Wheeling and Dealing

Before moving to England last summer, we had to sell a lot of our belongings. What that means now is that since I am moving back to the states I am going to have to replace a lot of those items (and more since I had to leave some things behind). I need a new mixer, a vacuum, a toaster, a crock pot, a couch, a bed, a kitchen table, a car, a cell phone, and various other small items. But some need replacing sooner than others.

Like a car.

So today Stan took the day off work, we all piled into the car, and we drove about an hour to Elgin to look at some cars that I had found listed online. Two Toyota Corollas and one Honda Civic. All reasonably priced and comparable in mileage and features.

I ended up with this one...
It's a 2004 Toyota Corolla and I am pretty happy with it. Negotiating with the salesman gave me a stomachache and made me so nervous, but having my entourage for support made it more manageable. Every time the salesman went off to talk to his boss, I conferred with Mom and Stan and got ready for the next round.

It took a while - like four hours - but by the end of it I got a pretty good deal. I talked them down another $1000, got them to fix a wheel bearing and a piece of trim that was coming off, got new tires and a car wash. So there. I did it. Now I just need to get car insurance.