Vehicles

We're starting to think about replacing the van.

The rough plan has been to do so - well, actually, last year, so it's more like the ongoing plan. It's in pretty good shape, and as we had a major expense this year -- the bathroom remodel -- and we might have one next year -- the possible trip to France -- it could well be a couple of years till we do it. Still, we're thinking about it. That's how we do major expenses around here -- we think about it for a long time. Make notes. Write up spreadsheets with characteristics we'd like, characteristics we find in ads, and then we weight them. I remember one thing we bought, the spreadsheet was about forty items long -- and when we went through the whole weighting process, we ended up buying something we'd just thrown on there to be complete. Oh, we'll never buy that one, but go ahead, put it on.

We tend to keep vehicles about ten to twelve years -- the van is a 2002, so we're a bit early, this time; we put a lot of mileage on it this summer -- and so when we get it, it'll probably be the last one we get. After that (and possibly even this one) we're more likely to get a large car than a van. Our eye gets caught by some of those crossover vehicles. We still want the moving capability of the van in case we need it to cart the kiddo off to college in a couple of years (she's a junior now, and is thinking about college vaguely, but we're pushing the idea of do the first one or two years at a local community college, get the basics out of the way while still living at home). But after that, a crossover might fit the bill. With a sunroof. Our Buick Regal had a sunroof, and I really liked it, even when it started to jam and become balky. And a good sound system.

So, we're thinking.