All I knew was that whenever my gas tank was empty, I would fill it up. I didn't really care because I would fill up my tank using a credit card that my father had given me when I went off to college and which he paid for as a part of a deal we had worked out when I went to school. It wasn't until after I had graduated college and my father had turned my credit card over to me that I even remotely began to pay attention. Suddenly, I was responsible for making sure that I not only filled up my car but that when the bill came in each month, I was able to pay for it. Back then, gasoline prices were still fairly cheap, so I wasn't terribly worried. Then I purchased my very first car. I had had my eye on the Jeeps because I was a college athlete, and I thought that the Jeeps looked really sporty. Also, I was spending a considerable amount of time out at the beach during my graduate tenure and afterwards and thought that it would be great to be able to take the Jeep out for some 4-Wheeling. Against my mother and brother's advice, I went ahead and bought the Jeep. The only good feeling I had was when I initially drove the vehicle off of the dealership parking lot. After that, it was all downhill. I quickly realized that while the Jeep was good for a lot of things, none of these things were things that were particularly important or of use to me. I realized that I did A LOT of driving. For instance, because I am close to my family and they are out of state, I was making regular trips up to visit family and friends several times a year. Additionally, at the time when I purchased my vehicle, I had a job that was anywhere from 25-50 minutes away from where I lived (depending on traffic). Therefore, I was also doing a lot of stop and go driving, which absolutely killed me at the gas pump. To top things off, right after I bought my Jeep, the US economy tanked, forcing gas prices up through the roof. Needless to say, I was not a happy camper when I was spending $70 sometimes twice a week just to get me to and from work. If I had paid attention to my driving style and perhaps done a little more research prior to heading to the dealership, I would have steered clear of a sport utility vehicle and opted for a mid-sized sedan instead. Today, while I no longer drive a Jeep, I certainly have the battle scars that have been left from making an unwise decision several years ago. If you are going to purchase a new or a used vehicle, know your driving habits and research the vehicles ahead of time. Speak to other people (not those at dealerships) who currently own the vehicles you are interested in and see if it is worth it or not before you sign any paperwork.
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