Today I will share with you a story about my first car. You know, the one that you push more than drive. In my book " I Know What You Need to Succeed," I shared this fact and promised you to write a blog about this exciting story and how to resolve an issue that seems to have no solution.
If you have ever lived in Florida, you would know it is impossible to exist here with no car. It is nothing like all the other big cities I used to live in, where you can go anywhere with public transportation.
In 2013 when I had just arrived, it was obvious I needed to start thinking about getting a car to get a job to make money to buy my first car. Did you have to read that again? I had to. How could I buy a car to get to a job when I had no money because I didn’t have a job?
After six months of living in the U.S, I finally put enough money to buy a car for cash. But my "friend" suggested I take a loan for a few thousand dollars to start building my credit score. A credit score is great, but the piece of garbage vehicle that doesn't work and still requires monthly payments hurts you more than no credit score.
How do you feel when you purchase a car? How did you feel when you bought your first car?
I know... I felt so accomplished and in love with my first same "friend" recommended white Saturn. It looked great, almost like a new and it worked for exactly two weeks.
Yep. You read it right two weeks.
And then my escape room experience started. I felt so fooled by this "friend," and I took it back to the dealer who sold it t to me. They wanted to be nice and offered to take it to their repair shop at no charge first. It set there for six weeks, and I had to visit them every week to remind them that my car was still there and they needed to work on it. After six weeks, they finally gave up and said they had no idea what was wrong with it.
I went back to the dealer, asking them to take it to a different mechanic, and to my surprise, they agreed but offered only to pay 50% of the expense. At that point, I didn't care anymore. I needed a car to commute between the three Jobs I had.
So, another shop told me they figured out what was wrong and were able to fix the issue. Dealer came and paid and informed me that there was nothing else they would do if something else were wrong.
I was glad to drive it home that day, but only a few miles into my trip, it started to act as it did with the maximum speed of 10-15 miles per hour.
A long story short, this car visited all mechanic shops I could find, a total of five. The last shop really tried to find an issue and already was replacing one part at a time to see if it would work.
At that time, I was already two and half months with no car and three jobs, and monthly payments for the car I barely drove.
Working in TGI Fridays at that time, several same customers would come and spend their evenings there, including car dealers and people from the bank. I talked to people and asked if they would have any solution for this issue and how I could do anything with the car and the payment. I visited the bank trying to explain my situation, but of course, they didn't care.
After almost 3-month spending an enormous amount of money on a taxi, I pulled out all my savings and went car shopping once again. I would only pay cash this time, so I have a car to make it to all my jobs. I thought I would figure out what to do with that piece of junk later on.
I was able to find a car, but I was short of $500. These people listening to my story gave in and sold me a 2004 Pathfaunder for what I had on my hands. It wasn't over; I still had an inoperable car in one of the mechanic shops and a $2k loan.
I looked to solve this problem in any way possible. I was ready to accept the loss and just get rid of that car and the headache it gave me. The problem was I could not sell even for parts without a title. I talked to smart and knowledgeable people who dealt with cars and loans, asking them for a solution, and no one could offer me anything. The bank once again squeezed their shoulders to signal me they didn't know how to help me besides they needed to receive a payment from me monthly, so my credit score doesn't go to hell from the very beginning.
One morning I woke up with the light bulb shining brightly over my head. I had an idea.
I got ready to visit the bank before I had to be at work.
I walked in and asked to talk to my loan manager. I sat down in her office once again. She wasn't excited to see me. She probably thought: "What else does she need?".
"Please hear me out. I think this might work and let me finally sell this car. I bought a new car for cash. I have the title; it is right here. Can you transfer my loan from that car to my new car and release my title so I can finally get rid of it."
She looked at me and then said, " Let me go and ask my manager." The manager came back with her and said sure; we can do this. She explained to the loan agent how to do it, and in 10 minutes, I walked out with one less problem. The title was supposed to arrive in two weeks.
I placed my car on Craigslist for $1000, explaining that whoever is buying this needs to know how to fix it because six mechanics looked at it and no one could figure it out. I had a buyer very soon, and my headache was sold for $800 that was taken to the bank the next day.
Oh, how much easier and deeper I breathed that day and weeks after it.
Key Takeaways
Tip #1 - Sometimes, you need to let go and accept the loss
Life can throw at us different situations. Sometimes we lose things and money too. But if you can't fix it, the best way to deal with it is to let go and forgive yourself. Learn your lesson and become wiser from it. Then tell your friends and family the story; maybe they will learn too.
Tip #2 - Our brain likes problems
Our brain loves problems because it gets very busy finding a solution for them. Just don't overdo it. Set a time frame a day to think about the issue and live your life for the rest of the day.
Tip #3 - Talk about it
Talk about it, but don't complain. Tell people your story. They might have a solution for your issue. But don't present it as a complaint and don't look petty. Look for a solution, not for sorry.
Tip #4 - Know the problem, and the solution will come.
As I said, our brains are made to solve problems, and one day unexpectedly, it might present you with that light bulb over your head. Because even in your sleep, it works on putting facts together to come up with the next best idea. Don't be afraid of problems!
Tip #5 - Be creative
Don't be afraid to go and offer people idea that you might think is crazy. It might work!
Conclusion
Know you are absolutely capable of handling problems in your life. But having a person to brainstorm with and support can be a money breaker. A life coach can help you to find solutions much faster. Ready to work with me? - Book your free consultation here. Read More here.
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