So our car is on its death bed. We found out a week er so ago that it needs a new alternator and a new transmission...in other words bye bye car. It's a white chevy malibu with 192,000 miles on it...no I didn't mistakenly add an extra zero....some people actually keep their cars that long.....actually I bet most of you can relate. She's had a good run and definitely held up to her end of the bargain so I don't blame her. It seems odd to me that I get a little attached to my cars and start talking about them as if they were people...but I do. Anyway Daniel and I had always kind of said when this one goes it's minivan time since we do have 3 kids and hopefully our family will only get bigger. So we've been roughly making plans to get a minivan. As a side note we also have another car, a 1985 Honda Civic hatchback, which Daniel drives to and from school....great gas mileage.....but quite small and not so pretty. Last night we were talking about how we'd come up with the money for the van ......I can't seem to sell enough on ebay to do it so we were trying to think of another way....when Daniel came up with what was according to him a Brilliant idea. "How about you drive the 85 Honda when the white car dies?" I was/am less than excited about this idea. Imagine me driving around me and three little people....in a car about the size of those rides at grocery stores....the ones that cost like 75 cents and give the kids whiplash....not to mention I don't know how to drive a stick shift.....and I'm too proud to learn. I've told my father-in-law and husband that I can get through this life without ever learning how and I wanted to prove that to them. ANyway it'd be like those clown cars at the circus...all of us getting into this car. But....we can't exactly afford a new car...not without student loans.....so I'm torn between being a thrifty person and sacrificing in order to stay out of debt.....and being comfortable...perhaps safe...and having the convenience of having two cars still in the family. ANy thoughts?