That was scary.

I bought a car all by myself yesterday for the first time in about 15 years. That was really scary. I had originally gone out on Saturday and got all the way to the finance department when I questioned myself about what I was doing. I thought that was Jason telling me that I was crazy and making a bad decision, so I left the dealership telling them I had to think about it. I also had to get to the Relay for Life event in Garland and didn't want to be too late. I ended up getting a good deal (I think).

I thought about it all weekend. I knew the kids were excited, but also attached to the Cadillac. Jack understands the decision much better than Caroline. He understands that the car payment was high, I still had 2 years left on the loan, and the insurance was high as well. He understood that the extended warranty wasn't the best. It was good while we still had 2 paychecks, but not so good with only one. I had to pay up front for the work, and then submit the receipt and the copy of the check and wait 90 days for payment. Usually I'd get a request for something else needed and it would be another 6-8 weeks before I was reimbursed. Again fine with 2 paychecks, not so much with one. To Caroline, it's just another change to go through.

I talked with my mom and step-dad, and my older sister. I have discovered that I talk with her like I used to talk with Jason. She's rational like he was. After listening to their opinions I decided the car was a good idea. I went back yesterday and found that the deal was pretty good. I got a 7 year warranty, 60 month loan for what I had budgeted each month. I save about $300 on a car payment and $300/6 months in insurance.

The car is red (which reminds me of Jason -his Dodge was red), it has satellite radio (which was playing David Bowie's "Let's Dance" as we drove off the lot), it has Sync which helps with hands free talking on the phone. It's a Ford Edge, so it's smaller than the SRX, but it's still roomy. The kids (and I) were amazed at how much room there was on the inside because it doesn't look that big on the outside. The back seats recline which helped Caroline last night when she fell asleep on the way home. Her head didn't fall off to the side and hit the door. The interior is black (not sure about that one), it's cloth, and the controls are basic. Not very many bells and whistles, but the important thing for me right now was better gas mileage than what I had, a lower payment, and a warranty. Check, check, and check.

I don't have any buyer's remorse today. I honestly feel that this was the best choice. Jason had given me a satellite radio for Christmas. Things went downhill fast from there and I never had time to put it in the SRX. I'm glad I didn't. Now that I have a car with satellite radio, I gave his mom the one Jason bought me to put into her car. She liked that gift.