Steve Marshall Ford

So in addition to the thousand things I did today...I was invited to a 'ladies night' at a very large Ford dealership in Nanaimo by my friend Deanna. No stippers, it's not that kind of ladies night. I wouldn't normally go but she said I'd have a fun and relaxing evening and so I went not knowing what to expect. Well, I'm happy to report that I did have a very enjoyable time and I also learned a lot too. Which is amazing to me because I always have visions of car salesmen as being slightly greasy (do you know what I mean?) and hovering with their sales pitch ready to pounce on you. These guys are obviously in the business not only to sell cars but to sell their service and get repeat customers. Very good business practice in my opinion. And I like being able to have my questions answered by knowledgeable staff who didn't treat me like an idiot.

So what did I learn? Forget the decorating and real estate stuff (though I learned about that a bit too) I was very interested in the presentation of lease vs. finance. I've always held the belief that leasing was a bad option because you pay and pay and don't own it at the end but now that I've had a chance to see how the figures work I think I'm sold on the idea. There are a few circumstances where the financing idea works best but overall for a small business like ours I think leasing a vehicle may turn out to be a really good option financially. But we'd have to find a suitable one. I also learned that you can lease and still put on a lot of km's if that's in your agreement and that you don't have to lease a brand new car if you don't want to, a 1 or 2 year old vehicle might work too.

I'm going to do some independent research and crunch the numbers but I think that's what I'm going to do for Steve's new vehicle once we've settled and got some money in the bank.

I know it's strange to hear me talking about spending money instead of saving it, but this saves me taxes so it's all good!

I did come home with a free 50 point inspection and a lavender plant...thanks Deanna!...and it was very entertaining, the magician was very funny. So would I recommend ladies night? Yes definitely.......now if only I could get them to sponsor us..... :)

****JUNE 23 FOLLOW UP******

Strange though it seems to me, this has become the most read post on my blog for the month of June. Lots of people wondering where they can get the info about lease vs. finance. So here's the good news. Steve Marshall Ford are working on getting some more info out there for us on their website, and of course I still HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you go down in person and talk to Ryan Fife about the details of your particular needs and wants. Or send him an e-mail I promise he'll give you all the info you need with no pressure and let you make your own decision. He's a straight talking and honest guy. If it's not right for you or he can suggest something better, he will. Trust me on this...he'll do what's best for YOU. Oh and my friend Deanna says that if you do buy a car please mention her name because she apparently gets a referral bonus, and why wouldn't you want to help someone out, right? So mention Deanna Scrafton! It doesn't cost you a penny but puts a few in her pocket. And maybe she'll take me out for lunch :)