How to buy a car without having a panic attack (ok, maybe just one) Part 1

Our 1999 Chevy Cavalier kicked the bucket. Again. For the third time this year. Enough already! It was time to buy a replacement. We discussed buying another putt-putt car for The Husband, we discussed buying used, but ultimately decided that we should get a van and make it a new one since we keep cars forever (or at least until it breaks 3 times in 4 months after 16 years of faithful service and oh by the way doesn't fit your whole family anymore).

So... buying a new car. Filled me with dread. Negotiating. Sitting across a desk from a salesperson, knowing you are probably getting hosed but not being able to do anything about it. Ugh. Makes my IBS act up just thinking about it.

How the hell was I going to buy a car if I'd be in the dealership bathroom during the entire negotiation process?

Now, I suppose I could simply pay full price for a car. Then there wouldn't be any negotiations. Simple. I'd gladly pay full sticker price if I knew everyone else did. But they don't, so I didn't want to either. I had to find a way to buy a car without having to actually step into a dealership.

I wondered if I could buy a car by email. It's my favourite method of communication, after all. I figured if I could deal with a bank by phone and email, I might be able to buy a car that way, too.

I did a bit of googling and found out that using email to get price quotes is actually a thing now. And it's a thing that can save you a pile of dough. I was inspired by this link and this one and a little bit of this one. I was willing to give it a shot, because what did I have to lose? If it didn't work, then I could switch to more difficult approaches. You know, like those ones involving actually leaving your house (drastic, I know!).

We test drove vans, researched online, and narrowed our choices to a Toyota Sienna or Honda Odyssey. I stopped in at dealerships to play in vans with the kids, to better understand the logistics of three kids in a van. My kids loved this part. They climbed in and out of the seats, pressed buttons, opened the sliding doors, closed the sliding doors, put up the window shades, put down the window shades, pretended to drive the van.

Meanwhile I was concerned with details like access to the third row for kid 1. Where were the buttons for things? How did the middle seat in the middle row work? Did we really need that seat? How easy was it to fold down the back row? How did the middle seats move forward?

For me it was more about features than the driving experience. Online reviews complained that the Sienna was a boring drive. Honestly, my definition of a boring drive is one where no one is screaming, no one is kicking someone else in the face, and no one throws up. Boring drives are what I live for!

This is getting long, so stay tuned for part 2, coming soon!

Home Renos: The First Step

We have wanted to renovate/repair our house for several years but until now I've either been working on my PhD or had a baby. Or both. Now it is time to take on this new project.

Except I don't really know what to do.

It's really hard to start doing something when you don't know where to start. That's, like, procrastination city for me right there.

I knew I needed help, and lo and behold, someone who I sort of know, who is friends with a neighbour, is an interior designer! If I would have known that, I would have kidnapped her years ago!

Anyway, she is coming over on Wednesday to take a look at the house (ack!) and talk and I am ridiculously excited. Hopefully I won't have an IBS attack and miss the meeting (anxiety, you are a cruel friend). I am hoping that since I know her but not too well I will be able to talk/breathe my way off of any ledges I want to climb on.

We know our roof needs some work. And we need new windows. And a second bathroom. After that it's up in the air. I HATE our front room - it is dark even though it's west facing and the view out the front window is ugly 8 months of the year. One option is to open it up to the kitchen. That would add some light and make the front room more accessible. Speaking of the kitchen, it could use an update. Our cabinets from 1976 are wearing out/falling off. The drawers suck. Sensible storage is severely lacking. The layout is annoying for cooking and I really hate how the stove is right by the traffic path - it makes me nervous opening the oven.

Then there is our back door - the entrance we use most as a family. When we all come home at once, it's a shit show. 5 people in 9 square feet of space. And all the shoes! I'd like to make the area bigger (how? dunno!) and add a bunch of storage so we can keep our coats by the door we use the most to go outside.

No one ever phones me

Do you get a lot of phone calls?

Most days, I get one. From The Husband, telling me he's coming home.

The only other people who phone me are my Mom and my Dad. I get very sporadic calls from a couple of friends. And that's about it.

Of course then I have days like today, my Dad called me, I dunno, 5 times in one hour. He was calling me with an idea, then calling his car guy, then calling me back.

In other news, I think we're buying a van.

In other other news, I desperately need a laundry fairy, mostly to put away all the clothes in this house.

Rustling up the courage to sell stuff on Kijiji

I am a huge procrastinator. I will let the smallest obstacle stand in the way of doing something I'm not all that interested in doing.

Like selling stuff on Kijiji.

Well, it's more like I'm scared. It's new to me. So much could go wrong! I could price things like an idiot. Spell every word wrong in the add. Post pictures upside down. And how will people get in touch with me? You're not supposed to use your main email address. So then I need a new one. But what will it be? I haven't signed up for Twitter because I can't think of a good handle.

Yes. Seriously.

I have, like a good dozen email addressed floating out there, most of which I can't remember. And now I need a new email address.

Today I finally sucked it up and created yet another email address. Kijiji, here I come!