Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Pam Roach And Her "New" Old Car

Not known for my thrift...I thought I would tell this story.

I was tired of putting mileage on my summertime rag top car so Jim went looking for a commute car for me. He found it at a local Auburn dealer and we paid cash for it this weekend.

It is a 2002 maroon Alero..... 12,896 original miles.....(REALLY...under 13,000 miles) for $6,100.
The dealer said he paid $6,000 at a government auction. It had been in the motor pool.

I bought the car from the owner who was working the floor selling cars. Times are tough. I think he was now going to make his payroll.

In the meantime...it will do.

If you have short stories of how you are cutting back or making ends meet please comment to this entry. God bless us.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Senator,
I was at the Ways and Means Committee bungling a public testimony when I learned that the GAU was getting canceled and treatment was being reduced by 50%. I pondered that a long time this morning. What this means for families is that CPS action will remove the children and adopt them out much faster because there won't be services.
We must adapt quickly and develop a tribal attitude. I read somewhere many years ago about an asylum with an innovative director who changed strategies. Instead of doping everyone up, he used nutrition and exercise. He had them plant a large gardern then got them out there working it. Voila! Mental health improvements went through the roof.
We need to do what some cultures in this country have done and take over community development. We will need to "handle" our own problems pooling resources, obtaining housing and community gardening during this depression. Spring is coming and people with large pieces of land could offer that as a means for people to grow food and eat.
We need a place to put drug addicts who want to sober up without the government handouts. If a drug addicted woman gets pregnant, we need to as a community address it.
People need to get involved in public education like never before and instruct students in values and appropriate behaviors.
We may need to sacrifice our "personal space" and go more towards shared housing arrangements.
Families may need to look at some Asian methods and pool finances taking one at a time to elevate them to a position of stature as the funds become available.
Bartering needs to become more common and small business supported.
I think we need to beat them at their own game and the only way to do it, is to get our noses out of the govt pocketbook and heal our own communities without them.
Thats what I think, and I am sticking to it.
Jan Smith

Anonymous said...

Nothing as classy as that. In these tough times, my wife is looking into financial aid to go back to school, while I take my three kids to work with me, and I look for a night job.

We just pray that our health stays, home remains stable, and the cars keep running.

Anonymous said...

I do everything I must do on the way from one place to another. I got a tune up on the old car that, gets 38MPG. Battered but makes it from point A to point B. Got rid of the home phone. I am not there much anyway and have a cell. I cut cable TV. We have a DVD player and movies are free at the library. Shop for sale food and even use coupons for anything I can find one for. Amazing how spoiled I was before!
I managed to support 5 kids on less than I make now so this is a piece of cake!

Anonymous said...

I wish I could say I'm cutting back. I'm single, a public school bus driver, no savings, working payday to payday, and our department has seen huge cutbacks. I should be too...but, since August 1, 2008 I've taken a home equity loan and maxed out two credit cards, to the tune of nearly 18,000. What am I doing? Buying a car? Taking a trip? NO, I am trying to SAVE MY PRECIOUS 4-YEAR OLD DEVELOPMENTALLY DELAYED NEPHEW FROM CPS ABUSE! Our family has endured 3 years of delays and lies, and now we have had to hire an attorney to try and save this little boy from a life sentence with his abusive, angry, violent and substance abusing parents. (Who, by the way, have had taxpayer paid attorneys and other services for more than three years.) WE will fight as long as it takes, but when the money runs out and our homes are gone...
Is there anyone out there who is interested in joining OUR fight? please?