The One-Year Plan Is Ending and It Was a Wonderful Year
I wondered the other day why gas prices have gone up. Today, I read an article examining the hike in prices, specifically throughout the Midwest. Several factors, a few of which involve Russia and Venezuela, are impacting gas prices. While I care about the increase, I'm not affected much since I barely drive anymore. Last week, I drove my car once -- to go out to the farm where I buy eggs. It's about twelve miles to the farm, and my plan for the next time I want eggs is to ride my bike out. Another plan I'm hatching is to be completely carfree by August 1.
What's interesting is the dealership where I bought my car has been calling, texting, and sending me letters saying they want my car. It's a 2014 Jeep Patriot Latitude, with 33,000 miles. The Blue Book value if I sell it myself is between $13,700 and $15,800. The dealership has offered me $9300 trade-in, though the Blue Book value for trade-in has it between $10,000 and $11,500. The dealership has also indicated they will buy it outright if I don't wish to trade it in on another car. I don't wish to get into another car, but I also don't want to sell the car to the dealership. I'm pretty sure they won't come near the $13,700. The car really is in excellent condition because I just don't use it.
So another plan is in the works. It'll benefit me and give me my carfree life, and it will benefit Funny Delightful Son who needs a car for work and for when he goes off to WIU. The car will be paid for, with no more payments, which will also bring the insurance down a bit more (though my monthly insurance is quite reasonable, even with both boys added to the policy -- thank you USAA!). And Funny Delightful Son will have a vehicle that will last him quite a few years if he takes care of it.
The only downside is what to do for Angel Baby. He's working, and he's planning to go back to school in the fall. I feel bad that my decision is impacting him, but he has said he's fine riding a bike to work (which is about a mile away from the house) and riding the bus out to school (which will be free since he's a student). He's not shy about asking friends for a ride if they're available, and his friends have been great about coming over to get him when they want to hang out somewhere. He really doesn't buy much for himself other than food, so maybe by the end of the summer he'll have enough saved up to pay for a decent used car.
The next few weeks will be busy with us moving. Lovely Beautiful Daughter will be off on her own. Funny Delightful Son will be off on his own. And Angel Baby, Ado, and I will be hauling our household plunder right next door. It'll be an easy move, for sure. My concerns about leaving this unit with its deck that Ado and I use a lot have been assuaged a bit. The landlord was out a few days ago and asked if Ado likes laying on the deck. When I said yes, we both spend a lot of time out there, the landlord then said he'll get something in place off the front unit so Ado and I can continue spending time outside like we've become accustomed to. There is a small deck right now, but it doesn't have a railing of any kind that can corral Ado. The landlord said he might even put up a privacy fence of some kind, adding more space for Ado to be able to go out and not have to be chained or on leash.
With this upcoming move, I decided to settle into a two-year plan. Last year at this time, the kids and I agreed to a one-year plan. That year is ending. It truly was a wonderful year with the kids. Now, the next two years will be spent in the unit we are moving into. I hope to help Angel Baby get through his associate's program, and I hope to complete three longer works I have started. At the end of the two years, Angel Baby and I will reassess to determine what comes next. Who knows -- maybe a complete change of scenery is in the cards. Maybe.
What's interesting is the dealership where I bought my car has been calling, texting, and sending me letters saying they want my car. It's a 2014 Jeep Patriot Latitude, with 33,000 miles. The Blue Book value if I sell it myself is between $13,700 and $15,800. The dealership has offered me $9300 trade-in, though the Blue Book value for trade-in has it between $10,000 and $11,500. The dealership has also indicated they will buy it outright if I don't wish to trade it in on another car. I don't wish to get into another car, but I also don't want to sell the car to the dealership. I'm pretty sure they won't come near the $13,700. The car really is in excellent condition because I just don't use it.
So another plan is in the works. It'll benefit me and give me my carfree life, and it will benefit Funny Delightful Son who needs a car for work and for when he goes off to WIU. The car will be paid for, with no more payments, which will also bring the insurance down a bit more (though my monthly insurance is quite reasonable, even with both boys added to the policy -- thank you USAA!). And Funny Delightful Son will have a vehicle that will last him quite a few years if he takes care of it.
The only downside is what to do for Angel Baby. He's working, and he's planning to go back to school in the fall. I feel bad that my decision is impacting him, but he has said he's fine riding a bike to work (which is about a mile away from the house) and riding the bus out to school (which will be free since he's a student). He's not shy about asking friends for a ride if they're available, and his friends have been great about coming over to get him when they want to hang out somewhere. He really doesn't buy much for himself other than food, so maybe by the end of the summer he'll have enough saved up to pay for a decent used car.
The next few weeks will be busy with us moving. Lovely Beautiful Daughter will be off on her own. Funny Delightful Son will be off on his own. And Angel Baby, Ado, and I will be hauling our household plunder right next door. It'll be an easy move, for sure. My concerns about leaving this unit with its deck that Ado and I use a lot have been assuaged a bit. The landlord was out a few days ago and asked if Ado likes laying on the deck. When I said yes, we both spend a lot of time out there, the landlord then said he'll get something in place off the front unit so Ado and I can continue spending time outside like we've become accustomed to. There is a small deck right now, but it doesn't have a railing of any kind that can corral Ado. The landlord said he might even put up a privacy fence of some kind, adding more space for Ado to be able to go out and not have to be chained or on leash.
With this upcoming move, I decided to settle into a two-year plan. Last year at this time, the kids and I agreed to a one-year plan. That year is ending. It truly was a wonderful year with the kids. Now, the next two years will be spent in the unit we are moving into. I hope to help Angel Baby get through his associate's program, and I hope to complete three longer works I have started. At the end of the two years, Angel Baby and I will reassess to determine what comes next. Who knows -- maybe a complete change of scenery is in the cards. Maybe.
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