Proof that being around crapstick makes me dumber

Yesterday our vehicle’s AC crapped out and I found out it was going to be $1000 to replace. This vehicle is completely paid off and we (for once) had the money in the bank to fix it. However, what do I do, I listen to crapstick. He suggests we use the cash for clunkers program that the government is offering to get a new vehicle. It would have given us $9000 for our car (the Dodge dealer was matching the government’s money), based on the MPG’s, and that would have made our payments reasonable. So, we go to all the car dealers in town and none of them have the precious minivan that I’ve been so desperately wanting since I became the mom to three small people. They are all cleared out of stock on everything due to the government’s program. Anyway, I finally go to the Dodge dealer that has the van I REALLY wanted, the Grand Caravan, but alas they have no new ones either. It’s really weird to see empty car lots, but I digress. After all of this, I’m ready to throw in the towel and just fix the damn AC and pray that nothing else goes wrong. It is a 2002 vehicle and does have over 100,000 miles. I then, find out that according to the Dodge Dealer our vehicle wouldn’t qualify, even though Nissan said it would. I figure we should just leave and I’ll get my van when it is practical, but that’s NOT what crapstick had in mind. He decides that since we have $2000 in savings we should get a 2008 used Grand Caravan. I, because he’s around, get dumber financially by the second, so I go okay go on crapstick with your idea. He says we will be able to pay it off in three years anyway because we will be selling a large chunk of farm land worth apparently a lot. Okay crapstick, I say, as I get stupider and stupider. We need two vehicles anyway, he says. Needless to say, end result: I am now a proud, albeit dumb and broke, minivan owner. When will I learn not to go shopping with him? I could be so much richer right now and wouldn’t own a boat or an RV. Ugh