car Archives - Empathic Finance | Mike Pumphrey, AFC®

Do you know how much it costs to own a car?

Posted by Mike Pumphrey on October 16, 2023 | Featured | No Comments

A new study shows that the cost of owning a new car is rising sharply, but what does this mean for you, and how can you reduce costs? Cars are one of those places where people have assumptions that they … Read More … Read More

Tags: car, car insurance, car loans, car ownership

Why buying my car wasn’t (totally) a good financial decision

Posted by Mike Pumphrey on July 26, 2018 | Featured | No Comments

I own a 2004 Toyota Prius. It’s not a flashy car, at least it isn’t these days. It’s two models behind the current Prius, for one, and the Prius brand isn’t as flashy as, say, Tesla, these days. But I’m … Read More … Read More

Tags: car, Mazda, Prius, Toyota

Why not lease a car and then buy it?

Posted by Mike Pumphrey on July 12, 2018 | Featured | No Comments

If it wasn’t obvious, my post on reasons to lease a car wasn’t really in support of leasing a car, as I think that’s one of more financially foolish moves one can make, even worse than buying a new car. After … Read More … Read More

Tags: car, car lease, leasing

Here are 4 reasons to lease a car

Posted by Mike Pumphrey on July 9, 2018 | Featured | No Comments

So your car is dying, and you have decided that you need a new one. You’ve looked at buying used, you’ve looked at buying new, and then you’ve also thought of leasing. Is leasing right for you? … Read More

Tags: car, car lease, leasing

What would you do if your car died today?

Posted by Mike Pumphrey on April 30, 2018 | Featured | No Comments

“Mobility is empowerment” is a phrase I’ve long internalized. That goes for the micro level (being able to get from place to place) and the macro level (being able to move to another place). And if you are far away … Read More … Read More

Tags: car, car ownership, planning

How I handled my most recent impulse purchase

Posted by Mike Pumphrey on August 10, 2017 | Featured | No Comments

Once every six months or so, I drain my car’s battery. This isn’t an intentional thing, mind you. It’s just that I leave my car’s internal dome light on, and then go about my day, sometimes a few days, before … Read More … Read More

Tags: car, Costco, impulse purchases, roadside assistance

How my 1990 Geo Prizm helped me buy a home

Posted by Mike Pumphrey on January 23, 2017 | Featured | 2 Comments

Small moves today can create big possibilities tomorrow. In the same way, small moves years ago create big possibilities today. I’ve certainly seen this in my own life. The story starts, rather improbably, with a two hour wait on a train … Read More … Read More

Tags: car, purchases

How to shop for a rental car

Posted by Mike Pumphrey on June 26, 2014 | Featured | 5 Comments

I’m in the middle of a 10-day car rental right now. Total price was a little over $300, including taxes. And this was from a major national chain too. Took me awhile, but I found a good deal. I’ve … Read More … Read More

Tags: car, car rental, Costco

Why I don’t care about rental car loyalty

Posted by Mike Pumphrey on June 23, 2014 | Featured | 1 Comment

I’ve been renting cars for years. Some people are often surprised to know that I rented my first car at the age of 20, five years before the supposed “lowest” age of 25 (and even lower than the “lower … Read More … Read More

Tags: car, car rental

Greedy Lying Bastards, or how not to make a difference

Posted by Mike Pumphrey on March 18, 2013 | Featured | 3 Comments

I had the pleasure of seeing Greedy Lying Bastards recently, the new documentary from local filmmaker Craig Rosebraugh about the climate change denial industry. I knew with a name like “Greedy Lying Bastards” that it wasn’t likely to be … Read More … Read More

Tags: car, gas, land use, neighborhoods, oil, streets, transit, urban planning, zoning

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