From Ghetto to Fabulous

Posted on December 22, 2004 4 Comments

My friend Natalia drives what she calls “the ghetto Jetta.” The appropriately-named car just turns off at random times – such as in the middle of a high-speed turn when cars are speeding towards her from all directions. She tells me this is pretty scary.

I wouldn’t know because I don’t drive. According to my personal calculations, I am in the .00001 percent of Americans over the age of 16 who do not have a drivers’ license. (Close your mouth, pick your jaw up off the floor. I don’t drive.) I never had the money for insurance or a car, for that matter, and I’m no good at driving so I never got a license. I did flunk the driver’s test a few times, though – so you can’t say I didn’t try.

Now I have a permit to practice with, but driving is still a totally foreign concept to me. The first night on the road, I started practicing in the nearest mall parking lot, where I was promptly pulled over by some cartoonish mall cops in a golf cart. I rolled my window down giddily, smiled and shouted out the window, “I HAVE A PERMIT!” They said good luck and told me I couldn’t practice there. I’m currently ruling the mean streets of suburban Oak Park in my boyfriend’s silver Mitsubishi Eclipse, but he rarely lets me cross the busy streets and I never drive on the expressway. For all purposes, public transit is fine by me.

For those of you who CAN drive, now is the time to think about upgrading from ghetto-mobile to fabulous, according to CNN. The article claims that auto dealers are trying to clear lots and meet annual sales goals, so they are more willing to cut you a deal. You can read the article here:

http://money.cnn.com/2004/12/22/pf/autos/wednesday_holiday_car_shopping/index.htm

Happy car shopping!

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4 Responses to “From Ghetto to Fabulous”

  1. Anonymous
    December 22nd, 2004 @ 9:46 pm

    Interesting site you have Nicole. Keep up the budget cause! We as Americans are woefully in debt! In my opinion and based on the current economic picture, its probably wise to have $$$ saved up in either a 401K or a savings account. It’s still tough when that new book or (shoes in the case of my wife) seems to call to you “Buy me Buy Me!”
    Tom @ sixthworld.com

  2. Anonymous
    December 23rd, 2004 @ 11:38 pm

    Hey BB, don’t fret!!! I’m 24 now and just got my first car and my First drivers license. (Thanks to my friends!!!)

  3. Anonymous
    December 23rd, 2004 @ 11:57 pm

    nicole,

    I recently started a financial blog directory (http://www.phatinvestor.com). I added your blog to it. I am hoping you can take a look at my site and place a link back to it from your blog, in case you like my site.

    I tried to find your contact info, but could not find it, that’s why i am posting a comment.

    thanks
    -ravi at phatinvestor dot com

  4. Anonymous
    February 27th, 2005 @ 7:49 am

    Been reading your budget blog. I don’t own a car either, which really makes the budget go. & Chicago, like Seattle, has a Flexcar program. Good luck in your savings. Take it from me, when you start to invest, saving really starts to get fun. Think of it as shopping for businesses, ‘stead of shoes.

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