New Car and Debt-B-Gone

Isn’t it pretty? That there GMC Acadia is our new car! With another kiddo on the way, and questionable tires on our old car, we have been in need of more stability and space while on the road. So we traded in the Jeep and got the Acadia last weekend (thank you Employee Pricing/Cashback Event) and with it we crossed an item off our “Do Before We Die” list. That item was paying cash for a vehicle, but to be fair…we must give credit where credit is due. Josh’s parents sold some property near their home in FL and gifted their sons with some money from that sale. That money enabled us to get the new car sooner rather than later, and even better…it also allowed us to entirely pay off a chunk of debt we have been carrying around for a LONG time. Over the past 6 years, just when we were on the brink of finishing it off, something big and expensive seemed to turn up that needed more immediate attention… moving, adoption, master’s degrees, moving again, finishing our upstairs so we could sell this house, downsizing to one income instead of two, you get the drift). So while the new car is fun and exciting … what really felt liberating was paying off the credit card once and for all. It makes a significant difference in our monthly budget and we are so, so thankful to Josh’s parents for the kind gift. We are now debt-free (excusing a very manageable and quickly diminishing student loan still) and it is feels so satisfying and empowering! With the sale of our house in Sept. and what is leftover from the gift from Josh’s parents, we say “Hello, Dave Ramsey Baby Steps 3 and 4!”

On another note, just to keep us grounded, we managed to put the first scratch on the car. Can you spot it? Look closely on the left. We have the touch up paint on order already. :)