Let's talk about cars. More specifically, let's talk about the dumb things we do in car showrooms that we end up paying for for years to come.

It's hard to listen to any radio or TV show very long without hearing from a half dozen fast-talking, backslapping car folks. The pitch is often the same, "Stop wasting money repairing that old clunker-step up to a brand new 2003 Supper-Dupper-Hippy-Dippy-Daddy-Bopper...This or That!"

I don't want to over-spiritualize what I have to say about car buying, however a comment from Jesus comes to mind as I write this. As He prepared his apostles to go out into the world, one of the Master's admonitions was, "Behold, I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves." (Matthew 10:16 NASV)

This short comment of Jesus' has served me well for much of my adult life. It reminds me that not everyone can be trusted. I need to keep my guard up and not believe everything I'm told. Sometimes a little skepticism is a good thing. Christians should not be ignorant and gullible people. We need to ask hard questions and drive fair deals. But, as Jesus also reminds us, we must be as "innocent as doves." I know there is the temptation to "fight fire with fire." But, as Christians, we need to avoid the urge to become cynical and dishonest ourselves. As a believer, my goal is to deal honestly, yet at the same time remain a good steward of my money.

That's why I believe it makes sense to think about car buying occasionally. After all, for many of us, our car is the second biggest expense we have after housing. As I present the No Debt No Sweat! Seminar at churches around the country, I hear stories about disastrous car purchases. Today the average car loan is some 55 months long and costs almost $380 per month. That's a lot of money.

In my book, No Debt No Sweat!, I write at length on cars: how to negotiate your best deal, how leases work, new vs. used, etc. While I don't have space here to go into as much detail, let me make a few observations.

To begin with, we have to face the fact: New cars DO NOT make good financial sense-period. Am I against owning a new car? No. But before buying one, I believe there are two things one should do:

1. Look yourself in the mirror and admit the truth, "This is a luxury-not a necessity. I want it because I want it-not because I need it." I don't care if it's a Cadillac or a Kia-it's a luxury. Why? Because anything that can drop in value by up to 40% in the first couple of years is not an investment! Is it wrong to have a luxury? Not necessarily. But, that leads us to point #2...

2. The only right way to buy a luxury item is if you can afford it. What do I mean by being able to afford it? I mean you are able to walk into the dealership, pick out the car you want, write a check for it, and drive it home never missing the money. If you can't do that, you can't afford it.