-Frugal Columbus Mama-: 5-11-11

7:30pm

It's been a long hot and tiring day.

I can't complain, at least it wasn't raining.

This morning me and mom hit the

thrift store. I got Jonathan an outfit

for the wedding. I just tried them on

an everything fits, Woo Hoo!

I don't even think there's a need to

hem the pants. Whew!

Pants were .49 cents half price.

Shirt was $1.99.

I also picked up Christopher

some more polo type shirts.

I've been noticing lately that

his shirt have stains down

the front of them so he

needed a few. The stained

shirts now become play shirts.

3 polo shirts .99 cents each.

-----------------------------------

Tony got off work today around

noon due to too much overtime he has

accumulated.

So we used that time wisely

to go car shopping with kids

in school.

We did find a couple cars

at one car lot we liked.

So when the kids got off the bus

we headed back to that car lot

to give the kids a trial run in

both of them in the backseats.

Gotta make sure they have enough

room and are comfortable.

Well everyone voted after

two test drives of two extremely

different cars.

One was a 1996 Geo Prizm

and the other a 2001 Dodge Stratus RT.

Which one do you think my hubby

and kids picked??!!

The Stratus.

The interior looked brand new

and the motor was really quiet sounding.

The outside has a couple flaws

but I can overlook that as long as

everything else, like the motor

and electrical things worked, especially

the cold air condition. Wasn't

getting a car without AC!

The car needs another battery

so tomorrow we go and do

the paper work and all that jazz

to give them time to get the new battery

and put it in as it was nearing closing time

when we were there.

We will be trading in our Lexus

for the Dodge.
The good thing-
They gave us the same amount
that we paid for the Lexus for
trade in!

Actually they wanted us to pay
$1400 more on top of our trade
for this car and we started to give
the keys back and tell him that
we cannot do the price they wanted.
We told them what we had to spend
and if they couldn't do that we
were walking. It took a little while
but they came down another $650
off that price to only $750 extra.
I saw the car advertised online
after we got home. It was $45 less
than what they told me. I think
I will haggle them when we go
do paperwork for that $45
since they told me the wrong price.
Hey $45 to me is a lot.
It could mean a trip to the grocery store!
They also included the tax and
title into everything.

It will be paid for.
NO payments!

Sometimes you gotta fall a few times
before climbing to the top of the ladder.
It took two cars to get to this point!
Being screwed with a 2001 Tracker
that was sold to us by a private owner
that ended up smoking worse than a freight train
with an engine that was about ready to blow
to trading it in for the Lexus only to get
screwed again by getting a salvage title
and a car with a dashboard readout
(speedometer, odometer, rpms)
that works when it wanted to,
to trading the Lexus in on this Dodge.
I am hoping and praying that the
third time is a charm.

Yes I am extremely tired at the moment
and sooo stressed, that you wouldn't understand,
about buying another car
with the way our luck's been going.

Here is the Stratus that I found
online last night.
Click HERE to see more photos.
Yes it has a little dinger on the
front quarter panel which I don't
care as long as it runs and drives
really good!! It'll put us free
and clear of having a car
with a salvage title!!

I have learned a couple things from
this car shopping experience.

American cars now seem to
be a foreign car underneath with an
American body style.

A Geo Prizm is pretty much
the same as a Toyota Corolla. It has a
Toyota motor in it.

A Dodge Stratus is pretty much the
same as a Mistubishi Eclipse. It has
a Mitsubishi motor in it.

A newer Geo now has the Chevrolet logo on it.
A Geo Tracker is pretty much
a Suzuki Sidekick with a
Suzuki motor.

A side by side comparison-
A 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse
with a 2001 Dodge Stratus.

Eclipse dashboard.