Car problems, they are the absolute worst. Especially when you know nothing about cars.
Recently my car has developed quite a few problems. It was getting older and starting to break down, a lot.
Since I have to be able to get to work, my car was not a luxury, it’s pretty much a necessity. As a single mother it is even more of a necessity. I need to have a vehicle I can depend on, no one wants to broken down on the side of the road with their kids. Or even scarier, not be able to pick your child up when you need to.
It was time to look at a new car. I would love to have a fancy car with all the latest bells and whistles, something I really wanted. However my budget would not allow it. I needed to be practical.
I bought a new car, the most inexpensive one I could find, with a great warranty. Now I won’t have to worry about it for a while.
As a single mother it’s important that we know the basics. We need to be able to fix minor things, like headlights and changing a battery, but more importantly, we need to find someone we trust to work on our cars.
Word of mouth is still the best way to find someone. A lady I used to work with has a husband who is a mechanic. Not only is he a mechanic but he has a daughter who is a single mother and understands the financial challenges we face. I knew every time I took my car to him that he would be as fair to me as possible.
That still doesn’t change the fact that as cars get older they get less dependable. I’ve traded not having a car payment for having peace of mind, I’ll have to cut back in other areas but it’s worth it.