car shopping

SUCKS!!!!

man we havent ever had a problem with looking at cars before and we have always gotten what we needed and generally something we have liked. Not so anymore. On monday (09/20/10) while at the library our car was hit by a truck, luckily we were not in the car and luckily we were not hurt (I was opening the car door for emma to get in ...unusually i was doing this on the passenger side as opposed to the drivers side which is where we would normally have been- had we been on that side of the car with how far towards the back of the car Emma stands she most certainly would have been hit and most likely severely injured if not killed) Heavenly Father certainly watched over us that day.
But this left us with a transport problem, our car is undrivable and with the damage -according to the assessor most certainly a write off- we now are in need of a new vehicle. I cant stand salesmen (well thats not entirely accurate i dont mind them i just hate feeling pressured) and MATT is the one who is susceptible, its like we walk onto a car lot and  Matt is ready to walk off the lot with a car- it doesnt matter whether it is new or old in or out of our price range we are taking one home, a few times today i felt like i was dragging him away from a car and off the lot.
 In the past we have always gotten a car that is right for our family and our situation. But Im not sure which car is right for us right now? maybe its because we didnt see this coming? maybe its because i have had our chevy venture longer than any other car we/I have owned?(pretty sad since we will only have had it 3 yrs at the end of october) the gas mileage is horrific in it and THERE are ONLY 3 of us after all. granted like matt likes to point out every item of furniture we own we have been able to fit into our car(except our matress which prob would have fit had we tried)- including some appliances-a fridge freezer, an oven a deep freeze oh and he has also gotten a lawn tractor in there .

But now what car? and how much? should i buy a beater and save for THE CAR? whatever that car is -with the list of things Matt wants and the things i want in a car I think it might not exist yet :)

advice?


Oh and btw  matt and i are doing P90X and are blogging about that  here:  http://connewsp90x.blogspot.com/