Debt Diet and Replacing Cars: How to Pay Cash for a Car

Posted on the 28 March 2012 by Simplybrookes
it has been 6  months since i celebrated this daythe day we could officiallydeclared at the top of our lungs
that wehadno morecredit card debt!
i swear i never ever want to be in that place again.
ever. 
we now pay off everything monthly,
sometimes sooner
and we
prefer it that way
(again, thanks to
this man and his book
can't say enough about it)
so with 6 months of dutiful financing underneath our beltwe must think about theinevitable
it is time.
it is time for us to upgrade the vehicle.
now most sane, normal, everyday americans go through this process every 3-4 years.some wait even 6-8 years.die hards will make it 10-12 years.
(the average is about every 5 years)
not sure what category we fall into.we have been driving our beast for14 years.  
crazy?i know.
this is us the year we  bought our car.
the twins are 5 months old and big sis is just two.

it truly has been the greatest car ever.
many treks to our beloved disneyland
back in the day.

this was the girls
all geared up for a dad's-only
camping trip.

not sure where the time goes but it has gone
so now the search has begun.let me add,
after we paid off our last car
(probably in 2008)
we continued to pay our car payment 
to ourselves.
**this is the key, peeps.
continue to pay yourself 
allowing at least 4-5 years of this 
and before you know it.
your pile of car payments to yourself 
is now equal to writing a check for your next car.
i know you want to celebrate
when you make that last car payment 
with a big steak dinner and 
more moolah for you.
but instead, 
start that 'car fund', 
stash it away
and watch it grow.


not a bad gig
really

lo and behold,
 we have a small stash of cash
ear marked just for that.
mamma needs new wheels.
so i must ask myself,what do i want to still be driving in at least 14 more years?
i have some ideas...
hint, hint...
ever pay cash for a car?
would love your thoughts, strategies, car ideas.
all of it.