Betcha didn’t see that one coming, eh? Haha…Yes, after 5 days of test driving, researching, and thinking about it all, I decided to buy the Cadillac :)

And to be honest, I’m not even sure it was the 100% best thing to do financially at this point, but I made a decision and I took the chance. That’s really the best way to learn anyways, right?

So how much did it cost? What are the deets?

The Price:
It was only $3,100! It was originally priced at $5k a month ago, then dropped to $4k, and then to $3,400 when I saw it. Guess the crazy high gas prices scared everyone away? Well I took advantage, and as much as i felt bad for the guy, I had to offer lower – $2,800 in fact. After some more bargaining, we finally settled on the $3,100.

The Car:
1993 Cadillac DeVille! Shiny maroon-red with tan leather interior, carriage top, and impeccably clean for a car it’s age. Seriously, the thing is a beast. The owner was a mechanic, and car fiend, so he tweaked all the parts and made sure it was in top shape. He even loaded it with a new exhaust system to get that nice gargling sound ;) Pimp, much? OH, and he also added an alarm system, along with key-less remote (which didn’t come standard) AND the best yet – A remote engine starter! haha… so i can start it from inside my house on a cold wintery day! MMmmmmmm.

The Financing:
Once I realized I was falling in love with it, it was time to figure out the financing. I checked w/ our local credit union, where my current car’s financed with, and they just laughed i my face saying the car was too old. I then checked out USAA, of course, and the best they could do was 6.75% – not bad, but not all that great.

Then i had one of those “Ah-Hah!” moments and got to thinking about my credit card! The interest is variable, but $hit, it’s only 5% right now! And plus, I only plan on having the “loan” until I can sell and payoff the SUV. Soooooo, I called back USAA and asked if there were any specials running and they were! If i used one of those checks they send out with the statements, I could put the entire $3,100 on it for a measly 3.4%! And it’s locked in for an entire year – now THAT’s more like it ;)

So now what?
Yes I found the perfect car, for a perfect price, and with perfect financing (for me, that is – i don’t recommend going the c/c route if you don’t work well with them), but now I have TWO cars. And that’s on top of Mrs. Budgetsaresexy’s car too!

Well, I now have to sell my SUV. And I have a feeling it’s gonna be a tough one these days. Anything with “SUV” and “higher gas prices” involved is sure to get tricky. And worst case? I’ll pay a little interest on the card, pay a little extra insurance, and drop the price a bit. I can’t imagine having the car for months on end (knock on wood), but it is something to consider…just not as yet ;)

So while a plan like this isn’t for everyone, i really feel like i’m on the right track and that I picked up a great opportunity. And not only for the car itself (which is totally rad), but for our financial future as well.

The day of zero car payments isn’t too far away!

All I have to do now is sit and pray for some good offers to come in. Can you imagine the relief of losing $443 monthly car payments? My goodness that’s sexciting :) I might have done things the other way around here, but damnit if i don’t feel alive right now. That’s life baby!