About 5 years ago I was at a crossroads and made the wrong turn.  I was
young and having fun with life and had even gotten into a hobby of
souping my car up with a stereo system and lighting.  I had two jobs
and I was doing well enough. 


At that time, my dad decided to put his stamp on my life again.  I was
spending money keeping my 1992 Ford Escort on the road by fixing things
as they went bad.  My dad decided that I was wasting my money keeping a
car running and I needed an extra burden in my life to teach me how to
worry about money until payday.  He started to tell me to stop wasting
my money on car repairs and buy one. 

I took this advice and ran with it.  I did my research, went to a
couple of dealers that would finance me, and came up with a 1999 Dodge
neon.  The local 'good guy' dealer would finance me and the car had a
couple of things that attracted me.  It had a sunroof, and was a stick
shift.  I had done research and found out that the only major factory
defects on that car had been fixed in that year's model and I was ready
to sign the paperwork and get my car (3 year financing).


Unfortunately, dad thought he knew more about life than me, so he began
telling me again that I shouldn't get a car that was a stick shift and
began pushing me to goto the local discount auto retailer.  This was a
place called Auto Connection, and at the time they ran tv and radio ads
where the slogan was "We'll give you a car or we'll give you $500." 
Needless to say, when I went there, someone who was angry about the bad
deal they had gotten themselves into told me not to get a car from
there and sent me to Great Kneck Auto in Virginia Beach to get a car
from a man named Donovan. 


Donovan did a good job talking to my dad and eventually because my full
time job was new (I had switched the job I worked at for 8 years to
part time for my new job) I had to have my dad co-sign.  He also
convinced me that I needed to add a couple grand to the deal to get a
bumper to bumper warranty to the deal.  Of course the three pages of
small print eventually ruled out being able to use to warranty to fix
anything that broke on the car.

But anyway, Donovan hooked me up with a 5 year contract at 22% interest
on a car valued at $8995.  This being my first major purchase, I was
just happy to be able to drive off the lot with a car.  I didn't know
I'd be paying about $16,000 for a car and a warranty.  I always thought
'if anything doesn't look right my dad will know whats going on and
help me.' 


Well, here I am.  At the end of my last year, although because I had to
get extensions during the loan, my payoff date will be around
September.  I have about $2,100 dollars to go on a loan for a car
that's worth about $1,500 in mint condition.  I've spent more money
fixing things in this car than I had been spending on my old car, and
when my dad's car broke down, he started driving my old car and drove
it without fixing it until there was no hope for it.  So basically, the
moral of the story is, chose wisely.  A couple hundred dollars a year
on repairs is better than 5 years of slaving in bad jobs because you
can't afford to quit or your car will be reposessed.  Financing
companies are in business to make money, not look out for you.  Do your
research, find a deal that fits you, and stick with it.  Family will
only lead you to choices they would make and not ones that fit in with
your life.  Don't let them lead you astray.