Unplanned fun

So much has happened in the last couple weeks and I can't say we planned any of it! It all started two weeks ago with a little shopping trip to Target.

We were in desperate need of groceries and some household items so I spent a couple hours and did some serious damage. I loaded up my little Honda CRV and headed home. On the way home from Target I pass several car dealerships. I could see the Toyota dealer coming up in the distance and thought of the commercial I had seen for zero financing for 60 months.

My faithful Honda has been an excellent car but was in need of some major service repairs that were much more expensive than the value of the vehicle. I'd been thinking about buying a new car for months and had done lots of research but was waiting for winter to be over. Winter in Chicago is really hard on your car, lots of salt and moisture!

So anyway, back to my story. I decided to pull into Toyota and ask them about the finance deal and which vehicles it applied to. A five minute conversation turned into a test drive of the Toyota Highlander. My groceries are fine, it's colder outside than it is in my refrigerator!

I drove the Highlander around and it was very nice. But I wasn't excited about it. So we returned to the dealership and I thought that would be the end of it. The sales lady could tell I wasn't sold so she asked me if there were any other vehicles I was interested in?

Well...I reluctantly told her that I had been looking at a preowned Lexus RX 350 that was up for auction in Arizona. But the cost to have the vehicle shipped and transfer tax was very expensive.

She told me they rarely get any RX 350's on the lot but if I would wait a few minutes she could search their system and see if they had any. Well, there was ONE.

It was a 2007, white, great millage, IDENTICAL to the one I was interested in buying from the Arizona auction. I could not believe my eyes! So of course, there had to be a test drive.

I climbed into the SUV and the seat fit me like a glove. I was sold, completely in love, and an hour later they were running my credit!!!! Oh my god, what and I doing?!?!?!? I was scared to death to call Greg and tell him, ummm...honey, I think I'm going to buy a car!

I told the people at Toyota I was not about to buy a car without my husband seeing it first. Greg was at work so they suggested I drive the car over to his office and show him! Hahaha! I can just picture the look on his face!

It was a very tempting idea. I called Greg and he told me he was just about to leave the office. So I suggested we meet for dinner, how about Panera? I drove the new car and waited in the parking lot for Greg to show up. He pulled into the parking lot and did not even notice me waiting in the new car. So I rolled down the window and whistled at him.

He looked over, saw me in the car, and smiled. Fheeew, a smiling face, I was relieved.

Greg: Nice car.

Me: Thanks, I think I'm gonna keep it.

Greg: Oh really...

I fill him in on all the details over some panini and soup. I think I had 2 bites. I was so nervous I couldn't really eat.

We went back to the Toyota dealer and 2 hours of negotiations later, I was transferring my groceries from faithful old "Bessy" to my new baby. I still can't believe it, I guess it's fair to say I'm an impulse shopper. But when it's right, sometimes you just know it! Two weeks later and I have no regrets, happy as a clam, sometimes I don't want to get out of my car!!!