I paid off my Grand Prix!

"zeontestpilot" (zeontestpilot)
03/09/2018 at 10:00 • Filed to: None

I’m proud to say that I now have two cars, totally paid off, sitting in my driveway! For me, that’s a personal accomplishment!

I bought the pt cruiser in 2010 ( my first car that I bought myself), and paid it off in 5 years (the dealer agreement was 6 years), and I got the Grand Prix in 2015, and paid it off in about 3 years (the dealer agreement was 5 years). So no more monthly payments for me! ... until we get a minivan that is, but we decided to wait a year before we do that.

I know some of you guys have had numerous cars throughout the years, but just getting and paying off two cars within ten years just feels so nice to me!

DISCUSSION (40)

E90M3 > zeontestpilot
03/09/2018 at 10:02

Holding the title to the M3 for the first time in my hands was such a great feeling.

pip bip - choose Corrour > zeontestpilot
03/09/2018 at 10:07

never owed a cent on any of my cars as i always paid cash.

5 cars. 3 of them were brand new.

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > zeontestpilot
03/09/2018 at 10:07

Congratulations! That’s a big deal. I remember my first paid off car. It’s very nice to not deal with a payment. Many years later and still only one car payment at a time. So we always keep one of the paid off cars and replace one at a time now. We had many years where there were no payments, but kiddos come along and with three in car seats, the minivan purchase was made.

Enjoy the feeling for now. Cause it’s quite an accomplishment, especially in this day and age of folks thinking they need the newest this or that. I’m very happy for you.

Chuckles > zeontestpilot
03/09/2018 at 10:08

Congrats! It is a big accomplishment. For me, the hard part is not letting that lack of a payment change my lifestyle (or lead to another car). It’s so easy to just start spending the money that would have been your car payment, or diving into another car in a month or two.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > zeontestpilot
03/09/2018 at 10:08

Congrats. It’s a great feeling to not owe money on cars. Repairs don’t hurt as much either after that point since you can always think of it as, “well it’s only $X, which is less than Y payments”

CB > zeontestpilot
03/09/2018 at 10:09

Good stuff, ZTP!

WilliamsSW > zeontestpilot
03/09/2018 at 10:13

No car payment is best car payment! Congratulations!

BeaterGT > zeontestpilot
03/09/2018 at 10:18

Congratulations! Not too often do we see financial responsibility with our beloved vehicles, especially if you read the front page. I’m still working on the second car, hopefully this year.

Long-Voyager > zeontestpilot
03/09/2018 at 10:20

Save the monthly car payment for a couple years, then use that to buy a nice used minivan in cash.

Or buy something older and have some fun like I do.

shop-teacher > zeontestpilot
03/09/2018 at 10:34

That’s awesome! It’s SUCH a good feeling to be free of car payments ... I miss it :)

I was actually wondering about you the other day, since I hadn’t seen you around. Sounds like things are going well :)

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
03/09/2018 at 10:47

Until you look back and realize you spent 2600 on repairs last year for a Car you only drove 6/12 months. Aaand that’s when a car payment sounds good again!

HammerheadFistpunch > zeontestpilot
03/09/2018 at 10:55

Oh man thats a nice feeling. nice work.

Nothing > zeontestpilot
03/09/2018 at 10:56

Congrats! I have 1 year left on my wife’s car, 2 on the Taco. I could accelerate them a bit, but have 0% financing on 1 loan, 1.9% on the other. Still, there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of replacing one of them with something paid off. At least we have good equity in both of our vehicles, which is saying more than quite a few folks out there.

Nick Has an Exocet > zeontestpilot
03/09/2018 at 11:35

Time to buy a third.

^ My logic as a person in the same situation.

Arrivederci > zeontestpilot
03/09/2018 at 11:58

Congrats! I’ve only had one paid-off car in my life, and when we just paid my wife’s car off last year, someone crashed into her and totaled it. I’m hoping to keep the two we have now long after they’re paid for.

zeontestpilot > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
03/09/2018 at 12:19

Heh, just paid $500 earlier this week to get the bearings and brakes replaced. So I’m coming in even essentially, lol.

zeontestpilot > Chuckles
03/09/2018 at 12:21

Exactly! The money could go toward fixing it up.

zeontestpilot > merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc
03/09/2018 at 12:28

I’m happy for myself too, lol. I never thought it would come!

zeontestpilot > Long-Voyager
03/09/2018 at 12:35

A used minivan is what I had in mind, :).

zeontestpilot > Nothing
03/09/2018 at 12:39

We mainly paid off the prix so we could put the money into other things, like getting rid of debt or repairing the house/car.

