Buying 1st car - going crazy

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willofgods

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Hey everyone,

Where others have found buying/leasing their 1st car as an exciting step in their life, it has become a step into insanity for me…

This is probably a symptom of many other problems in my life, but I need prayers - I’ve been obsessing over which car to get - I’m afraid of several things - that I won’t get the right car for me, and that I’ll end up picking the wrong one and regret it; also that whatever dealership I go to will try to swindle me…and I don’t even know in the first place what I can afford (I know what my budget can handle, but I don’t know if they’ll let me get this car or that for this reason or that…all mysteries to me :confused:)

I’ve been spending about 6 hours a day (give or take one or two hours, depending on the day) for over a month just researching what the best thing for me would be…at this point I think the best would be to give up and walk to work instead.

the whole thing is making me feel sick - then after it all I think to myself that I might as well be worshiping whatever this compulsion to research is and then I feel hopeless about even more things and it goes on.

I guess I just need prayers that I’ll get the right car, and not obsess and make myself sick. In the end, I need prayers to look to Him on the Cross…
 
Hail Mary, full of grace.
Our Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb,
Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
 
Lord it’s hard for any of us to get everything perfect in most decisions in our lives, so we have to do the best we can, and handle the flaws that are always in material and human things.
Please help this person to decide on the main desired characteristics, and what fits that criteria.

Please help this dear person to make decisions wisely, without angst, by prioritizing the highest preferences, and letting go some of the less important details, so there is less stress in making choices, even in such a long awaited one.

Lord, for his/her peace, let the choice be for an honest dealer, because not all are dishonest in any industry. There are good people anywhere.

Lord I commend this person’s needs to you in this and in other aspects of life.

God bless,
Kindly,
Trish
 
Whenever I get a car I rely on Consumer Reports. I don’t check other sources. Then over the last 40 years I always have bought good cars. Consumer Reports monthly magazine puts out a car buying guide every year–and this information is summarized every year in the annual Consumer Reports Buying Guide. You should find these at the local public library. Several people have given me advice on what car to buy when I was deciding on the car to buy, but when I checked Consumer Reports I found the cars these men advised are mediocre.
Several years ago I moved to the Philippines, but I still used Consumer Reports to be my guide when I bought a Toyota last year. I bought the last car issue of the magazine on ebay and had it sent to me.
You should let the experts give you advice.
You are right to worry about dealers. Some of them are dishonest–including when you take your car in to be fixed. Maybe you can ask people you know what dealers treat them well, when they have their car repaired. If you do find a dealer you believe is a good one, you should tell them you will have all your work done with them and so will be a regular customer.
 
Edmunds.com has lots of good tutorials that will help you not to get “swindled”.

A car is a big purchase and no car is likely to have everything you want for the price you want. Just make a decision and don’t look back. There’s always the next time. 👍

Prayers.:gopray2:
 
Relax. You will make a mistake or two. We all did/do. Its called learning.

After you buy it… You will regret it. This is true no matter what you buy. When it happens don’t sweat it. Its normal. Then comes the hearing noises and being sure its going to fail at any moment. Just be aware this is normal. For most of us anyway.

Just don’t spend more than you can afford. Allow enough $$ for both regular and unexpected maintenance. And don’t borrow very much at all on them.

Do your best research, if you aren’t mechanically minded and are buying used w/o warranty then have a friend who can at least offer an educated opinion look it over.

Personally the worst mistake I made was asking my wife if she’d be ok with a stick shift. Looking at the car with her. Then at one point deciding to buy it, asking her again what she thought of it and the price and then saying, “Well ok. Then I’ll go talk to the dealer about it”. Apparently to me that meant “Lets buy it” but to her it meant “just talk a bit”.🤷

A fact which 20 years later is still cause for boisterous discussions when we get bored and need something to mutter about… 😃
 
if i were you getting a first car i think i’d get an old car you could fix yourself and a common make like ford, so scrapyards will pay you, almost, to take bits from them.
an old ford will also relieve you of many future worries that might overtake you because you cannot really worry too much about an old ford. and your first car will probably get a few bumps so a cheapo starters car is what most people buy as their first.
 
willofgods said:
Hey everyone,

Where others have found buying/leasing their 1st car as an exciting step in their life, it has become a step into insanity for me…

This is probably a symptom of many other problems in my life, but I need prayers - I’ve been obsessing over which car to get - I’m afraid of several things - that I won’t get the right car for me, and that I’ll end up picking the wrong one and regret it; also that whatever dealership I go to will try to swindle me…and I don’t even know in the first place what I can afford (I know what my budget can handle, but I don’t know if they’ll let me get this car or that for this reason or that…all mysteries to me :confused:)

I’ve been spending about 6 hours a day (give or take one or two hours, depending on the day) for over a month just researching what the best thing for me would be…at this point I think the best would be to give up and walk to work instead.

the whole thing is making me feel sick - then after it all I think to myself that I might as well be worshiping whatever this compulsion to research is and then I feel hopeless about even more things and it goes on.

