# Woohoo! A small celebration of my automotive self-control! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 26, 2016, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woohoo-a-small-celebration-of-my-automotive-self-control/755756 "2016-05-26T18:22:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2016, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woohoo-a-small-celebration-of-my-automotive-self-control/755756/1 "2016-05-26T18:22:26Z")
I got really, really close to buying a shiny new car, but at the last moment exerted some self control/cost analysis and made the decision to invest a bit more in my current car (as in: two months’ worth of what payment on the new car would have been) and get her up to snuff. The series (trim-level) of the new car I _really_ want is considerably more than what I had saved and I’ve set-up a special savings account especially for purchasing in a few years. I was ready to hop into my second choice because I was blinded by shiny new-ness. I have a record of impulsive auto buys, so I’m memorializing this moment of good decision-making! ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2016, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woohoo-a-small-celebration-of-my-automotive-self-control/755756/2 "2016-05-26T18:49:00Z")
Now you are on the slippery slope towards driving a well maintained 20 year old vehicle. In my experience, it’s the ability to compare number of months of payments to the cost of a repair that is key there. It \* can\* actually make sense to spend $1,000 on repairing a $500 car, if said expense gets you 12 months more use out of it. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2016, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woohoo-a-small-celebration-of-my-automotive-self-control/755756/3 "2016-05-26T18:51:58Z")
Well done, **Jennshark**! It’s hard to pass up shiny and new, but settling for second best would have only left you resentful. Having a separate account is a great idea. ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2016, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woohoo-a-small-celebration-of-my-automotive-self-control/755756/4 "2016-05-26T19:16:20Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > Now you are on the slippery slope towards driving a well maintained 20 year old vehicle. > > In my experience, it’s the ability to compare number of months of payments to the cost of a repair that is key there. It \* can\* actually make sense to spend $1,000 on repairing a $500 car, if said expense gets you 12 months more use out of it. My mechanic thinks I could get another 25k+ out of the car, it’s in such good shape now. Since I average about 7k a year, I think I made a good wager 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2016, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woohoo-a-small-celebration-of-my-automotive-self-control/755756/5 "2016-05-26T19:33:24Z")
Woot! Look at all that fiscal responsibility goin’ on up in here! Great story! ---
**Author:** ![Totenfeier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@Totenfeier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Totenfeier)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2016, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woohoo-a-small-celebration-of-my-automotive-self-control/755756/6 "2016-05-26T19:52:40Z")
In one of their _Car_ _Talk_ books, Click & Clack, the Tappet Brothers (of course, Tom and Ray Magliozzi), they said something along the lines of “Your car needs a new engine? Put a new engine in it. Buying a new car is like putting in a new engine every month!”