I have spent the last two days helping my easy child negotiate her first new car purchase. We went for test drives yesterday and narrowed down her choice last night. We then sent for drive out quotes from all of the local dealers and chose one to go with today.
easy child is now the proud owner of a brand new Mazda CX 5 SUV. She is so excited and thanked me for helping her with the process. She took my advice and asked my opinion each step of the way.
Why was it bittersweet? It highlighted the difference in her and her sister. easy child graduated from college with honors and has had a very successful first year of teaching. She saved up money towards the down payment and was able to qualify for her own loan. difficult child is driving yet another junker that we bought her and will never qualify for a new car loan with her ruined credit. And, of course, doesn't seem able to hold down a job.
Even more touching was that my easy child was still driving the 2002 Honda Civic that we had bought new for difficult child. difficult child promptly wrecked it and it passed over to easy child along the way. It has long since been paid off and we told easy child that she could use it towards her down payment. However, when she started the car buying process in earnest, she told husband and me that she didn't think it was fair for her to use the Civic as a down payment since she didn't pay for it and difficult child's car would not last much longer and would need the Civic.
We told her that we meant what we said but we would keep the car and give her what it was worth so she would still have money to add towards the down payment. The fact that she was willing to give that up almost made me cry.
Just another example of how different my two daughters are. Each successful step easy child makes toward adulthood contrasts with how emotionally crippled my difficult child is. Bittersweet.
~Kathy
easy child is now the proud owner of a brand new Mazda CX 5 SUV. She is so excited and thanked me for helping her with the process. She took my advice and asked my opinion each step of the way.
Why was it bittersweet? It highlighted the difference in her and her sister. easy child graduated from college with honors and has had a very successful first year of teaching. She saved up money towards the down payment and was able to qualify for her own loan. difficult child is driving yet another junker that we bought her and will never qualify for a new car loan with her ruined credit. And, of course, doesn't seem able to hold down a job.
Even more touching was that my easy child was still driving the 2002 Honda Civic that we had bought new for difficult child. difficult child promptly wrecked it and it passed over to easy child along the way. It has long since been paid off and we told easy child that she could use it towards her down payment. However, when she started the car buying process in earnest, she told husband and me that she didn't think it was fair for her to use the Civic as a down payment since she didn't pay for it and difficult child's car would not last much longer and would need the Civic.
We told her that we meant what we said but we would keep the car and give her what it was worth so she would still have money to add towards the down payment. The fact that she was willing to give that up almost made me cry.
Just another example of how different my two daughters are. Each successful step easy child makes toward adulthood contrasts with how emotionally crippled my difficult child is. Bittersweet.
~Kathy