I had to make sacrifices buying a cheap used car when my credit wasn’t good enough for a loan. Some would argue that a car loan is more expensive, but at least you’re left with a vehicle in much better condition and in far lower miles after you’ve finished paying off the loan. With an old used car, you’ll be paying exorbitant prices at the auto mechanic for the long term future until the car costs more to fix than what it’s worth. On top of that, if you manage to get the payments made on time, you will develop good credit for future purchases. Sometimes credit ratings and scores are assessed when you’re trying to rent a home or an apartment. Unfortunately, I have to make do with my current car in spite of its many problems. For instance, we’re already into early winter and my car’s heater stopped working recently. I had to prioritize fixing the heater before doing anything else because I will freeze in my car if I don’t. My commutes are over an hour in each direction and I need that heat or I’ll be really uncomfortable for a good portion of my day. This is how I’ve spent the last few weeks without my car’s heater working and it’s starting to drive me insane. I’m ecstatic that I finally have enough cash in hand to fix the heater, but it means I’ll be eating a lot of rice and beans throughout the next few weeks to make up for the installation costs. It’s worth the sacrifice with temperatures dropping every other week.