I had put this off long enough, and today, I made the decision on this new vehicle. There were many factors I had to consider before signing on the dotted lines (100's of them!) not the least of which was the amount I wanted to invest. As I told the salesperson, Stacey, I am parsimonious about most things. Yes, she looked at me funny, so I restated my predilection of being unwilling to spend money on certain things. THAT she understood!
My first test drive was a RAV4 which I truly liked and had hoped to purchase but it was wwaayy over the number I had in my head for spending on a car, besides much larger a vehicle than I expected. Space is tight for parking at my building and car size needs to be considered, at least for me.
To shorten up this story, let me jump ahead and tell you that the sales manager, Karen, helped me, us, find a car that would meet most of my requirements, plus got me what I wanted for the trade-in. The appraiser had to come up on the amount he originally gave me. Now I face life, hopefully the car will last the rest of my days, with cloth seats, unheated ones, but I do have other features which are desirable. One is the back-up camera which might allow me to park in my garage stall again, once I master it. That might take a while, trusting the camera and not second guessing it. My friend, Debbie, whips into her stall like nobody's business, and that might be me someday, too! In the meanwhile, I let my neighbor, Rose, use my garage space.
To say the day was nerve-wracking would be an understatement! I posted on FB that I was there at the dealer and folks kept asking me about the progress. I got there about 9:30 and was finally done about 2:30. Terri was waiting for me, having fixed me up with the saleslady. Terri's daughter gets the finder's fee and will hopefully share it with Terri. We met afterward at the Wendy's on Argyle, not far from the dealer. I was pretty hungry but not really, perhaps hungry was not the right word...Terri treated me to a burger and fries, but I sent the fries home with her. We both had plans for dinner at 6:00 pm so we went easy on our quick lunch. She was in contact with me throughout the process via text message, cheering me along. I sure appreciate that!
In the course of our time together, I learned a good deal about Stacey, the sales lady helping me/selling me. I am not sure how common that is, since it's been a long time since I bought a car (2006), and I didn't get all cozy with the sales guy that time. I feel like I should add her to my Christmas card list after all she shared with me. At the end of our transaction, she gave me a big hug. I would have done that anyway, but she initiated it. Of course, I was a victory for her in the course of her work, but I was also leaving in a new car, a victory for me. I've been talking about doing this for so long, and finally sucked it up and did it. The finance guy who handles all the paperwork said the car would likely last longer than I do. This model, the top rated for safety, should last for at least 300 thousand miles and/or 35 years, based on the average miles I drive a year. How about that?
One of the most upsetting things that happened was when he was trying to transfer my license plates from one vehicle to the other and it came up in the computer that I was driving on expired plates. WHAT??? How can that be? I always take care of that before I leave for WI...wait---I didn't go to WI this year. Somehow or another I neglected to renew my license plates on my birthday. Too busy making plans for the big party and I neglected to take care of something so elementary. I guess that's why we have the option of renewing for two years at a time. The guy assured me he would take care of it, not to worry, but I was freaked out. I would swear I put those stickers on. I hate when I do stuff like this!
Anyway, I drove home after lunch with Terri and took care of my insurance transfer and now I am resting on my bed. At 6:00 pm I am picking up Nancy with my new wheels for us to have dinner. We are celebrating the sale of her dad's house, the proceeds of which are all hers. Her parents lived there for 50 years, so there was no mortgage on it. This is almost three years since he passed away and she was his caregiver for 5 before that. She loved her daddy so much and every day she is thankful for him and the time they had. And tonight, she will thank him for the proceeds of the sale, and have a sandwich! We both have much for which to be thankful, and both of us need a good night's sleep!
