Submitted by BodhiDMD t3_127h7bh in LifeProTips
If your old car is running fine but you keep craving a new one, splurge on the $10-20 for a car wash, not a new monthly payment. Vacuum the interior. Even wash it by hand if you have the time.
It will look and feel much newer and is much cheaper than thousands on a new/used car transaction. Especially with how inflated the car market is in the US. Obviously your individual situation and reasons for a new vehicle may vary.
Came here to say this. But get an INTERIOR detailing.
I have a 13 year old rav4, I’ve owned it for the past 8 years, have put 100k miles on it in that time, have had kids and dogs in it all the time. I’ve vacuumed it occasionally, and wiped down the dash with armor all or whatever.
This past week I had it detailed. I was floored. Obviously the scratches from my grill propane tank on the glove box didn’t come out…but years of stains on the seats did. The little area around the shifter, inside all of the little storage spots…everything.
Less than $200 and it honestly feels like sitting in a new car.
I think it's amazing what a detailer can do considering the price
Who just... FEELS like buying a new car because their own car basically looks dirty???
"Oh Edward, darling, I've noticed the Aston Martin has quite a dreadful smudge on it from when you last drove it through the rain. Please be a dear and go buy a new car, won't you?"
"And now off you go, dear. Pip-pip!"
No one buys a new car just because it’s dirty, the whole auto advertising industry is based off making you feel like you need a newer better car whether you do or not. Lots of people buy new cars because they think it’s cheaper than maintaining their old one, or to save a little on gas, but then pay a bunch on financing, taxes, etc without doing the math correctly.
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Did that with my PS3, but it's still old. And now not functioning. What do I do next?
You were supposed to hand wash it not run it through the automated car wash!
IF I had time. But there was none. So I put the wax option. At least I have a PS3 candle now that burns for hours...
Do people not normally wash their car regularly (frequency depending on where you live and if it’s muddy or dusty), and vacuum and wipe down the inside? Why would you wait until you want a new car to wash it?
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Ain’t no car wash gonna make my car nice
So after a week I want a new car again?
Yes, some people probably will always want a newer car. But even if you do an extreme example of a car wash every week ($15x52 weeks = $780 per year) that’s less than 1-2 monthly payments(average $716/month for a new car, $526/month used), not counting taxes and registration, higher insurance, etc.
https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/loans/auto-loans/average-monthly-car-payment
It will run much better, and is a good predictor that it will rain the next day.
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Dajukz t1_jee5qj7 wrote
If you have the cash might as well go to a car detailing service, they'll make that car look new (apart from the oil leaks)