One month, Late Bloomers! Late 2 Bloom is one month old and there are 30 misfit flowers in the garden!
Things are looking bright today. The rain stopped long enough to find out what’s wrong with my truck, so now I can drive around without worrying I’m going to get pulled over. I swear, car trouble destroys my mood.
This week I’ve committed to another step in the blooming transition. I’m 32, I own my truck, but I’ve never had to buy a vehicle. This one was a gift to get me by and we’ve been replacing parts to keep her running for at least 10 years. Originally, the truck belonged to my mom, and I was driving a ’94 Mustang that was also a gift when I started college. The transmission on the Mustang had serious problems, so my mom used it as a trade-in for her new truck, and gave me her old truck (the one I have now). It’s a ’95 Chevy pickup on the outside, but just about everything that could be replaced inside has been.
I don’t handle surprises very well. I don’t like driving down the road and suddenly finding out it’s time to replace part of my tail light again. These kinds of things happen every other month lately, so it’s time to find a new ride. Okay, “new” is out of the question until I get more hours at work, but used is fine. Shopping around in my town led me to believe there was no way I could afford a car payment, so I thought if I wanted a car, I’d have to split payments with my boyfriend. After juggling some expenses, I found a way to free up nearly $100/month, and then I opened my search to the metroplex. Apparently, used cars are much cheaper there. I could even afford to make the payments on my own, which at 32 is something I feel like I should be able to do for myself. It should have been something I could do for myself ten years ago, but I guess without the proper medication, I didn’t feel like I could. I have friends who have gone through cars like they go through underwear, and I wonder how it’s no big deal. I was raised in a household that didn’t believe in buying used cars. My mother told me “Don’t get a used car. You’re just buying someone else’s problems. With a new car, you know everything that car has been through.” I valued that for many years, but I’ve never had a new car.
It won’t be right away. There are a couple things I need to do first: transfer my credit card balance to a new card with better rates, switch my health insurance, and finish paying for my dental work. I’m excited to take you on this journey with me, though. I hope it’s either educational or entertaining for you.
Happy 1st Month!