turn 16 so you can crash it) and grasped the importance of watching their wallets (well, actually, their debit cards) and know that cash is king - always. Money can't buy me love. xo
