MY NEIGHBOR GOT A NEW CAR
I don’t know what kind it is, but I saw it
on TV running full speed along the shore (I don’t
live near the shore) throwing up spray or maybe
it was that one climbing up the steep mountain
trail thru the mud, rocks and snow. Very
exciting. (I don’t live near the mountains
either.) WOW! Just what I need.
But there are a few obstacles.
It costs about $28,000. (That’s close to the
average annual wage.) I have perfect credit and
they’ll give it to me for no money down. All I
have to do is make the monthly payments for the
next 5 years of only $541. Maybe it won’t be
that much because I’ll be trading in my car and
I have it almost paid for it.
I can see me now headed for the beach or
climbing that mountain in that shiny new car.
I tell my wife.
She says, “So”.
I say, “Waddayamean ‘so’?”
She elaborates that our car is almost paid for
and hasn’t a scratch on it. It looks like new
when it is washed and waxed and runs great. She
whacks me with if I want a different car we can
have this one repainted and put on new slip
covers. The transmission and AC have both been
replaced and it has less than 100,000 miles on
it. She remembers the engine is rated for
200,000 miles and the tires are good for another
50,000 miles. How does she recall those
statistics? I can’t win for losing with this
woman.
There is a tone in her voice that I know
means finality when she iterates, “You might want
a new car, but we don’t need one”. My reply is the
car might break down and may cost thousands to
fix”. Her lightning reply, “Well, it won’t cost
$28,000 and our insurance bill won’t go up
either. If you want payments you can make an
extra mortgage payment each month. Better yet
let’s knock down that credit card debt.”
I hear the air hissing out of my balloon.
No beach. No mountains. Forget all that practical
stuff like saving for retirement or having some
extra cash put away for emergencies. Damn.
BUT - my neighbor has a new car.
About the Author
Al Thomas' best selling book, "If It Doesn't Go
Up, Don't Buy It!" has helped thousands of
people make money and keep their profits with
his simple 2-step method. Read the first chapter
and receive his market letter at
www.mutualfundmagic.com and discover why he's
the man that Wall Street does not want you to
know. Copyright 2005