I Bought My Very Last Brand New Car

Twenty-one years ago today, I bought my very last brand-new car, a 2003 Honda Accord. I still have this car and it has 386,000 miles on it. Surprisingly it still runs great and has required very little maintenance. I drive it every week.

I have mixed feelings when I talk about this car. This car has taught me so much. You see this car was my first big purchase. I was only 21 years old at the time and I committed myself to $518.00 a month for 60 months. I was excited and determined to purchase this car all by myself. I didn’t ask my parents for help and it showed because I paid full price for the car and added on all the extras like an extended warranty. I just showed up at home one night saying “Look at my new car!” I remember saying it’s just $518.00 a month. I mean what did I know, I still lived at home with my parents.

Having my new car was nice at first. The new car smell. Pulling up to a stoplight and maybe a stranger thinking “Wow. That’s a nice car.” That all faded very quickly as I mailed that check in EVERY month for $518.00. As I drove this car I started to mature and learn more about money. How it can work for you and how it can work against you. How debt on a depreciating asset isn’t a good investment. How I was paying this monthly payment against something that was losing value every month. It was at that moment, I decided once I pay this car off I will never own a new car again. And I haven’t.

So while I am reminded of all the lessons this car has taught me and how I could go on about how debt works against you and how your life can be easier with no debt. How you don’t need a new car. The most important lesson this car taught me was contentment. This car has taught me to be content. To be happy with what I have. To be thankful for what I have. To appreciate what I have. I don’t always need a new car. I don’t always need the newest best thing. My 2003 Honda Accord has gotten me where I needed to go the last twenty-one years. That is all another new car would have done too.

The lesson of contentment has served me so well over the last twenty-one years. It has reminded me of what’s important and that “stuff” doesn’t make you happy. Especially if you have to go into a lot of debt for it. In fact, stuff just makes us busier because we have to work more for it…but I won’t go down that rabbit hole.

So this morning as I look out in my driveway and see my car, which is now worth about $1,500.00, I smile and think about all the wonderful lessons it has taught me. Was the car worth $31,080? No. But the lessons were!