I guess I just need prayers that I’ll get the right car, and not obsess and make myself sick. In the end, I need prayers to look to Him on the Cross…
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I would HIGHLY recommend finding someone who is experienced to help you with this. Car sales can be very rife with deceptive practices, and going to a car lot alone and inexperienced almost guarantees that you will come out on the losing end of the deal. Those salesmen are trained and have many techniques to make sure THEY do not lose money on the deal (not that you should try to get them to actually lose money, but you also do not want to pay a penny more than you should for the car that you want).

Whatever you do, establish your budget for the car BEFORE you step foot onto that car lot, and DO NOT BUDGE from it. Whatever you do, do NOT let the salesman decide how much you can spend. And WHATEVER you do, do NOT fall in love with any particular car, make of car, or color of car, or the salesman will have you right where he wants you.

I pray that you will take a break from your research and find a person you can trust to help guide you through this. It’s a very complicated process with a lot of pitfalls that can be avoided with guidance.
 
TheRealJuliane said:
I would HIGHLY recommend finding someone who is experienced to help you with this. Car sales can be very rife with deceptive practices, and going to a car lot alone and inexperienced almost guarantees that you will come out on the losing end of the deal. Those salesmen are trained and have many techniques to make sure THEY do not lose money on the deal (not that you should try to get them to actually lose money, but you also do not want to pay a penny more than you should for the car that you want).

Whatever you do, establish your budget for the car BEFORE you step foot onto that car lot, and DO NOT BUDGE from it. Whatever you do, do NOT let the salesman decide how much you can spend. And WHATEVER you do, do NOT fall in love with any particular car, make of car, or color of car, or the salesman will have you right where he wants you.

I pray that you will take a break from your research and find a person you can trust to help guide you through this. It’s a very complicated process with a lot of pitfalls that can be avoided with guidance.
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Good advice. You have to be willing to walk away. Never tell the salesman that you just *have *to have that particular car. Unless you want to see little dollar signs pop up in his eyes. 😛
 
I just said a prayer for you. May Mother Mary guide and protect you. God bless you.
 
It looks like those prayers worked; I didn’t obsess today.
I guess making a mistake is ok too. There really is always a next time and by then there will be new cars that make you ice cream 😃

Also I remember my parents saying they’d help as needed so I’ll bring in the cavalry!

I talked to my librarian and there’s a way for me to look at all the Consumer Reports online through the library so that’s a great idea too.

I don’t know how to fix cars (I can’t even change my own oil…the best I can do is check it and add some if it’s leaking - that and filling up the fluids) but it’s actually on one of my dream project lists - going to mechanics school to learn to fix cars :hammering:

I guess the worst that could happen is that I get an awful car and have to offer it up to God :newidea:

Thanks again everyone for all your prayers 🙂
 
willofgods said:
It looks like those prayers worked; I didn’t obsess today.
I guess making a mistake is ok too. There really is always a next time and by then there will be new cars that make you ice cream 😃

Also I remember my parents saying they’d help as needed so I’ll bring in the cavalry!

I talked to my librarian and there’s a way for me to look at all the Consumer Reports online through the library so that’s a great idea too.

I don’t know how to fix cars (I can’t even change my own oil…the best I can do is check it and add some if it’s leaking - that and filling up the fluids) but it’s actually on one of my dream project lists - going to mechanics school to learn to fix cars :hammering:

I guess the worst that could happen is that I get an awful car and have to offer it up to God :newidea:

Thanks again everyone for all your prayers 🙂
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Well, one of the things you need to learn is that changing the oil regularly is THE MOST important maintenance you can do for a car engine. That alone will make any car last longer. There are also really good additives that can help mitigate the results of putting corn into the gas tank.

Use ALL your resources and don’t get that awful car! If you’re buying used, Consumer Reports has a list of good used cars, and ones to AVOID at all costs. Very helpful.
 
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