So, my husband and I hate our car ever since we've had our baby. It's a Hyundai Accent coupe hatchback, and my complaints about how hard the carseat was to put in didn't make an impression on my husband until he threw out his shoulder trying to put the darn thing in there! Now he's in agreement with me about needing a bigger car.
We're not in the greatest shape financially. Yes, I have a good job that pays well. But, he's a graduate student only bringing in a stipend (a good stipend though!) and we have daycare expenses and the current car's loan, and health insurance, and on and on. But the biggest thing is the car loan situation. I'm sick of having monthly payments. I think we're slightly upside down on our car loan (husband disagrees, thinks we're a little better than breaking even on it). Regardless of what our financial picture will be when we unload this car, I don't really want to be paying a couple hundred dollars a month for the next five years. I'd rather put that money into the bank, the kid's college fund, or braces fund, or next baby hospital bill fund, our our retirement fund.
My husband, in the meantime, is tired of owning small cars that rattle. When he decided he hates that car too and wants to get rid of it, he came in and asked me what I thought about getting a Mercedes E Class. I asked him how long we'd be paying on that for, and he replied, "a million years." In husband-speak, that means 5. But, our payment would work out to be the same as the one we're paying now and it would be a nice car.
Am I crazy for balking at the idea of getting a Mercedes? Seems like any woman would jump at the chance and slap me for thinking about saying anything besides "yes, please!" Yes, they're nice cars. Nicer than the used Honda (or Toyota) I've repeatedly asked him to get me since my last one was ruined, which he has repeatedly refused to get. He doesn't want a car that has been driven into the ground by a 16-year-old. I can certainly understand his point, but aren't Hondas and Toyotas among the most reliable cars ever? Wouldn't it make more financial sense to get one of them instead? Then there's that part of me that's admittedly ashamed of getting a nice car. I try to be non-materialistic, and many of my friends are anti-materialists who shun the idea of owning a car at all, much less a luxury brand of anything. While I'm too old to really care what other people think, I myself am sort of one of those people who looks down on other people for buying luxury products. Please don't judge me for that...I know it's wrong to look down on anyone. It's just a visceral reaction I have from being raised the way I was...never getting anything nice as a kid, even though my parents were quite wealthy, made me think there was something wrong with getting nice things.
The last thing I'm afraid about is the possibility of people's expectations and treatment of us changing because we own a luxury brand. When I had my baby, my father came off with a lot of money for us to cover hospital bills. We needed the help. But if he saw me driving around a fancy car, no matter how cheap it was, I doubt he would have been willing to help us. And while that situation is over, I can't help but feel afraid that that sentiment would permeate all of our interpersonal relationships.
What advice do you guys have to give me? After I expressed this to my husband, he said he quits, it's my decision, I'm the boss, do what I want. Those were beautiful words to hear, but a car has to be a mutual decision. Otherwise, you end up with resentment for years, just like I've had with this stupid Hyundai he picked that I didn't want so much.
We're not in the greatest shape financially. Yes, I have a good job that pays well. But, he's a graduate student only bringing in a stipend (a good stipend though!) and we have daycare expenses and the current car's loan, and health insurance, and on and on. But the biggest thing is the car loan situation. I'm sick of having monthly payments. I think we're slightly upside down on our car loan (husband disagrees, thinks we're a little better than breaking even on it). Regardless of what our financial picture will be when we unload this car, I don't really want to be paying a couple hundred dollars a month for the next five years. I'd rather put that money into the bank, the kid's college fund, or braces fund, or next baby hospital bill fund, our our retirement fund.
My husband, in the meantime, is tired of owning small cars that rattle. When he decided he hates that car too and wants to get rid of it, he came in and asked me what I thought about getting a Mercedes E Class. I asked him how long we'd be paying on that for, and he replied, "a million years." In husband-speak, that means 5. But, our payment would work out to be the same as the one we're paying now and it would be a nice car.
Am I crazy for balking at the idea of getting a Mercedes? Seems like any woman would jump at the chance and slap me for thinking about saying anything besides "yes, please!" Yes, they're nice cars. Nicer than the used Honda (or Toyota) I've repeatedly asked him to get me since my last one was ruined, which he has repeatedly refused to get. He doesn't want a car that has been driven into the ground by a 16-year-old. I can certainly understand his point, but aren't Hondas and Toyotas among the most reliable cars ever? Wouldn't it make more financial sense to get one of them instead? Then there's that part of me that's admittedly ashamed of getting a nice car. I try to be non-materialistic, and many of my friends are anti-materialists who shun the idea of owning a car at all, much less a luxury brand of anything. While I'm too old to really care what other people think, I myself am sort of one of those people who looks down on other people for buying luxury products. Please don't judge me for that...I know it's wrong to look down on anyone. It's just a visceral reaction I have from being raised the way I was...never getting anything nice as a kid, even though my parents were quite wealthy, made me think there was something wrong with getting nice things.
The last thing I'm afraid about is the possibility of people's expectations and treatment of us changing because we own a luxury brand. When I had my baby, my father came off with a lot of money for us to cover hospital bills. We needed the help. But if he saw me driving around a fancy car, no matter how cheap it was, I doubt he would have been willing to help us. And while that situation is over, I can't help but feel afraid that that sentiment would permeate all of our interpersonal relationships.
What advice do you guys have to give me? After I expressed this to my husband, he said he quits, it's my decision, I'm the boss, do what I want. Those were beautiful words to hear, but a car has to be a mutual decision. Otherwise, you end up with resentment for years, just like I've had with this stupid Hyundai he picked that I didn't want so much.
