New Car

Okay we spent 4 hours with two young children at a car dealership. How fun does that sound?

At least we left with a nice parting gift. We did buy one of the 2005 Program vehicles, a newer Grand Caravan. Here is hoping that this car lives up to the better reliability speak.

This new one does not have all the features that our old van had, but at least it is missing the whole leak in the front floorboard every time it rains feature. It is a good basic, economical car for us. DH and I talked about the various features we would lose and how important they really were to us, and I really think we got what we need for right now.

The whole negotiation thing was painful. First of all, DH decided that I needed to be the negotiator. That was painful, I hate negotiating, it is not in my blood. Secondly, after we had chosen the car we tol the sales guy to go get us the best price he could. He would not stop asking how much would we be putting down. I kept telling him that it would depend on what they could do with the price of the car. (by the way I have found out where immigrant europeans work who come over with no marketable job skills. This dealership was crawling with them, and our entire conversation with the sales guy was interrupted every 3rd or 4th word by dh and I going "what??")

The first sheet he came back with was a joke, it listed the posted price and had our trade-in valued less than the '87 Ford Station Wagon we traded in 4 yrs ago. I could not say a word, I just sat there staring at the sheet and trying to catch dh's attention to jump in and get the ball rolling somewhere. And all the guy wanted to know was how much cash we were putting down. "I am not going to tell you that until we get closer to a price that we can agree on." We went back and forth a few times. Then I had to tell him like 4 times to go away and let hubby and I talk. All of this while hubby and I keep trading the girls back and forth. Our trying to contain K, who at on point had managed to find a push pin and had put small holes in about three of the balloons at the shop. Embarrassing then, but funny now.


We got the car, so obviously we found the middle ground. Our payment stays basically where it was (the new one is $0.22 cheaper, woohoo) And I like the color soo much better than the old one, i know it doesn't make a difference to the actual car, but this color is actually pretty. It is kind of a mettalic teal and has a gray interior. The old car was drk forest green with a tan interior, which I never liked but settled for.

That is the car update.

Tomorrow night MB comes home. We cannot wait to see her. She has so many surprises waiting for when she comes home.

Tonight I have to finish my current project for work and proof so that tomorrow I can crank out the cleaning.

Peace,

Amy