Car Buying: A Downgrade Should Be The New Upgrade
There’s much talk about the benefits of trading in your old car for a newer model. Not to mention the trail of messages from TV adverts and billboards egging you on to follow the crowd and upgrade your old motor. Whether you’re being shed promises of becoming the talk of the town or that your life will be so much happier with a new model – don’t buy it! With people gradually becoming more money conscious you don’t necessarily need to keep climbing the neverending car ladder, you could just be happy with what you have already, or even, shock horror, consider downgrading.
Picture by Bessi
Illusion
The illusion we speak of is that some people assume buying a brand new car or spending a lot on an upgraded car means they’ll experience less trouble (repairs, breakdowns etc.) When in reality, cars are just machines, and with any machine, something can and will at one point go wrong. Whether you rode the clutch too hard or the tires are wearing well below the legal limit, repairs are expected because cars cost money – period.
Speaking Of Money
To touch further on the above point, to run, and keep your car legally roadworthy, you need to put your hand in your pocket quite a lot. However, how deep your pockets need to be is highly dependant on the vehicle you’ve chosen to buy. For instance, if it’s an upgrade above the one you already have and means that it either requires a large part of your savings, or you need to purchase it on an expensive finance plan, plus, (pay for the running costs too,) this is a large chunk of your paycheque to sacrifice each month. The question here is, is it worth it? Alternatively, if you want a different car to the one you already own, you could consider sidegrading or even downgrading. This way you can part-exchange your car at Martin Brothers Motor Company and pay for the next car you want outright.
The Jones’s
You need to F The Jones’s and their materialistic ideals because it’s a never ending charade of fancy things, and a game that can never be won, Plus the more you become tied into that kind of world, the harder you will find it is to unravel yourself from it. Also, just because someone else has a brand new shiny car, never assume they’re well off, or that other areas of their lives aren’t being sacrificed for it. The amount of people who buy cars on finance is phenomenal, and it’s mostly because many vehicles people think they should aspire to buy are wildly expensive and unattainable with an outright payment. So keep a clear head when buying another car, your vehicle should be your lifeline, your independence, your freedom; it shouldn’t break your bank to own it.
Also, to finish here’s a compelling pep talk – a car does not define you, and if anyone feels too embarrassed to get in your car, you can simply direct them to the nearest bus stop. Take the guy from the picture, for instance, he is rocking that heap of trash, so take notes!