Two weeks, I told her.
That’s how long I needed.
Technically, I could use four.
I’m just not in a hurry to add to my monthly expenses.
She wants a new (to us) ride for baseball season.
She had a Discovery but it was too small.
Then she ordered a brand new Bronco, but it had to be built.
So she traded in the Discovery for a Mini-Van while we waited.
That was three years ago.
I called the Van our Baseball Adventure Vehicle.
Perfect for road trips and hauling gear and hauling stuff.
Lots of room for stretching out and comfort.
Plus it took E85, which made gassing up cheaper.
She liked it.
Except it was a mini-van, and she hated the title.
I drove an old Trailblazer from the early 2k’s
Completely paid off and cheap on insurance.
A controlled expense for a liability.
I don’t consider cars an asset.
She had an idea.
I would take over payments on the mini-van when she got the Bronco.
I agreed.
Until the Bronco came in one year late and two months early from the deadline Ford had given us.
One year late because of Covid delays in the supply chain.
Two months early because she told me May, and in the middle of February, I sent money somewhere else.
I always have to wait for money to come in, because of the two month delay in Amazon payments.
Back then.
So she knew the plan.
May.
Technically April 29.
But when the dealer called in Feb, she wanted it now, instead of then and stopped by on her way home from work to “just look at it.”
The dealer saw the Van, made an offer, and she came home in the Bronco.
So proud of the “deal” she got on the Van and proud of her new Cactus Gray Ford.
But the Trailblazer started showing signs of issues, so I got rid of it and got a sedan, since the Van was now off the table.
Paid for.
Low insurance.
Two things I like in a car.
My plan was to put together a little cash fund, get an old square body Ford truck, and fix it up over time.
I didn’t mind driving a Japanese shitbox for a couple of years while I build up some cash reserves.
She hated the car. So did 10.
Their list of complaints was long, starting with too low to the ground and not enough room.
We drove it to baseball tourneys in Florida and Texas.
Their grievances did not stop and after putting a lot of miles on the Bronco, there was a common refrain on every trip.
“I wish we would have kept the Van.”
So we agreed to get another one.
In a few weeks.
March.
End of March, in my mind.
But to illustrate the different ways people think, March is next week to her.
So she found a couple of vans to go look at, talking to a cousin who sells cars, and a baseball Dad from another team who manages a dealership.
She came home last night with pictures, proud of her research and with a plan for her and 10 to go look today.
And instructions to sell my car or get it ready for trade in, and starting in March/April, my expenses are going to increase.
For a liability.
My plan to be ready two weeks earlier than expected, turned into a month.
Which is fine, I suppose.
I haven’t calculated the cost of rushing versus waiting, yet.
It might be a good thing.
Or it might take a couple hundred unexpected bucks from pocket and put it in an insurance agent’s or tax man’s or anywhere other than mine.
Baseball tourney’s start NEXT weekend, so in her mind, she was thinking we would have the new BAV ready for the road by then.
My thought was, we travel to Southaven MS the third weekend of March, so we take that last trip in the Bronco, and have the Adventure Van ready for the big trips to Kansas City, Oklahoma and Baton Rouge, and the little trips to Springdale, MS and Ruston all through April, May and June.
We just think along different tracks.
And my lesson is to learn how I don’t have to delay gratification on EVERY SINGLE THING.
Getting the Adventure Van early gives me time to get it road ready.
That should take me about… two weeks.
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