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My husband’s niece just started college and is in desperate (or so she’ll have you believe) need of a vehicle. Being the cool aunt and uncle we offered to help, physically and financially.
So began the weekend from Hell.
.
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Said niece doesn’t want just any old car, no.
She wants an SUV.
.
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Have you ever priced decent used SUV’s during a global pandemic? I’m not exaggerating when I say our minds were blown.
.
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My idea of buying a 19 year old girl her first car does not include taking a mortgage on our house.
.
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The used car market in Maine is insane right now. They’re all selling for more than they’re worth and every vehicle we test drove had major issues the sellers weren’t interested in fixing.
.
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If we did see one we might consider buying?
It was gone 5 hours later.
.
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We spent 2 full days, visited countless dealers, scheduled numerous private seller appointments and logged over 600 miles.
The result? One possible we’re going to bring to our trusted mechanic for a thorough going over. It’s $2,000 more than we wanted to spend, but right now it’s literally the only option.
Is it any wonder that after bringing our niece back to school we ended the weekend at our local pub?
.
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Yes, those were all my dead and near dead soldiers. A tarantula margarita, a Moscow mule and two seasonal beers later? My mood had vastly improved.
Don’t judge. Car shopping is exhausting.
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River's world..... 
It’s easier and much less painful to jack one from a parking lot.
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That may be our next move.
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Judging from the amount of junk your husband keeps, I’d imagine he’s got a key to practically any car in his possession…
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You would think so, but I’ve never found any of his junk to actually be useful.
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You’re good people. That’s over and above.
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I’m beginning to think there’s such a thing as too good.
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Possibly.
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ENJOY!!
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If I could take my end of day adult beverages with me while we shop, I might.
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You have a cup with a cover? ……….. ooops! did I just give you my secret??
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Now that you mention it, I do….
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well? whatcha waitin’ fer?
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Buying any car, new or used, is stressful at any time, not just during a pandemic. Hope the one you finally found passes the mechanic’s inspection. Your niece is very lucky to have relatives like you.
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She’s a good girl, and we’re glad to help. But it’s her first car! I think anything with wheels would be an improvement over being stranded.
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I hear you. My oldest daughter got stranded in a bad part of town when her older vehicle broke down as she was coming home from a late college class. Fortunately, she had a male classmate with her, and he stayed with her until my husband could get there. When my youngest enrolled in that same college, also as a commuter student, we took out a loan to buy her a new car. It was worth it for our peace of mind. Of course, back then small new cars weren’t all that expensive – most likely what we paid was about what you are paying for your niece’s vehicle.
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We naively thought $4,000-$5,000 would purchase a halfway decent vehicle. Now we’re up to $7,500-$8,000.
😕
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Yes, shopping for a car is definitely something that should end with alcohol.
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I’m thinking it should start that way as well…
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At least it is good to know you are eating again!! (Though probably costs as much as a used car to eat out these days!)
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It’s just our local pub.
😉
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If I was buying someone a car, I’d be teaching them the phrase, “Beggars can’t be choosers.” Just saying.
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I was hoping that would be understood..
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What, pray tell, is in a tarantula margarita?
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Tarantula tequila ( look for it, it’s citrus ) apple pucker, sour mix and a muddled lime.
👍
https://tarantulatequila.com/
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That sounds abso-frickin’-lutely-delightful!
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It is. But I use the tarantula tequila for regular margaritas as well. Good stuff.
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I’ll be on the lookout for it!
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It’s blue. You can’t miss it!
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My first car was a dodgy Holden Camira that sounded like a heavy smoker with a wheezy cough. Cost less than $1000. Aren’t all first cars supposed to be cheap?! 😂
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I thought so, but apparently this is 2020 and all bets are off.
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