Little changes

So it seems like forever since I blogged. And, if it helps, I constantly berate myself for not doing it. But, I also have this whole life I've gotta take care of. LOL

The biggest change that has happened is that I am no longer a car-less punk. It had been getting more and more difficult to share Not-So-Ex's car. He was constantly having to sacrifice so that I would have the car to get the kids and I where we needed to be. So he laid down the law and said I needed a vehicle.

We talked quite a bit about it and decided that what we needed was a new vehicle (a first for me since I've always bought used) that was very basic, had a good reputation, was just big enough for our whole family, and was good on gas.

We narrowed it down online to a few makes and models with Ford Fiesta and Toyota Yaris being our primary interests. We looked at the Fords first and, while they were nice, they were a bit more than I wanted to spend and they weren't dealing much since they're brand new.

Then we checked out the Yaris and, while they were super cute, they were tiny and, although that appeals to me, I do have a husband that's almost 6'6 so that becomes an issue. Plus, there was a little sticker on the window that said the car was 100% made in Japan. I didn't think it would bother me, even though my hubs is a big union, made-in-America guy and so is my Dad, but seeing it printed out like that got to me. And I just couldn't do it.

When we were looking at the Yaris, we looked across the lot and saw what looked like a larger version. Both Not-So-Ex and I liked the look of it, so we checked it out. Turns out, it's called a Matrix and, while it was a little bit more than the Yaris, they were more than happy to deal on it.

After we looked at them that first time, we were both pretty smitten. I came home, did some research and saw that the gas mileage was great, they were 75% made in North America, and they had a pretty good safety record. So that night, Hubs, Hunt, & I checked out a few more and I fell for a bright red one. And we drove it home that night!