I’ve spent quite a bit of time thinking about vehicles this week as our van is in the shop for routine maintenance. Call me crazy, but nothing about an $1100 bill feels routine.
With 129,000 miles, our family’s primary vehicle was well over-due for its 100,000 mile coolant and transmission flush and tune up. The water pump was leaking and the air filter and wiper blades were in desperate need of replacement. I should confess that we bought this vehicle used with 15,000 miles and we’ve never taken it in for more than its 3,000-5,000 mile oil changes. We missed the recommended 50,000 mile service by 79,000 miles. It was definitely due for some TLC.
I drive a 2006 Chevy Uplander. It’s a mini-van, and there’s no way to dress it up as anything other than a family vehicle that often resembles our second living room/kitchen combo. In fact, it often smells like our bathroom. In the summertime you might find left behind towels and swim suits that have started to smell or sweaty socks and shoes that are removed as soon as is physically possible. There have been various drink and food spills, as we often eat on the go, and food is sometimes forgotten in one of the van’s many out of sight, out of mind storage compartments. My husband refers to the van as my second purse, but very little that is left in the van is actually mine.
Our van’s exterior has seen better days. I’m grateful that we’ve had space to keep it in a garage or carport as the paint job and clear coat are very nice, but the van has been in several fender benders during our 6 years of ownership and a close inspection reveals dents, dings, cracks and folds that serve as reminders of “experiences”. You’ll have to ask Franklin to recount the specifics for you.
Nine years ago Franklin and I began our journey toward Financial Peace with Dave Ramsey. At that time, we drove an Eddie Bauer limited edition Ford Expedition with leather seats and fanny warmers. That Expedition was the culmination of a long line of expensive vehicle decisions.
When Franklin and I began dating, I drove a little green compact 4 door. It was perfect for my little family of two, but I traded it in for a brand new sporty 2 door when we married and our income increased ever so slightly. We realized our folly when we became pregnant and thought through a second car seat in the very small back seat of our little silver bullet. We upsized to a Dodge Intrepid, and just 1 year later, we upsized again to the Expedition. Car fever is certainly an illness that is difficult to recover from, and I’ve felt myself on the verge of a relapse in recent months. I find myself envious of my friends’ cars and I often long for leather once again.
A friend and I were talking this past week about a “Spirit of Poverty”. We were discussing new jeans and $300 purses and I began to think about our van, our wardrobes, our diet, and the furnishings we have in our home. These are not new musings; and yet, we’ve chosen time and again to be frugal.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines frugal as, “careful about spending money or using things when you do not need to; using money or supplies in a very careful way.” I prefer that definition to the synonyms I also found, “scrimping, self-denying, monkish, miserly, and penny-pinching,” although I know that some might accurately describe me at given times.
My van really is just a means of physically getting from one place to another. In keeping my van, which should be in tip top shape for another several years after this week’s maintenance, I’m giving up a wee bit of comfort and a bit of pride and status, but I wouldn’t be at home pursuing a new business venture with another $400 monthly bill and an increase in insurance that a new car would require.
I certainly don’t have this all figured out, but when all is said and done, we want to honor God with our finances. We do not want a $400 car payment to be the thing that stops us from pursuing things of value that we feel called to do, but we also do not want to be seen as walking in a “Spirit of Poverty”. We do not want to imply that walking in faith is a life of self-denial; or is it? James 3:15, Luke 16:9, 1 Peter 2:11, Proverbs 21:20, 1 Timothy 6:10, Proverbs 27:23, Luke 14:28-30, Proverbs 22:7, Proverbs 6:1-5, and Romans 13:8 have given us pause regarding our finances for many years. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” Heavenly Father, that your Word rather than our culture, be my guide.