A few weeks ago, the air conditioning in the trusty car I’ve been driving for the past nine years stopped working. When I got the estimate to repair the leaks the mechanics found, I realized I was going to have to say goodbye to my car. Spending several thousand dollars on a car with over 256,000 miles wasn’t going to be a good use of my money.
Sadly, I began a halfhearted search for a new car. My husband, however, was excited that I could get a car that had all the newest safety features, and he happily started researching cars and local dealers.
We spent a couple of days looking at and test driving cars. Due to current supply chain issues, inventory of both new and used cars is limited and is moving rapidly so I felt pressure to decide what I wanted quickly. (Plus, no air conditioning isn’t so fun in our hot humid weather.)
How was I supposed to decide? All the cars were very similar — -mostly varying in their extra features. These features included snazzy sound systems, panoramic sunroofs, and heated steering wheels, which were all quite enticing.
For my first step, I asked the mechanics if there were any cars I should avoid from a repair standpoint. Their advice eliminated a couple of options. I also looked at online reviews for other expert opinions which narrowed my choices down a bit more.
Next, I looked more practically at what features I really needed. I wanted the new safety features and cargo space similar to my previous car. My husband and I were both dazzled by many of those extra features, but do I really need a heated steering wheel, especially if it costs more? Now I was down to two options.
One car was available immediately, was a color I really liked, and was slightly cheaper. The other wouldn’t arrive at the dealer for a couple of weeks and was just an OK color. While I liked both cars, the availability issue was a big factor since my current car had no air conditioning. The color and price tipped the scales, and I bought the car that was the color I really liked and was cheaper.
Buying a car is a big decision, but we can use the same process as we make other decisions.
First, we need to research our options and “test drive” them. Next, we can consult experts to gather more information. We should also consider what “features” are most important to us and which may not be worth the cost. Finally, we need to look at our current situation and make a final choice.
I’ve seen this process happen locally as the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. constructed their reopening plan to deal with COVID-19. BCSC officials talked with local health officials, parents, and other community members to come up with a preliminary plan. BCSC then made their plan available to the public and invited feedback. After reviewing responses, BCSC modified their plan to include things that many indicated were important. As school started, the current COVID situation changed, so BCSC went through this process again and ended up changing their policy to move mask wearing from optional to required.
Not everyone is happy with these changes, but when situations change, we need to reevaluate our options and what is most important to us. If I were buying a car in another month or two, I might not make the same decision since car availability may be different then and not be as important of a factor. I’m sure as the COVID situation continues to change, BCSC will continue to update their plan.
Hopefully, these examples can help you use this process as you evaluate options and make decisions.
