Notes on the Re-Run for Monday, August 22nd.

I do like my Ford Ranger. It’s big enough and powerful enough for me needs right now, but I would love to have a little bit more space for camping, and in a year or so I think it will reach it’s end of cost-effective life at 13 years of age. Maybe not, but I’ve been saving for three years and the reality is full-size trucks now have fuel economy in the range of compact trucks of a decade ago.

— Andy

It’s probably no secret to anybody who reads my blog that I’ve been coveting a bigger pickup truck, with an extended cab, bigger bed, and a better off-road capacity. As I’ve also noted, I’ve been saving a big chunk of every paycheck to have enough money next year or the year after to buy that truck.

Yet, I realize it’s kind of silly. I still have a decent 1998 Ford Ranger regular cab short-bed, with only 95,000 miles on it. Driving only for pleasure, I probably will have less then 5,000 miles on it before the year’s end. It might be a bit old and rusty, but it still runs well with minimal problems. But I still want a bigger truck.

It’s not totally rational. I know I am buying into the consumerist mindset that I one level I supposedly reject as being vapid. But it would be so much more fun then my current Ford Ranger. Who wants to put money to upkeep a truck that I don’t really like that much, when I could be putting towards getting a new one?

It’s probably not a good attitude to have. I probably will drive more carelessly with my Ford Ranger and not maintain it as well as I should, secretly hoping that it will die, so I have to buy a new pickup. I need to avoid that attitude, as the truck is something I want to keep working,I also want to avoid financing as much as possible.