More shopping, some spending

Mama and I had a very busy Friday evening and Saturday. I had her looking at new cars on Friday since we were considering buying the 2009 Saturn Versa from relatives of someone we know at Happy State Bank. I wanted to see the difference in both equipment and price before we even looked at the car; which we had scheduled for sometime on Saturday. So I met Mama at the house and we went to the dealer and test drove one of the little cars. It was better than I expected for a little car.


After we saw the dealer we went to 2J Motors to test drive a 2004 Dodge 2500 Diesel Crew Cab. I really liked the way it drove but I noticed later that evening that I had some suet on my boots. The only place I could imagine it to have come from was the diesel truck. On the same lot they had a 2008 Versa with 40k miles on it that they wanted $8950 for. So Mama and I are pretty convinced that the one we are looking at is a good buy. We will talk to the bank today about it.

I have to meet Mama at 4 p.m. today to take her to the mobile home dealer so we can sign the closing paperwork. I have yet to find out the finance charge we have been accessed or how long the term of the note will be. We are told all that will be worked out at closing. It is not a show stopper either way. We plan to pay off the note in only a couple years. I am actually more concerned about pulling together the money for the septic system than anything else.

I have spent very little time wondering if Grandma and Grandpa will like the mobile home. I suppose it is important on some level since they have agreed to make the payments on it, but I keep remembering that the money being spent is for a purchase rather than rent and all the items in the home will be ours. Where they now rent almost all of the furniture belongs to the owner – as well as plates, cups, bowls, pots and pans, etc. We will have to unpack quite a bit of stuff to outfit a home of our own now.

On the way home Friday night I let Mama look at a furniture store she really likes and we found a sofa she liked in the clearance corner. After we agreed to pay the $350 for it we discovered it was also a double recliner; an added bonus. We also found the corner piece of a sectional in the same fabric, same color, for $33. With the lack of furniture in Grandma and Grandpa’s possession we bought it to go in the trailer. To it we will add the two recliners we have in Amarillo so they will have some living room furniture when they move in.

When I got up Saturday morning my back was pretty sore so we contracted help to get the furniture rearranged. The tan love seat which is a double recliner was given to the De La Garzas in exchange for the sofa being moved into the house. As it turned out, it matched the sofa they had been given earlier. It displaced Rosie for a moment but she found a new spot to nest on the new sofa.

Mama is happy for the moment. Rosie is happy. It makes very little difference to me. I am pleased to have the cash to make it happen. Since we will have to make payment on the taxes we owe, I elected to use some of the money I had set aside to pay taxes to make the purchases.

I hope it will be money wisely spent.