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Welcome to Money As If, the opposite of whatever the hell an auto dealership add-on is. Today's warranties:
Car-buying in 2026
Return of the (value) Mac
Cute socks
— Jeanine
P.S. Money As If will be off next week, but back with the fresh green on March 20. In the meantime, if you enjoy these issues, share that referral link below! 😉
IN THESE, OUR (POSSIBLE) END TIMES
Should you wait to buy a car?
You guys, is it just me, or are cars stupid expensive? I mean, they are expensive, for sure. I'm just always slightly reluctant to roll out the "stupid" label, lest I (over)age myself. And yet …
Kelley Blue Book puts the average new-car price at around $50,000 over the last few months, with used-car prices just over half that ($25,333 as of January).
New car prices are up by ~67% since January 2012.
And that says nothing of financing costs (total fees, plus interest), which Bankrate puts, on average, at just under 7% for 60-month new-car loans, and ~7.4% for 48-month used-car loans.
Assuming these averages and a 20% down payment, you'd paid $792 a month and $57,523 in total for your new car, and $483 a month and $28,167 in total for your used car. So, yeah, cars are stupid expensive.
FWIW, I bought my first car back in 2011 — a new Mazda 3 — and it cost just under $20,000 and came with 0% financing.
Why are car prices so high?
Oh, you know, blame the usual suspects:
Supply chain issues (for lots of stuff, including a used-car demand spike and a semiconductor chip crisis)
Expensive technology, like emissions-control devices, touchscreens, and advanced driver-assistance systems
A renewed focus among automakers to prioritize SUVs, trucks, and luxury vehicles with higher price margins
Plain old
price-gouginginflation
As for car loan APRs, our weirdo economy's got the Federal Reserve treading carefully on interest rates — and auto loan rates tend to lag policy decisions, so there's been no real impetus for movement just yet.
So, should you wait to buy a car?
Ehh, timing this market, like many, many others, is hyper-difficult. Plus, a car is a car and, if you need one, you need one, so the choice is somewhat artificial. Plus, experts aren't all that confident that car costs will come down significantly anytime soon.
"Prices may soften slightly in certain segments, but structurally they're likely to remain higher than pre-2020 levels," says Shawn Miller, founder at The Cars Daily. "Manufacturers are controlling supply more carefully, and financing costs are still elevated."
If you have the luxury of time, it miiiiight pay to watch prices, interest rates, and car-buying incentives over the next six to 12 months. (Car dealers tend to offer cash rebates, low financing deals, lease trade-ins, strong trade-in bonuses, and other sweeteners at the end of a quarter or year.)
Still — you guessed it! — "The right decision is entirely situational," says Bruce Shields, founder at ABS Tag & Title.
Getting a decent car deal in 2026 (and beyond)
Here are a few other ways to avoid buying a stupid expensive car in the short term:
Plan a wide search. "Search different areas, as pricing can change by region, and transport costs can be much cheaper than the price difference," Shields says. Compare written quotes from multiple dealerships before buying.
Consider new, nearly-new, or certified pre-owned vehicles, believe it or not. "Used cars are more expensive than they used to be, and with manufacturers offering better incentives like longer warranties, the total annual cost [against a new car] might end up the same," explains Dominic Adriano, director at AutoTech Workshop Solutions. "If a used car is priced close enough, the new car or certified pre-owned with a warranty is a safer bet as you’re less likely to face surprise repairs."
Negotiate on slower-moving inventory. That likely includes unpopular trims, year-old models, oversupplied vehicles, and cars in ugly colors.
Get pre-approved for a car loan, so you're not stuck with whatever the dealer's "best" offer happens to be.
Focus on the "out-the-door" price instead of the monthly payment. "Dealers can achieve a low monthly cost by extending the loan term, adjusting the interest rate, or rolling additional products and fees into the financing, which may increase the overall amount you pay," says Adriano.
Avoid costly and unnecessary dealership add-ons like the plague.
Hold off on mentioning your trade-in. Separating those transactions prevents dealers from adjusting one number to offset the other.
Also, check insurance costs before committing to a vehicle, because those rates can also be stupid expensive — and a potential deal-breaker.
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RECEIPTS
American (value) meal
Panera Bread unveiled its very first Value Menu last week. You can now mix and match two half portions of 10 top dishes, including the Bistro French Onion soup, Caesar salad, and Bacon Turkey Bravo sammie (IYKYK) for $4.99. Each combo meal comes with your choice of baguette, chips, or an apple.
The move follows an ongoing trend. Wendy's launched a new $4 to $8 Biggie Deals menu in January, just ahead of some downward revisions at Taco Bell, and McDonald's brought back Extra Value Meals, starting at $5, in September.
FWIW, I remember when you could get two small McDonald's cheeseburgers, a large fries, and a large soda for $2.99. (OK, I'll stop now.)
I find this … encouraging. The meal deals are clearly the result of waning customer demand amid inflation. (Why spend $20 on fast food kept warm by a heat lamp when you can get fresher food for the same price at your local bar and grill?) They're also proof that reevaluating and sticking to new tipping points can actually drive results.
FRESH GREEN
Nowadays, most financial takes are boilerplate. These aren't.
Oh, boy, we're gonna get through the whole alphabet before this economy materially changes, aren't we?
Gucci's Fall 2026 Ready to Wear runway show got broadly dragged for
using AIbeing kinda basic, but buried in this CNN article is a great note about the changing profile of a luxury shopper these days: No one buys full designer ensembles anymore. The rich are over it, and the non-rich can't afford all those duds. Nowadays, people buy one $5,000 Gucci bag to match a closet full of fast-fashion dresses and call it a day. "It's entirely possible, for that reason, that the rich, or more likely wannabe-rich, might look at [Gucci's] runway and – gulp – feel seen," CNN writes. I mean, I certainly do.ICYWW: How the war with Iran can impact the economy and your money
GOOD TRAP
And, finally, today, in things I have bought when I could buy things …
Happy feet
So I wouldn't call Bombas inexpensive. (It charges $14 to $20 for a single pair of adult socks, and $55 to $60 for a multipack.)
But its wares are good quality, and its fancy-pants socks (pictured above) feel … economical if you love showing new lewks but can't afford or don't want to own 800 pairs of shoes.
Plus, everyone loves socks.
Got questions, comments, receipts, tips, thirst traps, etc. you’d like to share? Send them to [email protected].
This article is for educational purposes only. We don’t recommend or advise individuals to buy, not buy, sell, or not sell particular investments or other assets, as everyone’s circumstances are different. Also, it’s your money and ultimately up to you to decide the best use for it.