Well guys, I finally bought a new car. So here’s the deal. I had my Camry for almost 13 years and it had been a great car. Earlier this year though, I knew that sometime soon I’d probably need to buy a new one.

I knew that I definitely wanted an SUV but wasn’t sure what kind. In a perfect world, I would love an Audi Q5 or a Lexus RX 350. I first started looking at Audis (a few years used) and TBH, the prices were lower than I expected. Actually, when I compared them to the Lexus, the Audis were less expensive which I was surprised by. But the more research I did, it made sense. Audis are beautiful, yes. I mean, I feel like all foreign luxury cars are. However, a Lexus was way more reliable hence why it held it’s value so much more than the Audis. So  I then decided, okay if I get more of a luxury SUV, it’s going to be the Lexus.

The more I thought about it though, I started to reconsider. Could I afford the Lexus? Technically yes. But was it what I needed to be spending my money on? Probably not. Here’s the thing. I do believe if you work hard and you can afford something then you should buy it! There’s no guilt in that. However, just because you can afford to buy something doesn’t necessarily mean that you always should. So with this car situation, I personally wanted to pay for a car in cash. If you listen to any finance expert (hello Dave Ramsey) they always say to avoid having a car payment if at all possible (millionaires don’t have car payments–fact). Also, growing up my parents have always paid for their cars outright so when I was younger this is something I really wanted to do for myself also. My parents are not big car people in the sense that they don’t care about having a luxury car. Could they afford them and to pay for them in cash? Yeah. But just because they can, doesn’t mean that they do. So when I really thought it through, paying for the Lexus in cash wasn’t something I wanted to do. It was do-able but it would not have been a smart financial decision given all of our other expenses and investments. So the Lexus was off the table.

I then started looking into SUVs like the Mazda CX5, the RAV4, etc. when my Dad approached me and asked if I wanted to buy his car from him. My Dad had a 2014 Mazda CX5, white exterior and beige interior. Which lucky for me, was the exact color combination I was looking at. He said he was looking at getting a new car and if I wanted to buy his for what the dealership would pay him he would be happy to sell it to me. It was a no brainer. I could get the car I was looking at and that I genuinely liked, and not be left with a monthly car payment. So, I bought his Mazda CX5 and that is now my car!

I wanted to share this experience with you because I know it can sometimes feel like (especially on social media) that everyone has the nicest/newest car, home, etc. And I wanted to share the thought process that went into the decision behind me buying a car. It’s the same thought process that we went through when buying our home. No, we didn’t pay for our house in cash (I wish! One day) but, we did buy a house that was much lower than what we were approved for. Could we have bought a more expensive house? Yes. But did we need to and would it have been the best decision to set us up for future financial success? Probably not.

I do not think there is anything wrong with having nice things. Shit, if I could have bought that Lexus with cash and not have batted an eye, I would have done it! But, just because it seems like everyone else has “XYZ” doesn’t mean that they are in a good financial position. And if they are, it’s probably because they made smart decisions with their money earlier on instead of over extending themselves.

Hopefully this blog post gave you some good things to think about when thinking of buying a new car, or making a bigger purchase! xxC