Part 2 of the Excitingly Scary News

(this is the photo I shared on facebook the nightbefore we picked up my dead car. I had a preminition the title would become true)

So after I finally came to the conclusion that my car was worth nothing. I started thinking about the family Van. Now I never really have liked our van much, it always felt to me like a mini bus more than fun to drive vehicle. But I figured well if my car is dead, I am stuck with the Van.

Then I started thinking about the problems the van had developed over the last few months.

1. It overheats in cold weather, and to stop it requires a glove and a turn of the radiator cap, then jumping back and hoping the hot stuff doesn't splatter on yourself.

2. The doors were randomly locking and unlocking both as you drove and when it was parked so it really was not a safe place to store anything.

3. The alarm had started to go off while driving, and did not like turning off, (very embarrassing)

4. The air conditioner didn't work

5. The heater no longer worked.

6. The cup holder sometimes fell out of the dash (and sometimes it didn't)

7. It had a huge dent in the back due to a parking lot, dent and run.

8. You could take the key out and it would still be running. (kind of scary to me)

9. The back wiper no longer worked and it got really muddy fast on a wet snow day making it hard to see.

10. Well numbers 1 through 9 were enough to convince me that perhaps the idea of holding on to the van and using my now busted car for a trade in for Jack's truck might no be the best idea for family safety and harmony. Oh and it also had the same miles as when our last van hit the dust.

So I spent sometime cruising craigs list, thinking perhaps I would take the money we had saved for a new to us camping trailer and spend on a new to us car, figuring we could save it back again since it would save us from getting a payment.

That's when I and found out the rumor I heard about the "cash for clunkers " government program making older secondhand vehicles sky rocket in price wasn't a rumor.

Now I am not a pick second hand buyer, but I do have a few things I want. I want the vehicle to have less miles than my own broken down one! and I want the add to at least say its in full working order! and nothing in my cash range meet any of those criteria not even in the small car section, and I searched the whole State.

So as I went to bed and prayed, I was coming to the conclusion, that the morning was going to hold some numbers that were going to be a bit frightening to this debt frugal gal.