The Feeling of Accomplishment

Just so you know, we here at Payne encourage impulse buying. I, for one, find the impulse buy to be a thrilling experience - finding something you weren't looking for, but with just one look at it, you know you don't want to live without it.

Buying a car impulsively is an exciting experience. You didn't know it when you woke up this morning, but you are going to drive home in a shiny, new gold Tahoe!! There is a strange feeling of accomplishment that goes with an impulse buy, though there's often a tinge of guilt that goes along with it.

However, we only encourage it when you can afford it. Personally, I've pulled some mental gymnastics to justify making certain purchases in the past, but I always knew that it wouldn't really hurt me to buy X item, it would just prevent me from eating out for a couple of weeks, or I might have to put off making another purchase I was planning on. And I'm okay with that.

It is very rewarding to buy something after saving for it. When we were kids and our parents made us save for a new bike or video game, it was easy - you just save your money and you'll get it. Sometimes Mom and Dad will even help you out. But when we are grown we find out the savings doesn't exactly work that way - you've got so much stuff to juggle, you have to decide if you want to buy something outright or spread out the payments through financing, and you also have to budget special savings to expect the unexpected. It's a lot tougher and sometimes can take a long time.

One of the best things we see here is when a family has worked hard, saved up, and is finally coming to us to buy the brand new Equinox they've wanted for a long time. Maybe Mom decided she wanted it after seeing it on a commercial, and she thought it would be great for the kids. So she and Dad talked it over and saved. And saved and saved and saved. And they budgeted. And they quit going to Chili's for a couple of months. And now they are ready to buy, with no worries. It's a great experience for us and them, not only because they own one of the best cars on the road, but because of the feeling of accomplishment that comes with reaching a goal.

Few things in life feel better than reaching a goal that you've worked hard for. Maybe it's something you've saved to buy, or maybe it's a bill you've worked hard to pay off. Or maybe it's when you've realized your diet has been working when you can fit into your old Wranglers again. Or you graduated college after you thought you never would. This feeling of accomplishment is different than the one you get from an impulse buy. There's no guilt, no worry, just a sense of pride and excitement for the future. Finally, I can drive in style!

And for those that are still in the savings/working process, let me tell you, there's nothing like The Home Stretch. The hard part is over! All you have to do is keep doing what you've already gotten used to doing over the past few weeks, months, or years. Yes, it is stressful to be able to see the finish line but not yet cross it, but just think! How hard was it to start this process? How difficult was it when you realized you were knee-deep in it, and for a moment felt there was no end in sight? There IS an end, and as long as you don't start celebrating too early, you are in the clear!!

Everyone has goals. When you set a goal, you are not alone. When you achieve a goal, however, you become part of an elite club.

Every individual here at Payne has goals, and as a dealership existing in the middle of a tough time for the auto industry, our business has goals, too. Let's work towards our goals together, ok? We'll see you here when your ready to get that Equinox. In the mean time, good luck to us all!