Okay i'll write tomorrow and post photos of the trip.
But for now a quick update. Got the reimbursement from the insurance company. They are dealing with the other two cars that were damaged. We found a car over the weekend. It was a Nissan Leaf 2019 SL with cameras and sensors. Asking price was $10500. Out the door it was $13500 with taxes and fees. We bought it on tuesday after seeing it saturday and testing driving a chevy bolt on Monday.
Yes we told the kiddo that's not the norm. Normal families don't just walk in and buy a car with a check without major deliberation. We were on a time crunch. I left for my trip the next day.
But that got me thinking. That's what all of us save for and build for. To have financial freedom and flexibility. We tell people to build the 6 month EF and no CC debt and live below your means. Doing so is what gives you the financial freedom that can't be had without it. The dealer told us that someone had been in on Sunday and wanted to buy it but couldn't qualify for a loan. Thus they were trying to figure out the financing. But since we walked in and could write a check they would rather sell it on the spot than wait.
And that financial buffer we work so hard to build is the difference for most on here living frugally and budgeting. They make a concerted effort to live below their means. But we just have to remember how to spend.
May 13th, 2026 at 02:59 pm 1778684354