My car is in the shop. Remember a few weeks ago when my car got hit in a parking lot? Well, the stars finally aligned and I got things coordinated with the insurance company, the repair place, and the car rental establishment to fix my car starting today. It will hopefully be done by Friday.
In the meantime, I am driving a tin can on wheels rented Chevy Cobalt.
Look, my car is not particularly fancy. It is not a luxury brand. But after one day of driving El Craptastico (I name all my cars- this pet name seemed fitting for the Cobalt) I miss all the little touches that make me love my car.
Such as:
- the ability to change radio stations with a button on the steering wheel
- a steering wheel that adjusts upward high enough that it does not graze my knees
- a cupholder deep enough to accommodate a standard-sized soda can without threatening to tip over
- automatic door locks
- automatic windows
- automatic side mirror adjustors
- automatic anything, really
What’s funny is that I distinctly remember, when I was in the market for my current car, thinking that it was silly to pay for such “extras”. At the time, there were really only two options packages available on my car: the one I got, and the one fancier than I got. So I didn’t have to choose, individually, whether I wanted the sunglasses case that drops down from the ceiling, or the cd player- they were included in the base package. But I remember thinking that if I could have paid a couple hundred bucks less to NOT have those options, I would have.
Now, of course, I cannot imagine being so penny pinching when making a major purchase like a car. It’s not like I’m planning to jump into deluxe extras like exotic wood trims or heated seats with my next car purchase or anything, but in retrospect the value I’ve gotten from these seemingly “extra” features like the auto-lock button key fob thingy have DEFINITELY been worth a couple hundred bucks.
I suppose this is part of growing up, becoming more financially stable, and feeling less panicky about comparatively minor expenses. These days, I occasionally spring for the diet coke when I go out to lunch and don’t mentally berate myself for spending the $1.19. I buy ground turkey from Whole Foods instead of the discount grocer because it tastes a lot better. Recently, I purchased a plane ticket that was $25 more than the cheapest flight I found, simply because it took off at a more convenient time.
Seriously, what kind of money-burning maniac have I become? If I’m this way at 30, what will 40 bring? Ordering something other than the least-expensive glass of wine on the menu? Buying socks from a place other than Target? God forbid, a moonroof? The mind just reels.
