ben I'm not sure why, but that djikstra quote just made me think of one of my Comp Sci profs who always said undergrad Computer Science majors shouldn't even touch a computer until 3rd or 4th year. But he was a computing theory guy, so he was probably a little biased.
So I bought a new car yesterday. And now, as I usually do after making almost any non-grocery purchase, I'm going through some serious buyer's remorse. Amplified by the huge amount I just put myself further in debt. I mean, I know I can afford the payments. Even with this, I'm still living well within my means. But I keep thinking do I want to make car payments? And should I have been a little more patient for a used 5 speed Impreza to show up somewhere? Should I have at least waited to check out one of those new Ford Fiestas everyone is raving about? I mean, the Fit was one of the three cars in my shortlist. And I got it in a color I like, and with the options I wanted. But I still can't escape the feeling I somehow rushed the decision. Despite the fact that I've been saying for years that I need to get a new car. I mean, I've been watching Fits since I went back to "real" work four years ago. And should I have put more money down? Logically, I know it's kind of a wash. I got .9% financing from Honda. So I can leave that down payment in the bank, (which earns about that much interest) and leave myself with a little more cash on hand for emergencies.
But I keep thinking about that car payment. Well within my means or not, I'm obsessing about it. Again, logically I know I can afford it, and it's just going to mean less money to throw away on junk every month. Since, let's be honest, I haven't been investing anything like I know I should be anyway. But still, I could be using that money to pay down my student loan faster. Or take a trip somewhere. Or just see how many months of emergency funds I can sock away.
Yeah, I know. White people's problems...
Oh what about the car? I like it. It's not exactly a powerhouse, but it's sure quieter on the highway than my old Accord. I also keep feeling a little sorry for that old Accord, summarily abandoning it to the Honda dealer like that after so many years of faithful service. I feel like I need a nice swedish guy to tell me i'm being crazy.
Maybe I just need to be a little less neurotic.
mom - E. W. Dijkstra
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