My First Car

If you would have told me back when I was  trying to buy my first car that I would one day have six kids (soon to be 7) and be in the market for a new, bigger family vehicle, I would have thought you were crazy! It’s amazing how times have changed. I remember shopping for my first car, I was so overwhelmed and no idea where or how to even begin the process. My main concern was whether or not it had enough room to carry my frequent thrift shopping hauls, how many people I could comfortably fit in it (little did I know that I’d always need a lot of room, just not for friends or clothes) and whether or not it had a cd player. Yeah, it’s been that long! My needs were all vain and for fun, and I was clearly not ashamed to admit it!

I was lucky to found experienced car owners to answer my questions on what type of car would suit my needs and where and how to even get financed, but I was pretty young and just out of high school. I just wanted my first car to be brand new, so it wasn’t the easiest process to navigate. I wish I could go back in time and tell myself to slow down and not rush the process because I ended with something that was totally wrong for me at the time. Capital One’s Auto Navigator program (the one I mentioned here) allows you to search cars from eligible dealers (over 12,000 dealerships) inventory and find out within minutes if you prequalify for autofinancing with no risk to your credit score. They’ll even give you an estimate of your monthly payment and APR on the car you choose. Keep in mind, this is without even stepping into a dealership! If I had this it would have made things go so much smoother and would have given me the knowledge and confidence I so desperately needed in the whole process, all without leaving my house!

Now, as a parent, the key to getting things done within a reasonable amount of time and schedule is reliant on my car. Not just for me, but for my kids, my business, for FUN and it has to be a vehicle that I can fully trust in getting us where we need to go safely. With number 7 due in April (we’re having another girl), our needs haven’t exactly changed they have just expanded beyond my wildest dreams! Two of my six kids are drivers themselves (and will be using Capital One Auto Navigator when it’s time for them to upgrade) and work full time, so it’s given me a little wiggle room, allowing me to focus a bit more on what I want versus focusing soley on having room. However, I also want to be able to have them all jump if I want them to. It’s not going to be a vanity buy like my first car was, but I’m confident that with the help of Capital Ones Auto Navigator site that I will find the right car, save time and this time, be stress free.

For all your car buying needs, click here!

Thank you Capital One’s Auto Navigator site for sponsoring this post!  **All content and opinions are my own.