Opposite of Regret?

Not sure what the opposite of regret is but I have been glad that I purchased my new car for a couple of months now. It was a long process as I originally was without a car for myself for about 7 months after I decided to save by trying to only have one car for the household. The previous car was a car that had given me so many problems almost since the first day I had purchased it so when an important part decided to die on me again, I thought it was time to move on.

While I got used not having a car by using Uber much more frequently in addition to my wife taking me everywhere, it became somewhat difficult as I often have to be quite mobile while in the office in addition to spending extra hours working as well. After a couple of months, I knew that I would need to buy another car but then had the stress about having another monthly payment whereas I had been used to not having one for over three years. I started the search and between test drives and online research, I saw a variety of cars; from Fords to Porsches (I have always wanted one).

An important consideration for me this time around was utility as well as the avoidance of putting me in a worst off financial position so I need to find some balance (and wait for Steem to moon for my Porsche). In the end, I was really excited about getting a Tesla as the test drive went well and the tax credits and gas savings would have probably offset some of the costs of owning normal cars in the short term. I also considered a truck for its utility and safety in addition to being an attractive price. I had also begun thinking about longer road trips so it really got my attention as well.

It really came down to the financial aspect as the Tesla was more expensive and would require monthly payment due to financing while I found a unique way to leverage some of my pending cash flows and great credit to virtually pay the truck off in less than a year. Therefore, I went with the truck and it was incredible to see how the salespersons are so trained to force a financing upon you. When I told them I was paying with a credit card, they wanted to charge me fees on top of the negotiated price! I was able to negotiate additional accessories in return and ended paying with the credit card which became my the largest purchase I have ever made on my card ever.

I had talked with the credit card Company to ensure my limits and conditions would not be a problem and was actually able to hold the balance interest free for 7 months! I leveraged this offer to use my cash flows to ensure that I would not have a shortfall in any months as well as monitor closely my other monthly expenses to avoid having to accumulate debt in the deadly plastic cards we all have. While it felt great to make the purchase months ago, it felt even better to make the final payment a couple of days ago.

I now have a great vehicle that the family has very much enjoyed and has opened out minds for more adventures as we consider future road trips. The truck has been very useful for our summer cleaning efforts as well the couple of long road trips we have had. We will also be buying some furniture soon so it will be helpful to have it to bring it home as well! While I originally had concerns switching so surprisingly the type of vehicles I drive, I am very happy with the decision. If I add the fact that I own it outright, I am even more proud of myself! This will be an important piece of my journey towards being financially independent in the next five years!