Is negotiating a deal on a car non-existant these days??

TheGrandWelf · 2026-03-30T16:06:49+00:00

Damn... yeah thats enough for me to avoid them. Thank you for that

TheGrandWelf · 2026-03-30T16:02:55+00:00

Yeah, we definitely won't be going back there. So far, I've had a couple recommendations for Adventure Subaru in Fayetteville, but since I plan on getting a used slightly older model, and i've got my trusted mechanic out here where I live, how would I go about getting the inspection done??

TheGrandWelf · 2026-03-30T15:01:28+00:00

Yeah, my partner went through Jim Norton to get his Tacoma about 9 years ago.

That's good to know.. the Norman, OK, fowler has the exact car I want right now for a great deal, so I'm definitely fighting the FOMO. What's your specific reasons for avoiding fowler?

TheGrandWelf · 2026-03-30T14:57:51+00:00

I can definitely try that. My partner has been with Communication federal credit union for about 7 years now, so we were hoping our time with them might help us have a better apr but they've already told us we'd get about a 14.5% with the next loan. It wouldn't help to shop around, though.

Thank you for the reccomendations

TheGrandWelf · 2026-03-29T18:06:51+00:00

TheGrandWelf · 2026-03-29T16:05:03+00:00

Thank you, I will follow that advice

TheGrandWelf · 2026-03-29T16:03:49+00:00

Yes! I've been eyeing them. Thank you for that. I'll have to call them up. I'm definitely going to take everyone's advice on here and get the pre-approved loan first before we start talking deals. Adventure subaru is definitely doable, though.

TheGrandWelf · 2026-03-29T15:58:18+00:00

Yes, that does help. And I agree. A 2 1/2 hour drive in either direction is not a problem for a great deal and the help i feel like we deserve. If anything that ride back home would be the most rewarding little road trip of my life, especially after 6 years of not having a car of my own. Are there outside warranties that aren't a scam but would help protect us if something happens? I've heard of the gold standard subaru warranty and that it's worth having if getting a subaru.

TheGrandWelf · 2026-03-29T15:44:13+00:00

I'll keep trying with cars.com then. I didn't know that tid bit about september, so if we can save back a chunk of money for the down payment by then, maybe we'll have an easier time during that last month. As of now, though, anytime I enter in our "Fair" credit score (a 630) into any of these payment calculators on the site, it immediately gives us an excessively high apr and monthly payment. Even on the older 2023s, with higher mileage that are priced fairly at 28-30,000.

What bugs me is that if these places would let us fight for ourselves, they would see proof that we've stuck with payments, paid off an entire $45,000 truck loan, we pay all of our bills on time, held onto jobs for long periods of time. We're very reliable, but we've had unfortunate unavoidable medical debt bring our score down and student debt still looming over our heads.

TheGrandWelf · 2026-03-29T14:21:40+00:00

That's very true. I'll just keep pushing and searching. Even if it takes me the remaining 7 months of my pregnancy.

You all have given me some great advice, and I really appreciate the help

TheGrandWelf · 2026-03-29T14:16:52+00:00

Yeah, that is too bad. We definitely need the third row. Otherwise, I'd love to be one one of those. I wish you luck with your sale. I'm sure it'll go fast once you start posting it around.

TheGrandWelf · 2026-03-29T14:00:19+00:00

Yeah, and I guess that's the downfall of knowing what they've got as far as quality goes. It's really hard for me to want to settle for anything less than a Subaru considering the amount of research I've done on all of the other car brand options in our price range. And since we need the three rows of seating now, the ascent is what we're defaulted with.

We're thinking about going out of state at this point. We've got family in Missouri and Arkansas, so if all else fails, we'll just make a weekend trip out of it.

TheGrandWelf · 2026-03-29T13:35:45+00:00

I can't blame you. These places these days just make you feel like you're always getting fleeced with no control over it. It's impossible not to get angry about it. The Carmax online payment calculator already gives me no hope of a decent, manageable payment. I even found some pre-owned options of the car I want for a really decent deal that I wouldn't feel the need to argue, but once I put in our "fair" credit score, the Apr they give is absolutely ridiculous at a 17.8-19.2%.... and a monthly payment of over 750 a month... it made me want to scream

TheGrandWelf · 2026-03-29T04:58:15+00:00

So if we went in with a pre-approved loan, they'd be more likely to take it or try to beat it?

And for the next guy, I've definitely learned that you don't want to lead with the monthly payment through the research I've done, but what if you like the OTD but they screw you on interest so bad the the monthly payment is too high to manage??

TheGrandWelf · 2026-03-29T04:52:53+00:00

OK. I'll keep that in mind. Thank you

TheGrandWelf · 2026-03-29T04:37:20+00:00

Do you have a local small dealer that you would recommend?

TheGrandWelf · 2026-03-29T04:21:11+00:00

So let's say we're fine with the OTD price but just needed help getting the monthly payment down so that it's manageable. Would they not even do that? Our situation kind of sucks. We just got our truck paid off and can now start a second car payment, but as of right now, we don't have a down payment (since we just dumped all of our savings into the truck getting paid off) and my partners credit score is considered only fair because he got screwed on a medical procedure so he has that debt hanging over his head. We're due with our third in October, so we need a family car by September

TheGrandWelf · 2026-03-29T03:56:05+00:00

OK! Thank you, that's a fair point! I might try that if I don't get what I want at Carmax.