Long-Voyager > zeontestpilot
03/09/2018 at 12:40

After owning 2nd gen Voyagers the modern vans all drive like rolly garbage comparably. The only minivan I’m even considering anymore is the Transit Connect.

I enjoy my older vans, they’re cheap to buy, cheap/easy to maintain/repair, extremely easy to modify, and average the same mileage as the modern vans in mixed driving. IMO they also offer better utility.

zeontestpilot > Arrivederci
03/09/2018 at 12:40

No idea if we’re keeping waiter car for the long run or not, still on the fence about it. We would wait for at least a year though before we do anything.

zeontestpilot > shop-teacher
03/09/2018 at 12:41

Ha, I got a new hawk the other day, been wanting to showcase it on lald. Last December we started redoing our bathroom, only to discover water damage and what not. We just got the bathroom fully operational earlier this week! -_-

zeontestpilot > BeaterGT
03/09/2018 at 12:43

My wife was the main pusher in this. She wants to be debt free, which is understandable. I just worry about getting the money, heh.

zeontestpilot > WilliamsSW
03/09/2018 at 12:43

Thank you!

zeontestpilot > pip bip - choose Corrour
03/09/2018 at 12:44

I don’t have funds like that. Both cars were obtained because I needed a car, and had little money to spend. I don’t mind payments, as long as they are under $200.

zeontestpilot > Nick Has an Exocet
03/09/2018 at 12:45

I’ve been asking my wife that for a few years, she keeps saying no, lol.

zeontestpilot > HammerheadFistpunch
03/09/2018 at 12:45

Thank you!

zeontestpilot > CB
03/09/2018 at 12:45

Thanks!

shop-teacher > zeontestpilot
03/09/2018 at 12:46

That’s usually how it goes!

Chuckles > zeontestpilot
03/09/2018 at 12:47

Lifestyle inflation is a very real thing too. If you suddenly have an extra $300 a month, it’s so easy to just spend that money on nights out, new electronics, or other random stuff. Before you know it, a year has gone by and instead of having an extra $3,600 in savings, you just have more stuff. You get accustomed to having it, and then when you need a new car it’s hard to add back in a car payment.

Nick Has an Exocet > zeontestpilot
03/09/2018 at 14:26

Best of luck. What I have is “single logic”.

79 horsepower monster > zeontestpilot
03/09/2018 at 15:48

Congrats, what a good feeling it is!

I attempted to make an extra payment on my car, but was distracted, and accidentally somehow paid in full. I guess, as far as financial mistakes go, that was a pretty good one! It feels good to own it and not owe the money each month.

pip bip - choose Corrour > zeontestpilot
03/09/2018 at 19:16

sadly i’t don have funds to replace my current car

680,000km, mortgage is a killer for me.

zeontestpilot > Long-Voyager
03/10/2018 at 07:26

We were leaning towards a Chrysler town and country, lwb version. The one with fold down seats. It’ll also work like a truck, since I do a lot of house repairs myself and am limited in what I can take home in either current car.

zeontestpilot > 79 horsepower monster
03/10/2018 at 07:30

Indeed it does! :D

zeontestpilot > Chuckles
03/10/2018 at 07:34

Heh, the only thing I personally plan on changing is maybe once a month, hire a baby sitter and go out with the missus. Previously finances have been tight, and it’s taken a toll on us. We need some time to just enjoy life, without worrying about the kids. Her and I love to window shop at antique malls. Humorously, we rarely ever buy anything because it’s so expensive. And when I say expensive, it’s “that item is not worth that asking price”. We just like to see what’s available, lol.

Chuckles > zeontestpilot
03/10/2018 at 07:54

I see nothing wrong with that. I doubt that a night out and a sitter would cost anywhere near as much as a car payment.

zeontestpilot > Chuckles
03/12/2018 at 06:08

Exactly! Plus it’ll help alleviate some parental stress, lol.

Long-Voyager > zeontestpilot
03/12/2018 at 07:11

The Stow-N-Go seats bother me. I find them uncomfortable and a nuisance as I have to lose seating to make use of floor space.

I prefer my old style as I can slide 8-10' boards under the seats and never lose seating. If I need more space I simply remove the seats, opening the whole rear to a perfectly flat floor. I’ve used my van like a truck many times, they work excellent for it (better than a short bed truck).

I know a lot of people enjoy the SNG seating, to me it’s a not a place I want my kids riding given the lack of comfort. If the kids aren’t comfortable, your trip isn’t going to be comfortable.