I turn 40 next week! It's safe to say that this milestone birthday has been on my mind lately, and has come through in recent episodes. So I thought it would be fun to explore this topic a bit, especially how it relates to midlife crisis car purchases including a very unique one I've just made as well!

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Running a dealership is difficult, expensive, and is challenging for me to pull off while maintaining fair prices and keeping customers from overpaying. But it's the only way I can be a one-stop-shop, guaranteeing that my clients avoid getting ripped off elsewhere. As I approach the end of my first year in business, I'm debating next steps, and I'm using this episode to share some insights in hopes of hearing your thoughts on the question of the day: Should I Quit?

Along the way, you'll learn about some of the expenses dealers incur and how they usually pass those along to their customers. You'll hear why I avoid using some to keep my costs down, as well as the challenges that presents. And in the end, it's all with the hope of hearing your honest feedback on this vital component of The Proper Car. 

Thanks for listening, and I truly look forward to hearing from you soon!

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Buying and selling cars on the private party marketplace has always been one of the best ways to maximize value, but it comes with some inherent risks that keep many from considering it. Unfortunately, that leaves around 50% of car shoppers losing thousands by choosing to trade their car in, and forces buyers to pay dealer markups, expensive fees, and more.

Thankfully, there are some new solutions emerging, and it seems they may be able to improve some of the biggest issues with the current situation. Today's episode dives into this topic, explaining the pros and cons of the private party marketplace, how the new solutions may prove to be helpful, and some behind the curtain information so you're as informed as possible about how it all works. It could save you a bunch of money and make your life easier, so listen in to learn more!

To learn more about The Proper Car and the services I provide, please check out the links below. Thanks for listening!

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A recent article published by Bloomberg hits home at so many of the points I've been making recently, and it felt like a great topic to cover to further highlight the massive costs we're tying up in our new cars recently. New cars are priced out of reach of most Americans these days, and the trend is only going up. I find that troubling for many reasons, which are discussed in today's episode.

To learn more about The Proper Car and the services I provide, please check out the links below. Thanks for listening!

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I've been shocked recently by my own research into the comparison of total car purchase and ownership costs when buying new versus used. Today, I break down the vast differences in how much this simple decision can impact your bank account. If you'd like to know how to put tens of thousands of dollars in your wallet,  this is the episode for you!

To learn more about The Proper Car and the services I provide, please check me out via the links below. Thanks for listening!

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Today's episode continues the conversation from an article I recently posted to Medium.com. My love of cars is significant, but my passion for making the world a better place will always take priority. I think there's a way forward where cars become less of a necessity – while not being completely eliminated – so that enthusiasts like myself still get to enjoy driving while helping to contribute to the greater good.

There's a lot to cover around this topic, so the full episode is used to give me time to cover a multitude of reasons why this can be a win-win solution. Actually, I find there are many benefits beyond just the obvious ones. I try to break down how this, like nearly everything, feels like a political issue, as well as my stance on those matters. I hope you'll benefit from hearing my thoughts and will share your own so we can learn from each other and move this conversation forward rather than letting it continue to be treated as too big to resolve.

To learn more about The Proper Car and the services I provide, please check out my website and social media pages linked below. Thanks for listening!

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Is your car for you? For your family? Or is it part of your image? Most of us buy cars for many reasons, and your car being an extension of your personality isn't a bad thing, but it can become an issue if you buy a car for the statement it makes.

Today's episode covers this somewhat touchy subject to help you ask yourself the right questions before you buy your next car. We explore creative ways to accomplish a similar objective to buying the flashy new car without breaking the bank, and get into lots of the thoughts to consider when car shopping.

I also share some news about an event I'm supporting for a local cinema I love, with a fun explanation on why places like this matter, as well as a little bit on the role cars play in movies. To support a/perture or purchase tickets to the event, please visit aperturecinema.com.

To learn more about The Proper Car and the services I provide, please check out my website and social media pages linked below. Thanks for listening!

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They say one of the best ways to learn is through making mistakes, and I have plenty of experience learning in this way. When it comes to cars, my lifelong interests weren't always met with patience or an awareness of the ways I was overspending and getting ripped off. I'd like to help you avoid the mistakes I've made.

Today's episode explains just how much I've learned over time, both from my years in the industry and personal experiences with car buying. I provide a breakdown of the costs for the cars my wife and I drive today, and compare that to the much more expensive path I've taken in the past. 

I also share a fun new tool I've added to the homepage of my website, The Proper Car Quiz! It's a great primer for conversations I have with clients, and might help to steer you in a better direction with your own car search. And, if it's just a way to break the ice for a conversation we may be able to have, then that's great, too.

To learn more about The Proper Car and the services I provide, please check out my website and social media pages linked below. Thanks for listening!

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As I covered on the last episode, and has been discussed many times so far, there are some big financial advantages if you keep your cars longer. But why is that the case, especially when new cars come with great warranties and have fewer maintenance needs than older cars?

Today's episode gives a thorough cost comparison using the examples of three different, and common, types of car buyers: The Long-Term Owner, the Loan Buyer, and the Lease Customer. Each one has it's benefits, but you may find the costs a bit surprising, so I hope you'll tune in to learn a lot more about the true costs of car ownership and the vastly different impacts they'll have on your budget.

I also share some thoughts on Automotive Trends in the intro portion of this show, explaining how we've had a few "brilliant" ideas come and go, and pointing out some current trends that I hope we don't see around much longer.

To learn more about The Proper Car and the services I provide, please check out my website and social media pages linked below. Thanks for listening!

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If your goal is to keep your automotive expenses to a minimum, you'll probably hang onto your cars longer than the average American car buyer. And as a result, you may find yourself trying to figure out what to do one day when you're hit with an expensive repair. 

Do you pay for it on an older car so you can stay away from car payments? Do you use that money to put it down on a newer car? How do you pay for the repair? Cash? Credit? It's a tricky situation to figure out, and today's episode gets into this topic to help you plan ahead and figure out how to handle these issues when they potentially arise in the future. 

In the intro portion of the show I also talk about a certain well-known hybrid car, why it has a negative image, and my thoughts on why that shouldn't be the case. So we cover both a fun topic and one meant to help you with budgeting today, and I hope you enjoy.

To learn more about The Proper Car and the services I provide, please check out my website and social media pages linked below. Thanks for listening!

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