Car-buying advice from my father

The other day John and I went car shopping to replace our minivan. We went to a couple of dealerships to look around. At the second one, we decided to buy a car.

Purchasing an automobile is not my favorite thing to do—and I know I’m not alone. Many people do not enjoy car shopping. My father, however, loves buying cars. It’s not that he has loads of money to spend on them. As far as I can tell, his money has mostly gone toward educating his six children.

But car buying is a passion of my father’s. He is always full of advice on where to shop, which salesperson to speak with, and what kind of car to consider. He has stories to tell of the cars he’s bought and sold over the years—and he was full of tips when I told him we were going to be looking for another car.

The day that John and I went car shopping, my father was on the road, traveling on one of the marathon grandchildren-visiting trips he and my mother like to take. I had texted him that morning to tell him our shopping plans, so he called from the road a few times to check in on our progress.

During one of his calls, I explained that we were with the finance person.

“Great,” he said. “I really like the hybrids. Don’t say no to everything.”

I had to laugh because my father knows me so well. He knows I don’t like dealing with salespeople and that I can be extremely stubborn—especially about money.

Don’t say no to everything.

That turned out to be good advice for that day, as we took a couple cars for test drives and were dazzled by all the buttons and screens and beeps of these shiny vehicles. It would have been easier to walk away from it all and leave the decision for another time. I was still grieving the loss of my other car a bit, and the idea of buying something new was a little daunting.

But sometimes you need to pick a path. Sometimes you have to say yes to something. So, we did. And now we have a new car.

As summer begins, I have moments where I’m a little overwhelmed by the fullness and busyness of this season. Summer with two teenagers brings its own excitement, which I am so grateful for. But it can be a bit intimidating to look at their plans and hopes for summer and think of how to fit them in around what else we have to do.

Still, as we look ahead to the opportunities for summertime fun—and fun with friends and family—I’m going to try to keep my father’s words in mind. I won’t say no to everything. In fact, I’ll say yes more than I say no.

And we’ll put that car to use, too.

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