I have to vent a little here on the holiday ads. It’s relentless, but the worst of them has to be the car commercials. The worst. The ad goes like this
Serene winter scene. Beautiful husband/wife comes running out to the driveway with a look of joy and complete love for his/her beautiful husband/wife and exclaims “Oh my God! You Bought Me a Car!” and all is right in the world with their new car (or two!) They even put a bow on it so everybody can see it’s a new car for Christmas! We’re the best people in the world!
Here’s the reality
“Oh my God, You Bought Me a Car!” with a look of terror, anger, and what-the-hell-is-the-matter-with-you. “You know we share expenses right? What happened to our previous (perfectly fine) car? What did this cost us and our children? You financed it? Great! So we get to pay interest as well on this thing we didn’t need and can’t afford? Did you even think this over? No, because you don’t think, ever. I should have listened to my father and never married you. Loser.”
OK, maybe that’s a bit harsh, but for the love of all that is holy, don’t fall for this ridiculous ploy. Reasons to purchase a new automobile are primarily
- Your current car has become unsafe
- Your current car has become unreliable
- Your current car requires repairs/maintenance that are very high compared to the value of the car
Cars are terrible investments. They lose value with time. Further a financed car is a double-whammy, you are paying interest on that thing that is losing value with time. They are necessary in our lives in general, and can bring joy for some, but are huge cost sinks. You buy a car when you need it, not as some gesture of romance or whatever.
And news flash, saddling your spouse with a huge financial obligation is not romantic! As a general rule, never make a major purchase without your spouse’s consent! Maybe you like fighting? If you share finances (and married people usually do) you are spending some of your spouse’s money! It’s not a gift, it’s not even a kind gesture.
Advertising in general likes to try to convince us that it takes buying their product to achieve happiness. I mean look at these happy, beautiful people! You could be happy and beautiful too, in a new Chevy! It’s like they expect us to forget they’re paid actors, reading scripted lines, and all of what they presented is make believe. Don’t fall for it, you’ll be much happier in the long run.