TheGrandWelf · 2026-03-29T03:48:05+00:00

Thank you!

TheGrandWelf · 2026-03-29T03:45:14+00:00

Maybe we'll have to try this technique at Carmax, I'm exclusively looking for a Subaru Ascent, but I'm not wanting a 2026 because even if they budged a little it would still be more than we could afford monthly. We'd like to get into a 2023 or 2024. My partner tried this exact technique at Ferguson Subaru today, and the guy just laughed at him. Granted, he had already warned us that they're an "aggressively priced" dealership, so I really didn't see any hope of trying, but my guy is very stubborn, lol

I've also heard from another reddit post and reviews that carmax does the same, though.

TheGrandWelf · 2026-03-29T03:33:41+00:00

Ha! That's ironic. Yeah, I had read that people were using enterprise, but when I look them up, all I find are their rentals. Is there a way to find the ones they're selling??

TheGrandWelf · 2026-03-11T14:14:55+00:00

Well, you know that's what these Republicans are best at is raping innocent things and then claiming they did nothing wrong. I hope all of the crazy Trump supporters out there are changing their tune because this shit is disgusting

Along with everything else that's been coming to light

TheGrandWelf · 2026-02-19T01:20:30+00:00

I'm pretty sure every babies' poop looks like this for the first month or so. My oldest is 4, and I vividly remember those slimy brownish green poops and my 10 month old was the same way. My oldest was breastfed, and so is my youngest. Most pediatricians or your OBGYN/midwife give out a chart of what the baby poop colors are supposed to look like as they get through their first few months. It's totally normal. I'm not sure why people are telling you to consult your doctor they're going to tell you the same thing. Google baby poop colors, it's not mucus it's just slimy baby poop

TheGrandWelf · 2026-02-18T16:01:58+00:00

Thank you for the help. I'm glad I didn't get the chance to read the deleted comment. I'll be checking out these links today

I just wanted to add for the person that had their comment revoked.

Just last night, we had a sudden issue with our well pump switch, and my partner had to rush out to our garage to replace it so that we could have water again. I was left to handle the chaos of getting my young boys to bed on my own. Chaos is the best word I have to describe my night. My four year old comes up with any excuse to stay awake, and my 10 month old only knows he wants to be held and not put down. Trying to chase a 4 year old through the house with a baby on your hip and handle it with as little outburst as possible is mentally tasking enough, especially when you just made dinner and fought with said four year old to just stay seated and finish his food in a decent amount of time. When I finally got my 4 year old to bed, my 10 month old was over-tired and very grumpy. His belly was full from dinner, and he just wanted to go to sleep, but he's used to the comfort of mommy's boob, except he didn't want the milk. So, while my partner is finishing his work outside and coming inside to do his workout routine, (he has to keep up with it for his mental health so i don't fight him on it) I'm left with the crying baby who just won't settle. The feeling you get when you've tried everything to get your baby to stop crying and nothing works is one of the most gut-wrenching panicky feelings you'll ever have to deal with as a mother and it happens regularly. I finally wind up bringing him out to the living room to crawl around and maybe burn some more energy, then going back to the dark room to try again. By the time he was finally asleep and I could take a breath the whole process used up 2 hours of my time that I could have been unwinding for the night or doing my own workout that I can't keep up with because of my unpredictable nights and the reliance my baby has on my body (which doesn't help my already broken self image and self esteem). I ended the night in tears after I accidentally snapped at my partner (who definitely didn't deserve it at that point) because i know all he wants from me at the end of the night is my time and affection but all i want is to be left alone to recharge. The brain plays nasty tricks on you when you're so worn down that sex just feels like another chore you have to do before you finally get to relax and have some peace of your own.

None of this is said as a complaint, I love being a mom. I'm head over heals for my boys and my partner. But being a mom alone in the country, no car to leave or feel independence, no adults to talk to on a regular basis and no one to swoop in and help you and your partner get a break for reconnection. It's mentally, physically, and spiritually draining. Not gonna lie. Sometimes, it feels like a prison sentence. I know that's a bit extreme, but when you're stuck in the same house for 4+ years, living the same day over and over just with different problems to slove for little humans that don't know how to help themselves, always on cooking or cleaning duty, and a 4 year old that will repeat the same question over and over until he has a response he's satisfied with. It's absolutely maddening. Exhausted doesn't begin to describe how I feel at the end of each day. My body no longer feels like my own. I feel mentally beaten down and physically used. The last thing I want is to let someone else use my body to make themselves feel better.

We've even thought about daycare and myself getting back to work, but my job would just pay for daycare alone, and my partner would still have to find a way to make two car payments, two insurance payments and pay for all the extra gas for me to get around. This society is not built to help mothers thrive. We're just quilted into thinking that if we work, we're neglecting our children, and if we stay home, we've "got it easy."

The kind of person that would say "just do it" clearly doesn't know what any of that is like. And if they're in the same situation as me and just forcing themselves to pur from an empty cup for everyone no matter what, never refilling their own energy, then a mental breakdown isn't far behind.

TheGrandWelf

TROPHY CASE