I hate my car payment

Another resentment! I hate my car payment. I just hate having one. I love my car, don't get me wrong, but $300 a month to have it sit there, and then insurance on top of that? Hate.

My old car was paid off. It was 10 years old and a P.O.S., but I loved it. It had made numerous trips across the East coast, to the Mid-west, and across country when I moved. It fit all my worldly possessions, and it was a small car. Ahh, memories.

But it died (resentment!) a horrible death 2 years ago.

Here, you have to get your car tested for smog every 2 years. I took mine in, and it wouldn't pass the test. I had no idea what was wrong with it, and neither did my mechanic. He worked, and worked, and replaced pretty much everything but the engine itself. It cost me more money than the car was worth (which really wasn't a lot. I've spent more on the dog). But nothing. He even gave it to another friend to look at, and that guy couldn't figure it out. Mystery car.

The battery kept dying everywhere, too. Thank God for AAA. I had that thing towed from at least 5 locations to mechanics who had no idea what the hell was wrong with it.

I was driving home from work one day and, like I never did, I turned on the AC. Suddenly, black smoke came out from the vents. So I did what any person with a beater car does - I turned off the AC and ignored it.

A week or so later, I was up in the hills picking up my farm vegetable box (I'm such a dork), and the car wouldn't start again. Luckily, there was a guy outside who gave me a jump. I was so frustrated, that I swore I was going to finally get a new car. Little did I know....

I was going down a hill and came to a stop sign. The hill leveled out at the sign, and then went down again. I crossed the intersection and that was that. The entire car just died. DIED, died. The brakes didn't work, the steering didn't work, nothing. I could barely turn the wheel. But I managed to corkscrew it hard enough to the left to hit the curb, it went up on the curb, and ended in a lady's lawn. Sigh.

I got out and called AAA again. And smoked a cigarette. I knew it was over, so I started cleaning out the car. AAA towed it to my ex's mom's house where I was going to leave it in the driveway until I could get the junkers to come get it. My ex had to come over and help me get it in, though, because AAA left it on the side of the road, and I had to get it up the driveway (which is, of course, a hill). He pulled his car front bumper to my front bumper, we attached the cables to the batteries, and on the count of three I jammed on the gas and backed into the spot with him following me all the way. It made it! It lived there for three weeks until I could donate it.

Now, I have a nice, clean, (except the stupid thing on the back where someone keyed it while I was drunk - another story), and working. But it's not paid for. I hadn't had a car payment in 7 years, and all of a sudden I'm shelling out money like nobody's business. Damn. Resentment.